Shutdown Upside
Open for business sooner to save the economy or stay closed and save lives? It turns out that’s likely a false choice. Bloomberg: Cities that clamped down early and longer in the Spanish flu outbreak had faster growth once the danger passed. “The cities that implemented aggressive social distancing and shutdowns to contain the virus came out looking better. Implementing these policies eight days earlier, or maintaining them for 46 days longer were associated with 4% and 6% higher post-pandemic manufacturing employment, respectively. The gains for output were similar. Likewise, faster and longer-lasting distancing measures were associated with higher post-pandemic banking activity.”