‘We thought we could finally breathe’: What the world can learn from lockdown U-turns

‘This is what we all fear – a vicious cycle of public health disaster followed by economic disaster followed by public health disaster followed by economic disaster,’ WHO director tells The Independent. Reporting by Borzou Daragahi and Bel Trew

People shop at a crowded souk as Lebanon’s government ordered most of the country to shut down again for four days (Reuters)

They thought their coronavirus strategy was successful and they could begin lifting lockdowns that had stifled public and commercial life.

They were wrong.

This week, Lebanon, Algeria and Saudi Arabia were among the nations that made wrenching decisions to reimpose lockdowns after lifting them, only to experience fresh surges in coronavirus infections.