Learning from lockdown
How can we build a healthier future post-COVID-19?
Learning from lockdown
7 July 2020

Key points
- During the period of lockdown unprecedented steps have been taken across the UK – not just to protect people from coronavirus (COVID-19) but from the consequences of the economic impact. These interventions have touched on all aspects of our lives and illuminated many long-standing inequalities. It raises the question: If such support is important now, then why not in the future?
- Here we consider the areas where the actions taken during lockdown should be retained beyond the pandemic to build a recovery that supports everyone’s health and wellbeing. We describe the lessons that can be drawn in the areas of: mutual aid and voluntary action; prevention-led strategies; housing security; employment and rebuilding for inclusion.
- Stark differences in COVID-19 outcomes have placed the role of racial discrimination in influencing health outcomes at the centre of debate and will require action to be taken by all sectors of society.
- The rapid shift to online services and information – while essential to maintaining business as usual for many sectors during lockdown – has highlighted the need to ensure greater digital inclusion.
- During the pandemic, protecting people’s health has been the single focus for governments across the UK. As restarting the economy becomes a priority, policies will need to support an inclusive recovery if everyone is to have the same opportunity of a healthy future and ensure long-term prosperity and wellbeing. The ‘levelling up’ of health outcomes needs to be the ultimate measure of success for the government’s levelling up agenda.
Further reading
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