Thailand ranks first among the countries with the highest COVID-19 recovery index, according to a report issued by the Global COVID-19 Index (GCI).
The GCI report, published on 28 July 2020, gave Thailand an index score of 82.06 from 100 points, putting it on top of the countries that have made the most progress in curtailing the spread of the pandemic and can be used as examples of best practices.
In the ranking of countries by recovery index, South Korea comes second, receiving 81.09 points. Coming third is Latvia (80.81), followed by Malaysia (79.37), Taiwan (78.94), New Zealand (78.55), Lithuania (77.54), Australia (77.18), Canada (75.87), and Malta (75.79).
Among the 20 countries with the highest recovery index, five are in Asia. They include Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
The GCI bases 70 percent of its calculation on big data and daily analysis, ranking 184 countries on how well they are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The remaining 30 percent comprises static scores derived from the Global Health Security Index (GHS), an initiative led by the Johns Hopkins University that was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The GHS was developed to assess a country’s readiness to cope and handle any epidemic.
The GCI has been developed by PEMANDU Associates in collaboration with Malaysia’s Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) and the Sunway Group.
| RANK | COUNTRY | RECOVERY RATING | RECOVERY INDEX | SEVERITY RATING | SEVERITY INDEX | CONTINENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thailand | 5 | 82.06 | 1 | 10.69 | Asia |
| 2 | South Korea | 5 | 81.09 | 1 | 13.53 | Asia |
| 3 | Latvia | 5 | 80.81 | 1 | 17.37 | Europe |
| 4 | Malaysia | 5 | 79.37 | 1 | 16.18 | Asia |
| 5 | Taiwan, ROC | 5 | 78.94 | 1 | 10.74 | Asia |
| 6 | New Zealand | 5 | 78.55 | 1 | 13.07 | Oceania |
| 7 | Lithuania | 5 | 77.54 | 1 | 20.64 | Europe |
| 8 | Australia | 5 | 77.18 | 1 | 12.41 | Oceania |
| 9 | Canada | 5 | 75.87 | 3 | 53.77 | North America |
| 10 | Malta | 5 | 75.79 | 1 | 24.63 | Europe |
