Keeping infection numbers low is crucial. My friend was watching the tennis from Australia; Melbourne I think. In the middle of a game, an announcement came over the sound system – the public must clear the court; immediate lockdown. Nine positive tests had been discovered – not nine deaths, not nine hospital admissions; just nine positive tests. The city was immediately locked down – and not the whole of Australia.
But just five days later, restrictions had been lifted again and the spectators were back at the tennis. With only nine positive tests to follow up, track, test and quarantine had been performed in that time. Fifty or so people had been quarantined, and general restrictions were lifted.
I was impressed. That’s how to stamp out covid-19; hit it hard and fast, deprive it of the chance to spread.