Vexed central banks brace for more damage to growth

Like many of her counterparts, European Central Bank (ECB) president Christine Lagarde (pic) put a brave face on the outlook last week, insisting that forecasts released in December are still “plausible.”

FRANKFURT: Resurgent coronavirus outbreaks will vex central bankers on five continents this week as they weigh the threat of more damage to growth against the hope that mass vaccinations will reopen economies.

Institutions meeting from Tokyo to Frankfurt to Ottawa are pondering the prospect of another lost quarter amid renewed lockdowns to contain the pandemic.