COVID-19: Achieving greater certainty over the longer

term

Contents
Beyond National Cabinet’s 3-step Framework for a COVIDSafe Australia. ........................................... 1
Clarity for the immediate future ....................................................................................................... 1
Principles to guide health responses and increase business certainty .............................................. 2
A business perspective of categorising health situation and restriction responses to provide greater
certainty................................................................................................................................................ 7
Lockdowns, Border responses and Green Zoning ........................................................................... 11
Optimal Lockdowns..................................................................................................................... 11
Border responses and consideration of Green Zoning ................................................................ 11
Travel: Criteria and Response ............................................................................................................. 12
Domestic Travel .............................................................................................................................. 12
International travel – ‘safe corridors’ ............................................................................................. 12
Coming into Australia by air (Place of origin – at Category 2 (equivalent) or below) .................. 12
Coming into Australia by air (Place of origin – Category 3 or above) .......................................... 13
Appendix A.......................................................................................................................................... 14
Border responses and consideration of Green Zoning .................................................................... 14

Beyond National Cabinet’s 3-step Framework

for a COVIDSafe Australia.
Clarity for the immediate future
As we are now at Step 3 of the National Cabinet’s 3-step plan there is a need for greater clarity about
what happens in and beyond this step. When the 3-step National Cabinet timetable was announced,
a clear idea was provided about the health conditions that needed to be achieved, including the
availability of ICU beds, the growth in cases and the take up of the COVIDSafe App.

This clarity of approach about what health conditions should be met leading to what restrictions
should apply or be relaxed, is now needed to guide business and the community. We particularly need
to address those industry sectors and business activities not included in the original three steps and
to provide greater certainty and planning ability to businesses more generally.

Australia has committed to a suppression rather than an eradication strategy for COVID-19. ACCI
supports this approach and agrees that an eradication approach will not prevent breakouts relating to

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the trade and return of Australians. Stopping all trade and preventing Australians returning home
which would form part of an eradication response, would be unthinkable.

Clusters of cases involving some community transmission appearing from time to time over the
foreseeable future are within expectations, according to the health authorities including the federal
CMO. Unpredictable actions taken by Governments without warning create enormous additional
anxiety and increases the burdens on businesses and workers that are already under severe stress.

“The impact of restrictions is manageable, particularly if we know that they will be in place for longer.
Lifting them increases uncertainty and people ignoring them adds further risk.” –Micro-business
owner, Professional services, VIC.

“We cannot prepare until we know about border restrictions and mass gatherings. We are totally at
the mercy of those.” – Small Business Owner, Arts and Recreation, VIC.

Principles to guide health responses and increase business certainty

Businesses need certainty regarding decisions and objective criteria for COVID-related restrictions.
Recommend future responses by Governments to virus outbreaks conform with the following
principles:

Governments commit to a nimble, targeted and localised response rather than a blunt one-size-fits-
all response.
The early phase of Australia’s response can be characterised as a set of top-down rules restricting the
function of businesses and individuals. This approach was needed to quickly arrest the spread of
COVID-19, encourage behavioural changes and new social norms around social distancing and to
implement change when the policy toolkit was limited to blunt policy instruments.

We now have an opportunity to refine our response strategy including by developing clear criteria and
corresponding policy measures that will enable us to contain COVID risks at a lower cost to the
economy. Lower economic costs can be achieved by moving toward more targeted interventions
without increasing health risk.

Response measures should be defined and ordered from those that yield higher health benefits
and impose lower economic costs to those that have the opposite effect.
This may be achieved by reviewing the efficacy of specific lockdown activities taken to date on health
benefits and economic costs.

For example:

• Working from home could be considered a higher ranked measure, because it imposes small
economic costs in many industries and generates health benefits by reducing the social
interaction and movement of people in large numbers.

