Partial update of full review first published on 4 December and subsequently updated on 11 and 18 December 2020.

At the request of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), HIQA is undertaking a review of the public health measures and strategies that are in place internationally to limit the spread of COVID-19. The review focuses on the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 17 countries that experienced a resurgence in coronavirus cases in October 2020.

The countries comprise 12 EU/EEA countries (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden), the UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), and Switzerland. The review is provided to the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) to inform its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This review is a partial update of a full review last published on 18 December 2020. It contains updated epidemiological data and reviews antigen testing in asymptomatic individuals in community settings. The following countries have also been included for this update only: Finland, Greece, Hungary, Malta, Norway, Poland and Slovakia.