Page - 9 - in VULNERABLE - The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19

9Introduction The impact of COVID-19 on the economy has generated a great deal of concern in all countries. In some, the economic necessity to reopen is accompanied by a strong culture of personal freedom and resistance to government interventions. The epidemiological data is clearly just one consideration in deciding when and how to lift lockdowns. It is already evident that every approach carries its own risk of unforeseen consequences. For instance, while the early shutdown of borders and lockdowns seems to have propelled some countries toward success (New Zealand, Taiwan, South Korea), other democra- cies that locked down quickly, such as India, Italy, Spain, and Greece, saw thousands of people moving between areas on the announcement of an impending lockdown. Around the world, the priority now seems to be preventing trans- mission, protecting the vulnerable, and restarting work, commerce, and education. To do this, the focus is on known places and settings of vulnerability, alongside public health measures of hygiene, physical distancing, masking, testing, and tracing. Canada has not been a strong performer on testing and tracing, falling far below testing targets,32 and there are significant disparities in testing rates across provinces. The Unknowns Many crucial factors remain unknown. First, while a vaccine is seen by many as the magic bullet, it is unknown when or even whether one will be developed; policies contingent on this hope may have to be recalibrated. Nor do we know whether, once a vaccine is developed, there will be a sufficient supply at a price that is affordable for all who need it. Second, the extent and duration of natural immunity pro- duced from SARS-CoV-2 infection is another unknown. Third, we do not know the extent of the harmful consequences of all the policy mea- sures taken to combat COVID-19. For example, an estimated 1.2 mil- lion children worldwide could die in the next six months due to the disruption of health services and food supplies caused by the corona- virus pandemic.33 Lockdowns and physical isolation have led to severe 32. Omar Sachedina & Ben Cousins, “As Canadians Struggle to Receive COVID- 19 Testing, Health Officials Recommend Expansion”, CTV News (12 May 2020), online: <https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/as-canadians-struggle-to- receive-covid-19-testing-health-officials-recommend-expansion-1.4936998>. 33. Kate Hodal, “UNICEF: 6,000 Children Could Die Day Due to Impact of Corona- virus”, The  Guardian (13 May 2020), online: <https://www.theguardian.com/