Another lens to consider ranking measures is by the scale of the intervention i.e local impact rules
such as 1.5m social distancing, or capacity caps with lower economic costs; versus the broader density
rule of one person per 4m2 with detrimentally high economic costs, and which has been replaced with
the one person per 2m2 rule in several jurisdictions.

A progressive and articulated imposing of restrictions that is as consistent as possible across

jurisdictions is key. Evaluating and ranking the health restrictions is a critical step.

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 Policy frameworks used to determine the increasing or relaxing of restrictions should account for
specific regional circumstances and risk
There may be scope for more relaxed rules and restrictions in regional or less densely populated areas.
Mitigation strategies may be more generalised in lower risk locations and would likely focus on
preventing spread from outside of the community.

Provide transparency on the health triggers for changes to responses and health restrictions
Governments need to articulate a clear path forward for our response to expected future outbreaks
of the virus. Businesses need to be able to better understand the circumstances under which certain
restrictions will be imposed or lifted in order to effectively create continuity and business plans.
Greater understanding of what to expect in various circumstances facilitates business and community
confidence.

A business perspective on health considerations for how and when to introduce restrictions or
lockdown an area is provided in the following section.

The response to the virus should balance the health benefits of restrictions imposed against the
economic cost of doing so.

Governments provide targeted economic support measures that ease the economic pain on
businesses and individuals during the pandemic
Blanket monetary support measures can be an inefficient way to deal with the myriad of bottlenecks
and nuanced issues the various industry sectors are experiencing as we move beyond the 6-month
mark of living with the virus.

Targeted support is needed to face the economic impact created by the combination of the virus itself,
health restriction measures and the behavioural response of individuals, businesses and financial
institutions.

JobKeeper as an example of a government support measure, has been instrumental in keeping

businesses going and retaining the connection of employees to the employers, notwithstanding the
issues of interpretation and application borne out of the speed with which it was developed and
implemented. It has been the central pillar that has kept not only many eligible businesses afloat, but
also has ensured there is money in the economy to help all businesses.

Just as the parameters of the scheme have been reviewed and additional phased iterations of
JobKeeper announced to better reflect the current economic and health environments, so too will
extended and future support measures need to be targeted.

Better manage community expectations

Irrespective of when the relaxation of restrictions occurs, the community will look to the authorities
to manage ongoing COVID risks and give consumers confidence that they can re-engage with their
usual economic activities.

On the other hand, there is a risk that when there is a relaxation of restrictions, people will interpret
this to mean they should relax their behaviours. They are two very different things.

Until we get a vaccine, we need to maintain the baseline risk reduction behaviours: physical distance,
hygiene, getting tested when unwell.

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Behavioural considerations may warrant implementation of more visible strategies which
demonstrate appropriate caution. Government needs to play an active role in communicating the
policy rationale behind various approaches and how they could be leveraged to rapidly address any
outbreaks that occur.

Ensure everyone understands the rules, has the means to comply with them and the rules are
enforced.
Messaging: Consistent and timely messaging contextualised to the local situation.

Resourcing: Governments provide targeted support to those who have been affected by restrictions
imposed upon them. Barriers to compliance are identified and removed.

Policing: sufficiently resourcing appropriate authorities to enforce compliance.

“Businesses are managing well but are being put at risk by customers/staff who don't appreciate or
manage the risk of COVID-19. This doesn't just result in more COVID cases, it deters potential customers
from supporting businesses that rely on a physical presence to operate.” – Micro Business Owner,
Professional Services, VIC.

Based on the experience of our Victorian members, here are some examples of how this principle
may be operationalised:

1. Rule Clarity/Messaging.
Aim: Make sure everyone is clear on the rules.
All Government Departments must coordinate and follow the established rules once they
are agreed. Workflow should then be process mapped and implemented once the rules are
known.

