Empirical work described in this paper explains the daily evolution of the reproduction rate, R, and mobility for a large sample of countries, in terms of containment and public health policies. This is with a view to providing insight into the appropriate policy stance as countries prepare for...

This paper finds that although containment policies can successfully reduce the spread of the virus, they can also have a substantial impact on reducing mobility and economic activity. It also shows that testing, combined with effective contact tracing, is crucial in reducing the spread of the...