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Coronavirus pandemic
ChinaScience

Coronavirus: which works better to handle a pandemic – democracy or autocracy?

  • Global Democracy Perception Index found average satisfaction in Asian nations of governments’ Covid-19 handling was much higher than in Europe and Latin America
  • Propaganda, censorship and lack of freedom are common issues in autocracies and were heightened during the pandemic

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The 2022 Democracy Perception Index found that people living in free democracies were much less satisfied with their country’s Covid-19 response, with the lead researcher saying satisfaction levels mirrored Covid-19 death rates. Photo: AFP
Priyanka Shankar
It has been more than two years since the first strain of the coronavirus pandemic was discovered. Since then, the virus has infected more than 500 million people worldwide and upended economies.
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The initial response to tackle the pandemic saw governments resorting to draconian lockdowns, mass testing, mask mandates and long quarantines.

But such measures have now been relaxed in most countries, especially in the West, after vaccines were rolled out.

However in Asia, besides vaccination drives, economies continue to endorse stringent coronavirus rules, raising questions among policymakers, public health advocates and citizens about what kind of government system works better to handle pandemics.

This year’s Democracy Perception Index – a global survey highlighting attitudes towards government systems around the world – revealed that when it came to citizens’ perceptions of their governments’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the average satisfaction in Asia was significantly higher than in Europe and Latin America.

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WHO chief says China’s zero-Covid policy not ‘sustainable’

WHO chief says China’s zero-Covid policy not ‘sustainable’

The index, conducted between March 30 and May 10, consisted of 52,785 responses from 53 countries around the world.

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