COVID-19 Response Intensifies This Month... Oxford University 'Policy Stringency Index' Rebounds

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The intensity of the South Korean government's policies in response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) peaked in April, declined, and has rebounded this month. This increase in policy intensity is due to the sharp rise in new confirmed cases following the April 15 Gwanghwamun rally, and it is expected that the pace of economic recovery will slow down.

According to the International Finance Center on the 23rd, South Korea's COVID-19 policy stringency index, compiled by the Blavatnik School at the University of Oxford in the UK, has been rebounding this month. This index quantifies the strictness of each country's COVID-19 response policies on a scale from 1 to 100. It is calculated by aggregating 17 indicators related to lockdowns, movement restrictions, economic support, and healthcare strengthening policies. An increase in the index indicates a higher level of economic lockdown, while a decrease indicates the opposite.

South Korea's COVID-19 policy stringency index rose to 2.78 on January 31 after the first domestic confirmed case on January 20 this year, and increased significantly during February and March as confirmed cases grew mainly in Daegu and Gyeongbuk due to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji) cluster infection. The peak was 82.41 on April 6.

Among the 16 comparable countries in the Group of Twenty (G20), only five countries had a higher index than South Korea at its peak: India (100), France (90.74), Spain (85.19), South Africa (87.96), and Italy (93.52). After the spread gradually subsided and daily new confirmed cases dropped to single digits in late April, the index fell to 43.52 and fluctuated in the 40s to 50s range. In particular, it dropped to 39.35 in early August but rebounded to 50.46 as of the 11th. As of the 19th, it has risen to 56.02.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.