[divbzero]

Europe can be lax now precisely because it was strict early enough and long enough to bring prevalence down to a safer level.

[rootusrootus]

I think that is a mistake. Exponential math doesn't fail to work just because you delay it for a while. Everyone started with just one case.

[FabHK]

That is true. One cannot completely relax. The point is that Asia and Europe has by and large managed, after the big initial outbreaks, to keep R in check with moderate, yet consistent measures (social distancing, no large events, masks).

When people get careless, it flares up, but can (thanks to decent testing meanwhile) typically be suppressed again with regional lockdowns before it gets really bad.