For an individual, the rules are clear (spell these out as succinctly as possible, for example):
• If you aren’t feeling well, get tested.
• Once you are tested stay at home.
• Designated Health authority will contact you within X days to give you a result.
• If you return a positive test, stay home for 14 days.
• You will be re-tested at Day Y (say Day 11). Health authority will be in touch to co-
ordinate this with you.

If a workplace has a positive test, then they must (provide step by step instructions clearly once
again):
• Contact and provide instructions to all those who may have been in close contact with
the individual who tested positive.
• Deep clean the affected areas at the workplace.

How to help families where one person tests positive (i.e. what are the rules around who stays
isolated and for how long, who needs to be tested etc.)

Make sure Government communications are settled and clear on what metrics are being set
prior to public announcements and this information is readily accessible online.
For example:
• Response times
• When will restrictions be escalated (i.e. R factor)
• When will masks be required, recommended or mandatory etc.
• Access to masks and types of masks for various settings and functions.
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 • Clarify what happens at the end of 14 days, and how each positive case will be handled.

2. Resourcing
• A logistical exercise of this magnitude requires precision and credible leadership of a
capable and experienced team.
• Make sure the relevant health authority staff interacting with the community are
knowledgeable.
• The rules should be advertised in all different languages and communicated through
multiple communications channels i.e. text messages and phone calls.
• Ensure any barriers to remaining home after testing, or during the 14 days of isolation
are removed i.e. Financial support where appropriate, medical and human support.
• Make the process a warm and human experience for those who test positive. The
individual who tests positive should have a way to contact the relevant health authority
as needed. A phone call is much more friendly than a cold text.
• Ensure critical testing, tracing and quarantining deadlines are met by all relevant
parties.
• Make sure people understand when they need to go to hospital.
• Provide a guide around what you can expect symptoms will be and how to treat at
home.

Act quickly and decisively

Governments need to ensure an appropriate plan with corresponding responses is in place to contact,
trace and eliminate small outbreaks quickly. Plans should be subject to constant evaluation and
review.
Based on the experience of our Victorian members, here are some examples of how this principle
may be operationalised:
1. Testing response time
• Minimise the time between testing and provision of results to the individual
- Scenario stress test processes to ensure the times don’t blow out. Ensure reserve
capacity and how this will work.
- Ensure the lab is connected to an appropriate communicator (SMS, phone call
etc). Phone is best.
• Enable contact tracing to start immediately after the positive test is confirmed
- Minimize the delay from test result to contact tracing phone call
- Make sure all people are followed up

2. Have people trained and ready

• Keep running scenario tests on plans and reviewing
• Ensure relevant personnel are ready to be deployed when the volume hits
• Have appropriate operational “response rate metrics”
• Be clear around when and how things are escalated to get better outcomes

3. Mobile testing stations ready to go

• Be prepared and capable of establishing pop-up testing stations in areas as required.
• Ensure there are enough testing stations available.

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 • Ensure the logistics of getting test kits to and from testing stations and the labs is
mapped out and timely.
• Ensure there are enough test kits to meet demand.
• Ensure all signage is ready to go as needed.
• Ensure additional and alternate staff are ready to go and a plan for deploying quickly is
in place.
• Ensure appropriate advertising on testing locations is available.

Keep the Business Community close and well informed

Most people are employees or connected with someone who is an employee. The more business’s
feel connected to the problem/solution, the stronger the response will be.

Other actions for consideration:

1. Consider a text message style messaging approach like with a fire/flood scenario to
provide critical information on local health situations and the expected response from
individuals in that area.
2. Explore a greater adoption of technological tools to support contract tracing, testing,
quarantine compliance and general compliance activities.
3. Consider options that would increase the ability to identify unconfirmed COVID cases in a
community.
• For example, consideration of increased random sampling of water testing
(sewage samples).
4. Consider how to more effectively manage containment issues associated with a positive
COVID test.
5. Greater consideration and planning of how remote schooling can best work –
development of a detailed model with flexible options depending on area of outbreak.
6. Work with industry to ensure the ongoing availability of PPE or cleaning and hygiene
equipment for general industry at a non-prohibitive price point noting current industry
concerns.

