200 Days: The World’s Longest Lockdown Has Failed to Stop Covid-19

Seeing they've been effective elsewhere, it seems to me this Argentinian lockdown is actually leaking, probably by people secretly defying the lockdown and or there's insufficient isolation between 'cells'.

I'm surprised the problem hasn't been solved by now.

Lockdown has worked very well where I live (Vietnam), twice now. Back in April the virus was iradicated outside of hospitals and life went back to normal, except with extra mask wearing. Then a couple of cases (possibly linked to some Chinese people who were smuggled in) cropped up, and the city of Danang and surrounding provinces went into lockdown and major testing of the everyone in the city was performed. Once again, this completely eradicated the virus, within a month this time. I've noticed people in the west often refuse to accept that a developing country could have this level of success when they have failed, but I live here and can assure you it's true. If it was a cover-up, people would still be getting sick, and yet, they are not.

It has also worked in New Zealand (and possibly other countries?). I can accept that Vietnam with a strong socialist government and New Zealand as an island are well suited to lockdowns where other countries may not be. However, the fact remains that we have proof that lockdown can do more than just slow a virus. In countries where the lockdown failed so badly, perhaps it's not the lockdowns fault, but rather that the countries were culturally or politically incapable of a speedy and strong enough response?

Lockdowns are not supposed to stop Covid-19; that's an impossible task without a vaccine. Lockdowns are needed to help prepare the health system in case it's caught unawares (although how that can still happen now is beyond me, but still) and avoid overcrowding hospitals and apocalyptic scenarios where doctors have to choose who gets access to ICUs and who does not.