Thread by @profplum8

My article in @ForeignAffairs today. "Deployed correctly, border management can enable international travel to continue, albeit at lower levels, in ways that genuinely control and mitigate the risk of COVID-19." Special thx to @Rhys_Dubin foreignaffairs.com/articles/world…

2/8 Scientific evidence on travel restrictions evolved since #COVID19 - combination of novel pathogen spread by asymptomatic travellers and interconnected of globalization posed unprecedented challenge for governments at borders.

3/8 Lessons from #COVID19 include: a) fast action at early stages of this pandemic to restrict travel reduced imported infections; b) sustained vigilance at borders rather than reactive strategy for #variants more effective; c) global nature of travel disperses risks from travel.

4/8 Governments must reframe problem, from hastily banning arrivals from targeted countries to sustained management of public health risks from cross-border movements. Testing (surveillance) and quarantine (infection control) practices aligned with evolving science are esp key.

5/8 Governments like #NewZealand #SouthKorea #Taiwan integrated consistent border management regimes with sustained domestic public health efforts. Borders are only a first line of defence.

6/8 Travel measures come with high economic and political costs. Shift by @WHO to risk-based approach recognizes this collateral damage but navigating the tradeoffs is political rather than scientific challenge.

7/8 Public health and other policy goals can be aligned. Poorly executed travel measures, such as bans targeting individual states, inflict unnecessary economic and social pain. They punish honesty and deter openness. They also allow new variants to spread worldwide.

8/8 Effective risk mitigation requires international coordination to harmonize standards for testing, quarantine, vaccine certification etc. Scientific consensus needed on risk-based approach. Increased investment in border capacities to keep large #s of people moving safely.