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A business perspective of categorising health situation and restriction
responses to provide greater certainty
The below table is an example of what Government may consider producing for the use of business and the community to
provide certainty to businesses about the broad conditions likely to lead to restrictions.
The business community needs a national framework that delivers much needed certainty by articulating the likely response governments will take in
communications, social distancing, movement and business trading restrictions depending on the health situation trigger, prior to a time when we have a
reliable and widely available vaccine. This would include, to the extent possible, uniform definitions and trigger points for restrictions.

We propose that Governments use Category numbers to better describe the current health situation. This will aid in communications to both business and
the community.

Notes:
1. The table below recognises that baseline restrictions will be in place for some time to come. Baseline restrictions include: maintain physical distancing 1.5m where
possible, maintain good hand and respiratory hygiene and stay at home if you have cold or flu-like symptoms.
2. Source jurisdiction means the State or Territory government where the health situation (virus cases) is occurring. Jurisdictions not being the source jurisdiction are
called non-source jurisdictions in the context of travel restrictions.
3. Additional columns articulating information for Schools, TAFE and childcare are also relevant but have not been included at this stage.

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 Government Suggested Health & Change in Restrictions Additional Social Travel restrictions Working from
statements and Category Communications Distancing home
media reports of the system to Response measures
category of virus assist with
spread clarity of
health
situation
No cases A Campaign and social Continue to ease Nil N/A N/A
messaging to promote restrictions according to
ongoing compliance with roadmap.
baseline restrictions.
Individual case B Campaign and social Continue to ease Nil Individual cases N/A
numbers increase messaging to promote restrictions according to and their close
ongoing compliance with roadmap. contacts required
baseline restrictions. to self-isolate for
14 days or as
• Increase testing, required.
tracing, quarantine
(close contacts etc).

Cluster of cases C Campaign and social
appears messaging to promote
ongoing compliance with
baseline restrictions.
• Increase testing,
tracing, quarantine
(close contacts etc)
Pause on restriction For example: Individual cases N/A
easing except for messaging to limit and their close
restrictions imposed on social interactions, contacts required
the locality of the change or avoid to self-isolate for
outbreak. activities shown to 14 days or as
have increased risk. required.

Community spread – D Campaign and social Increased restrictions Limit social Individual cases Consider plans for
locally acquired (can messaging to promote imposed on the locality of interactions, and their close employees to
trace source) ongoing compliance with the outbreak. change or avoid contacts required work from home
baseline restrictions. activities shown to to self-isolate for where possible.
+ Targeted messaging to have increased risk. 14 days or as
areas of outbreak. required. Members
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• Increase testing,
tracing, quarantine
(close contacts etc)
Community spread – E Campaign and social
community messaging: limit interactions
transmission source outside social bubble,
unknown – small change or avoid activities
numbers/contact shown to have increased risk
tracing manageable (indoor activities, singing,
planned holidays or travel).
Wear masks if you are in an
enclosed space and you can't
guarantee social distancing
and there is high community
transmission.
• Significant increase in
testing.
• Bolster tracing
capabilities.
• Quarantine (close
contacts etc)
Community spread – F Campaign and social
community messaging: Stay at home
transmission source except for essential
unknown – large activities.
numbers/contact
tracing impeded. Wear masks if you are in
an enclosed space and you
can't guarantee social
distancing and there is high
community transmission.
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Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
of the community
encouraged to
minimise travel.
• Localised lockdown Limit social Individual cases Employees work
(see suggested action interactions, and their close from home where
in next section) change or avoid contacts required possible.
• Strict ‘essential activities shown to to self-isolate for
worker’ permit and have increased risk. 14 days or as
isolation criteria required.
imposed between
localised lockdown Targeted and time-
and other areas. restricted local
• Stage 3 restrictions in lockdowns imposed
targeted area. by Source
• 4 -6 weeks restriction Jurisdiction.
period possible.
Non-source
jurisdictions may
impose travel
restrictions on
travellers from the
impacted
community.
• Localised lockdown Stay at home Individual cases Employees work
(see suggested action except for essential and their close from home where
in next section) activities. contacts required possible.
• Strict ‘essential to self-isolate for
worker’ permit Family/group 14 days or as
criteria and isolation interaction limited. required.
imposed between
localised lockdown Targeted and time-
and other areas. restricted local
lockdowns imposed
9
 • Stage 3 restrictions (or by Source
• Significant increase in appropriately refined Jurisdiction.
testing. restrictions) in
• Bolster tracing targeted area. Non-source
capabilities. • 6-week restriction jurisdictions may
• Quarantine (close period likely (3 impose increased
contacts etc) cycles). travel restrictions
on travellers from
the impacted
community (source
jurisdiction)
Where Category F G
persists for a period
of time without
significant
improvements an
additional category
G could be
considered.

