Comparing the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece, Iceland, New Zealand, and Singapore

Abstract

This paper aims at providing an overview of the COVID-19 situation in Greece, Iceland, New Zealand, and Singapore. The four countries were chosen due to their ability to contain the spread and mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on their societies. The paper investigates the demographic, epidemiological, socioeconomic profiles of the four countries as well as the situation of the COVID-19 and the relevant government’s policy intervention. We found that the four countries have managed to a great extent to manage the COVID-19 pandemic at an early stage in terms of total number of positive cases. The four countries managed to absorb the health system shock and decrease the case fatality ratio of COVID-19. The pandemic triggered several economic stimulus and relief measures in the four countries; the impact or the economic rebound is yet to be fully observed. We conclude that several lessons can be synthesized from the interventions of the four countries that could be useful for a potential second wave or similar pandemics.

Note: Funding: Korea Ministry of Environment.

Conflict of Interest: All authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Keywords: COVID-19, Greece, Iceland, Singapore, New Zealand, Health Policy

JEL Classification: I1, I15