Is freedom to blame for the number of Coronavirus cases?

Going through the list of countries with the most cases, 4 out of the top 5 countries and 8 out of the top 15 are western democracies.

People in the western democracies cherish their freedom. Governments would not coerce them to do anything, even if it means something as serious as your life. The mitigation strategies have been recommendations to the people to observe social distancing, stay at home and practice good sanitation practices. Most people would follow these guidelines as good citizens who are used to doing the proper things. However, we are not used to these unprecedented measures and can become careless at times. An elderly person visiting the home improvement store to buy a flower pot is not necessary in these trying times.

We have seen reports of the drastic measures that China took. People who purchased medicine for cold had to provide their names and addresses for monitoring. Whistle blowers who reported offenders were given cash rewards.

India, a democratic country where the people and media would prevent an authoritarian regime, have implemented tough measures too. Any locality where someone tests positive for Covid is turned into a containment zone. The extent of contact tracing is unprecedented. Without tough measures, India can face catastrophic outcomes, given the sheer size of its people and poor infrastructure. And so far it is doing better than many advanced nations.

Other more advanced societies like Singapore and South Korea have taken strong measures which have forced people to adhere to strict rules. Lack of testing and preparedness has caught US and others on the wrong foot. But are we the people, with our abhorrence for restrictive measures, also to blame for the mess? Is John F. Kennedy’s “Ask not what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for the country” apt for the present times?

Data: Case numbers as of May 16, 2020 from bing.com/covid19

Steps in China and India:

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