Official statistics in the search for solutions for living with COVID-19 and its consequences1.

The prolonged existence of COVID-19 will provide national statistical offices with the greatest challenges that they might ever expect. The paper foreshadows the range of influences on the planning of official statistical offices and international organisations. The paper draws on experiences in New Zealand and focuses on aspects which have general applicability in other countries. This paper was finalised on April 25, 2020, and some examples cited will not be relevant given the dynamic situations in most countries, and how knowledge about COVID-19 evolves. The central thrust of the paper is that national statistical offices need to be thinking now about the huge medium- and long-term influences that will shape what they need to do. The screening and surveillance options available need to be relevant for each stage of easing of restrictions initiated to prevent contact. Teams which bring together all the relevant scientific expertise are needed to assess testing strategies at each step. The methodological, technological, and operational challenges will require high levels of public trust in the gathering of information, and confidence in the resulting statistics. This paper provides views on what those challenges might be, at this early stage of living with COVID-19. The fiscal pressures placed on governments will not only make existing programmes vulnerable but may prevent initiatives that might now be critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]