A Simple Planning Problem for COVID-19 Lock-down, Testing, and Tracing

We study the optimal lock-down for a planner who controls fatalities of COVID-19 while minimizing output costs lock-down. The policy prescribes severe beginning few weeks after outbreak, covering almost 50 percent population month, with total duration shy 4 months. intensity depends on gradient fatality rate respect to infected and availability antibody testing, which yields welfare gain 2 GDP. also test-tracing-quarantine, we show be complementary (JEL E23, I12, I15, I18)