The Economist Paying to stop the pandemic

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From: The Economist this week - Thursday Mar 19, 2020 06:41 pm
The virus is burning its way across Europe and North America, and taking hold in the developing world. China and South Korea offer lessons to defeat it, but even the best policy might not prevent the pandemic from exacting a heavy toll
   
March 19th 2020 Read in browser
   
  The Economist this week  
 
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  Our paper this week is dominated by the pandemic. Our first two leaders look at how to deal with the disease and, as far as possible, how to spare the economy. As the virus burns its way across Europe and North America, and begins to take hold in the developing world, our cover leader reports on two strategies to defeat it and draws on the lessons from China and South Korea. Be under no illusions, though: even the best policy might not prevent the pandemic from exacting a heavy toll.
As governments and central banks pour trillions of dollars into helping households and businesses, our second leader analyses how they should best spend their money. If the virus retreats only to resurge, workers and firms must be confident that governments will dial assistance down and up again as needed.
To read these stories and more visit economist.com/coronavirus, which features our coverage of the virus and its consequences. And look out for a special edition of this newsletter on Saturday. 		 
 
  Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-In-Chief  
     
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The cash crisis
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China and America
The blame game

Amid the pandemic, Sino-American relations are rapidly worsening
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A hidden war that threatens Ethiopia’s transition to democracy

Abiy Ahmed’s crackdown is bloody and lawless
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Burning leaves, spurning leavers

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Joe Biden swept the board in the latest Democratic primaries. In Florida, the biggest prize on offer, he won 62% of the vote to 23% for Bernie Sanders. The pair also debated in their first one-on-one clash. Ohio postponed its primary because of the pandemic, as have Georgia and Louisiana.
 The Federal Reserve took more emergency measures to bolster short-term liquidity in markets by providing new funding lifelines to banks. It also cut its benchmark interest rate close to zero and began a new programme to buy commercial paper. Stockmarkets were in free fall; trading was halted again on the New York Stock Exchange after steep plunges triggered an automatic “circuit breaker”. The S&P 500 had its worst day since 1987, falling by 12%. It has now shed all the gains it made last year.
 
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