Many countries did not have alternative healthcare arrangements during their initial COVID-19 lockdowns. This is surprising as partial and full lockdowns have been previously used to manage terrorism and the SARS outbreak of 2002-2003. This paper examines how lockdowns disrupt normal healthcare services and discusses countermeasures that can be used during lockdowns regardless of the emergency that engendered them. Solutions are discussed pragmatically with front-line clinicians, healthcare managers, and policymakers in mind. Mental health services are used as a case in point with generalizable lessons for other healthcare specialties.
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