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Lockdowns, Border responses and Green Zoning
Addressing the issue of lockdowns and border closures as well as responding to future outbreaks of
the virus, ACCI recommends consideration be given to research into optimal lockdowns in commuting
networks1 and the concept of ‘green-zoning’2.

These policy responses aim to mitigate the health risks of a resurgence of the virus while minimising
the societal and economic damage.

Optimal Lockdowns

Governments commit to a nimble, targeted and localised response rather than a blunt one-size-
fits-all response.
Research suggests large benefits from spatial targeting. Specifically, substantially lower real-income
losses from allowing for spatial targeting compared to a uniform lockdown (i.e. no spatial variation).

Optimal strategies over time and space depend on the full geography of commute patterns and real
income, and on the initial viral spread. When the spread is sufficiently large, the response first places
more weight on shutting down locations that are perceived as transmission hubs, even if they are the
main sources of real income. When it is not, those locations are (relatively) spared.

Government(s) can control commuting flows into, and out of, specific areas (i.e. economic hubs) by
imposing lockdown measures, capacity restrictions, providing incentives, or sending signals through
communication channels. These mechanisms of control should be further explored by governments,
particularly in relation to accurately mapping the commute patterns and real income of economic
hotspots.

Border responses and consideration of Green Zoning

Given the significant impact further border restrictions and extensions of border closures have on
businesses and community confidence, ACCI proposes a new model of local outbreak lockdowns or
‘green zoning’ be considered as a response to future outbreaks in place of border closures.

Consideration should be given to Oliu-Barton et al. proposal3 of ‘green-zoning’ which is based on two
key elements: first, identifying the green zones, areas where a public health system is operational and
resourced, the reproduction rate of infected individuals is low and the future risks appear manageable;
second, progressively joining these green zones together once it is safe to do so. Further detail on this
proposed model is provided in Appendix A.

1 Fajgelbaum, P, A Khandelwal, W Kim, C Mantovani and E Schaal. (2020), “Optimal lockdown in a commuting network”,
NBER Working Paper 27441.
2 Oliu-Barton, M, B S R Pradelski, L Attia (2020), “Exit strategy: from self-confinement to green zones”, Esade – Center for

Economic Policy & Political Economy, Policy insight No. 6, April.

3 Oliu-Barton, M, B S R Pradelski, L Attia (2020), “Exit strategy: from self-confinement to green zones”, Esade – Center for

Economic Policy & Political Economy, Policy insight No. 6, April.

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Travel: Criteria and Response
Domestic Travel
Domestic travel is the most important short-term activity to restart travel, tourism and hospitality
businesses.

Domestic tourism campaigns by Tourism Australian and State Tourism bodies launched in June 2020
are welcome but governments, and particularly health authorities, need to do everything possible to
reassure the public that it is safe to travel. Recent surveys have shown that the desire of Australians
to travel within Australia exists, but they are very reliant on the advice of health authorities. It is
accepted that this assurance will take into account the need to avoid certain hotspots as clusters
occur.

