> The UK, US and I think most other western countries used the same contact tracing early on that kept Sars out of those countries. It didn't work. You also don

> The UK, US and I think most other western countries used the same contact tracing early on that kept Sars out of those countries. It didn't work. You also don't see this discussed much, because it doesn't fit the narrative - except to attack the UK government for discontinuing the contact tracing once it failed. It worked very well in Asian countries with relevant experience (and perhaps more obedient cultures). The UK didn't have comparable relevant experience and may even have used it counterproductively (a relative with very early symptoms contacted the relevant helpline to be advised there were no known cases in their area so they shouldn't worry...) > The only Western country I know of that applied reasonably sensible travel restrictions early on is the US New Zealand imposed a travel ban on people from the region at the same time but also required its own returning nationals to self isolate. NZ has certain geographical advantages relative to other Western nations which made it easier for them to subsequently expand that scope to the entire world and eliminate the disease in their country altogether, but even before that the NZ administration wasn't accused of focusing its containment efforts on foreign nonresidents whilst loudly downplaying the risk of community spread from returnees amongst its own population because this isn't what it did.