Government response to the Pandemic: contrasting Mexico and New Zealand.

Abstract

In March 2020, at the beginning of the Sars-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, the disease caused alarm due to its spread and severity. Different countries reacted differently. Mexico’s response was slow and erratic, and it eventually became highly politized. When comparing it with how New Zealand managed the situation, it becomes apparent that while Mexico pretended to mitigate the risk of contagion, New Zealand focused on suppressing the disease.

The effectiveness of the preventative non-pharmacological strategies promoted by the World Health Organization has been demonstrated in New Zealand, in stark contrast to the indifference displayed by governments like Mexico’s, which continued to allow mass gatherings well into the pandemic. These diverging responses are reflected in the abysmal difference in the incidence and fatality rates between the two countries.

Beyond the gulf between Mexico and New Zealand in terms of the civic sensibility and responsibility displayed by their respective populations and political leaders, the pandemic has also laid bare the contrast in the percentage of Gross Domestic Product invested in Health, as a reflection of the overall economic differences. The pandemic and the resulting financial crisis have disproportionally affected low-income groups, which represent a bigger share of Mexico’s total population.