The benefits of domestic tourism rely on transport. Both the aviation industry and the private bus and
coach sector now have Government endorsed COVIDsafe protocols and principles that allow airlines
and buses to operate viably.

Coach tourism has been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Future bookings for school charter
work, day tours to popular tourist sites, airport transfers, inbound tours, cruise ship transfers, long
distance rail, sporting tours, arts tours and events have been cancelled and demand has flatlined. As
a result, there are many operators who only do tour and charter work (i.e. operators with no
government contracts) that are insolvent or close to it.

International travel – ‘safe corridors’

Tourism businesses and businesses reliant on international travellers are being asked to keep their
businesses alive and to plan for the future based on media speculation and non-committal statements
by government as to when international travel will recommence. It is not sustainable.

International tourism creates hundreds of thousands of Australian jobs and billions of dollars in
economic benefit. It has been built, over time, on an effective distribution framework linking inbound
tour operators with accommodation, hospitality, retail, education, transport and attractions. We need
to preserve these channels if we are to have a reasonable chance of seeing that economic benefit
return when the national border reopens.

Travel and tourism is focused on advanced bookings and long lead times between planning and the
dates of travel. ACCI urges Government to allow for lead time and greater certainty where possible by
providing a transparent decision-making framework for when and under what conditions international
travellers would be allowed.

ACCI’s industry networks proposes the following approach to lifting the international travel ban;
and the conditions under which international travellers will be allowed in.

Coming into Australia by air (Place of origin – at Category 2 (equivalent) or below)

Note: Origin of travel can be defined as region or state.

• Origin of travel needs to be at Category 2 or below recognising an acceptable risk

level whereby any outbreaks are still manageable by health authorities and can be
adequately traced.
• Declare that the traveller has not been in a Category 3 or above locality in the 14
days prior to travel and does not have current symptoms.

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 • Testing requirements – Travellers needs to be tested 48 hours prior to travelling and
return a negative result.
• Tracing – contact information needs to be provided for the duration of stay in
Australia. Provide information on movement in the 48 hours prior to testing.
• Quarantine – not required.
• Encourage the download of the COVIDSafe app for Australian travellers. We also
encourage the use of internationally recognised tracing apps such as the ICC
AOKpass.
• Require the download of the COVIDSafe app for non-Australian travellers. We also
encourage the use of internationally recognised tracing apps such as the ICC
AOKpass.

Coming into Australia by air (Place of origin – Category 3 or above)

• Testing requirements – Travellers needs to be tested 48 hours prior to travelling and
return a negative result.

• Tracing – contact information needs to be provided for the duration of stay in

Australia. Provide information on movement in the 48 hours prior to testing.

• Quarantine on arrival – 14 days quarantine required.

• Encourage the download of the COVIDSafe app for Australian travellers.

• Require the download of the COVIDSafe app for non-Australian travellers.

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Appendix A
Border responses and consideration of Green Zoning
Consideration should be given to the Oliu-Barton et al. proposal 4 of ‘green-zoning’ which is based on
two key elements: first, identifying green zones, areas where a public health system is operational and
resourced, the reproduction rate of infected individuals is low and the future risks appear manageable;
second, progressively joining these green zones together once it is safe to do so.

Cells - Partitioning localities:

The first action is to create ‘cells’ of people and activity. Divide jurisdictions into geographic areas, or
cells (this could be by Postcodes, Local Government Area, District classification etc). To limit economic
damage, this partition should consider local labour markets, or ‘commuting zones’ – that is, zones
which share many economic ties.

Starting point of a cell - Red or Green:

Each cell is labelled red or green depending on its current Covid-19 status. A clear definition of a red
versus green cell is needed so that the community clearly understands the difference, and this is
consistent across jurisdictions and time.

• Red (example): Red cells correspond to areas where the virus is currently not under control
(for example this could be category levels 4 and 5 in the table above).
• Green (example): areas where the public health system is operational, the reproductive rate
of infections is low and the future risks appear manageable.
Red areas (lockdown)
In red cells, the population would be in lockdown (at category levels 4 and 5). The health measures –
restrictions on the opening of businesses and restrictions on leaving the house would remain in place.

Individuals cannot travel beyond the local lockdown area. Essential workers or others wanting to travel
on compassionate grounds or for accepted reasons would need a permit granting an exemption and
undergo appropriate testing.

Physical borders should be established around the defined lockdown zone to enable lockdown border
permit checks and greater control of movement by authorities therefore negating the need for a
border closure. Physical borders would be used to control road movement whilst authorities
monitored and controlled movement at train and bus stations and airports as appropriate;

Moving a cell from red to green:

Criteria would be determined for transitioning from red to green. For example: no new infections have
been detected for seven consecutive days (as determined through randomised testing). This would
mean that inhabitants could then progressively return to their usual social and economic interactions.

Green Zones:

4Oliu-Barton, M, B S R Pradelski, L Attia (2020), “Exit strategy: from self-confinement to green zones”, Esade – Center for
Economic Policy & Political Economy, Policy insight No. 6, April.
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Criteria would also need to be determined to define a green zone. For example: after each seven-day
period without any cases within a green cell, a small number of neighbouring green cells are allowed
to join to form a larger green zone. In this way, ever-larger green zones are created with people sharing
the same shops, workplaces, parks and schools.
Within a green zone, inhabitants should feel secure as there is evidence (negative tests and no more
community transmission) that supports the suppression of the virus in the zone.

Resurgence of infections
Some green zones may have a resurgence of infections, and therefore cease to be “green.” When this
happens, the green labelling of the entire area is lost, and we go back to the previous lock-down
situation, so as to identify and confine the new cases.

Red-zoning. When a new infection is detected in a cell that is part of a green zone, this zone is
progressively broken into its smaller constituents, until each red cell is isolated. The inhabitants of
red cells remain isolated (i.e. under strict monitoring or on a lock-down policy).

Green-zoning. Zones that do not record new infections despite thorough randomised testing are
labelled green after seven days. After seven additional days, neighbouring green zones are
merged to form a larger green zone. Within these zones, interactions are again progressively
allowed, albeit with some restrictions.

Figure 1 Red zoning and green zoning

Red zoning: The 4x4 green zone ceases to be green because a resurgence of the virus is
identified in several cells. The zoning is revised to contain the virus.

Green zoning: After the virus is again under control each cell regains the green label. After seven
days, the green cells merge to form larger green zones. After seven more days, the green zones
merge into yet a larger green zone.

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Green zoning would allow rapid reunification and the minimisation of societal and economic
damage by allowing local labour markets to reopen sooner without risking a renewed state-wide
lockdown.

The advantages of green-zoning are:

Minimise economic damage.

o By re-opening zones with strong economic links overall damage can be significantly
reduced.
Non-invasive tracking.
o The inevitable resurgence of the virus in some green zones is easily located. This
macroscopic tracking method complements the microscopic tracking via Covid-19
tests, but it does not interfere with privacy (i.e. there is no need to track inhabitants
through their mobile phones).
Minimise societal damage.
o Social distancing may lead to mistrust and various forms of ostracism within society.
Slowly restarting normal relationships with neighbours and colleagues in an organised
manner can help overcome these newly learned unsocial behaviours.
Quick re-unification process.
o The merging of zones enables the process of rebuilding and restoring a physical
proximity network within a few months.
Easily combined with other measures.
o As the notion of a green zone is flexible, it can be scaled and adapted to fit the current
possibilities of each state, e.g. availability of testing, practice of social distancing etc.

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