The global pandemic has forced governments across the world to rethink how public   policy should be formulated. COVID-19 hit the world in a spectacular fashion, forcing  governments to create public policy solutions quickly. As has been well documented
in the global media, civil servants, policymakers and politicians had to make tough  decisions that have had an impact on people’s daily lives. Lockdown measures were  common in 2020 and 2021; in some political quarters, lockdown measures were seen to
be too stringent, raising questions as to whether people really live in a democratic society.  The authors of this paper will provide a critical narrative on health policy responses to  COVID-19 in the United Kingdom and India geographical context.