The false narrative that it’s public health/NHS v the economy is still doing the rounds. But if you don’t act early it’s worse for economy as restrictions have to be in place longer as a result of acting late when hospital & death rates already high.

A working test trace and isolate could have hopefully reduced need for restrictions & put them off for some te (despite what some are implying it feels unlikely it would have eliminated the need for them altogether?)

But the idea that the big spending was over with the first wave was pure fantasy. The only way to protect the economy is to take the public health measures needed to suppress the spread of the virus & to spend a lot on saving people’s livelihoods while you do so.