How the World Views the U.S. Virus Response
Covid-19 continues to spread at an alarming rate in parts of the world’s biggest economy. Bloomberg Opinion writers from elsewhere chime in.
The U.S. government has come under fire for what’s seen as a haphazard approach to handling the pandemic.
Photographer: Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images
The coronavirus pandemic is showing few signs of abating in the U.S. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, said that contrary to expectations, the virus isn’t taking a summer break, with cases mounting in warmer states including Florida, Texas and Arizona. Although the government has been lauded for its quick actions to support the economy, it has come under fire for what some say is a haphazard strategy to contain the health crisis. As many as 31 states have R0 figures above 1, according to the Rt.live website, meaning that each person with the virus infects at least one other. New confirmed cases have surged in June, increasing 22.6% last week to 185,821, data compiled by Bloomberg show. And now, the European Union may decide to keep the door shut to Americans even as it eases controls on its external borders.
We asked Bloomberg Opinion columnists and contributors who are based outside the U.S. for their take on how the rest of the world views efforts to contain the coronavirus in America, where even the decision to wear a mask is seen as a political statement.
Ferdinando Giugliano writes columns on European economics for Bloomberg Opinion from Milan. He is also an economics columnist for La Repubblica and was a member of the editorial board of the Financial Times: