It’s relatively easy for major central banks to do nothing for the time being. Rates are already at zero with some tapering underway. It’s a bit trickier for the Bank of England, given expectations of a December hike, but the Federal Reserve (Fed) does not have to speed up tapering in December.
Fiscal support, if needed, should be no different than in previous waves. In Europe, the past few weeks have shown that countries increasing restrictions are just as willing to renew fiscal support measures as previously. In the US, Democrats being in control of both the House and Senate – and with an election coming up next November – should make building consensus to support the economy easier than in 2020.
Restrictions have already been ramping up in Europe in response to the winter wave. New variant concerns could accelerate this dynamic. The US faces a different situation, as a new variant would require a greater shift from the status quo. China’s zero-COVID strategy would be more difficult to maintain with a more transmissible variant.
Mandatory vaccination has already become more likely in several European countries, and a new variant could push more towards this step. This would have little immediate impact on markets, but could potentially be positive for 2022.
