University of Oxford researchers have measured the rigidity of government policies to contain the pandemic.
Known as the Stringency Index, the Our World In Data project compares responses from health authorities across the world.
What is the Stringency Index?
The Stringency Index is a tracker measuring the restrictions in place in every country to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
It measures the response across nine categories: school closures, workplace closures, cancellation of public events, public gathering restrictions, public transport closures, stay-at-home orders, public information campaigns, internal movement restrictions and international travel controls.
The average of the nine metrics, each taking a value between 0 and 100, gives the final score.
A higher score indicates a stricter response, with 100 being the toughest.
Which countries have the strongest measures?
Sri Lanka currently has the toughest Covid-19 restrictions in the world, with a score of 85.19 on the index.
South American nations rated highly, with Chile, Argentina, Peru, Colombia and Suriname scoring above 70.
China – scene of the coronavirus outbreak in December 2019 – scored highly in Asia with a rating of 78.24.
Germany has the highest score in Europe at 75, followed by Ireland on 74.07 and Portugal on 70.37.
Which countries have the loosest restrictions?
New Zealand, which experienced near-normality for much of the pandemic having successfully suppressed the disease, scored 22.22 whereas it previously had among the world’s toughest measures, recording 96.30 in April 2020.
Several African nations also scored low, with the Central African Republic ranked at 11.11, Burundi on 15.74, Chad on 16.67 and Ivory Coast 17.59.
How did the UK fare?
The UK’s score is 51.39, which is on par with most other major European countries, with the exception of Germany, an outlier on 75.
Britain’s score has remained steady since mid-May, when restrictions were eased to allow for indoor mixing.
Its highest score was recorded between January and March this year, a period covered by England’s third national lockdown.
That shutdown was calculated as tougher than the first in March 2020 and the second in November.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
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Based: India, UAE and the UK
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Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
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Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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