Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing measures were implemented nearly worldwide in order to slow the spread of the disease.[1] This article details the history of the social distancing measures, a list of countries implementing them, when they were implemented, and other details about the measures. Except where stated otherwise, dates in this article refer to the year 2020.

Background

Social distancing, or physical distancing,[2][3][4] is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures taken to prevent the spread of a contagious disease by maintaining a physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other.[2][5] It involved keeping a distance of six feet or two meters, with a minimum of one meter or 3 feet, from others and avoiding gathering together in large groups.[6][7][8]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and related measures were recommended by several governments as alternatives to an enforced quarantine of heavily affected areas[8]. According to UNESCO monitoring, more than a hundred countries implemented nationwide school closures in response to COVID-19, impacting over half the world's student population.[9] In the United Kingdom, the government advised the public to avoid public spaces, and cinemas and theatres voluntarily closed to encourage the government's message.[10]

With many people at the time disbelieving that COVID-19 is any worse than the seasonal flu,[11] it was difficult to convince the public to voluntarily adopt social distancing practices. In Belgium, media reported a rave was attended by at least 300 before it was broken up by local authorities. In France, teens making nonessential trips were fined up to US$150. Beaches were closed in Florida and Alabama to disperse partygoers during spring break.[12] Weddings were broken up in New Jersey and an 8;00 p.m. curfew was imposed in Newark. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania were the first states to adopt coordinated social distancing policies which closed down non-essential businesses and restricted large gatherings. Shelter in place orders in California were extended to the entire state on 19 March. On the same day, Texas declared a public disaster and imposed statewide restrictions.[13]

These preventive measures such as social-distancing and self-isolation prompted the widespread closure of primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools in more than 120 countries. As of 23 March 2020, more than 1.2 billion learners were out of school due to school closures in response to COVID-19.[9] Given low rates of COVID-19 symptoms among children, the effectiveness of school closures has been called into question.[14] Even when school closures are temporary, it carries high social and economic costs.[15] However, the significance of children in spreading COVID-19 is unclear.[16][17] While the full impact of school closures during the coronavirus pandemic are not yet known, UNESCO advises that school closures have negative impacts on local economies and on learning outcomes for students.[18]

It was suggested that improving ventilation and managing exposure duration could reduce transmission risk.[19][20]

COVID-19 lockdowns by country

Debate

While enjoying broad support among epidemiologists, the social distancing measures are at times politically controversial. Intellectual support for the opposition tends to come from writers of other fields, although there are a few heterodox epidemiologists.[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ Li L, Taeihagh A, Tan SY (2023-02-03). "A scoping review of the impacts of COVID-19 physical distancing measures on vulnerable population groups". Nature Communications. 14 (1): 599. Bibcode:2023NatCo..14..599L. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-36267-9. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 9897623. PMID 36737447.
  2. ^ a b Harris M, Adhanom Ghebreyesus T, Liu T, Ryan M", Vadia, Van Kerkhove MD, Diego, Foulkes I, Ondelam C, Gretler C, Costas (20 March 2020). "COVID-19" (PDF). World Health Organization. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  3. ^ Hensley L (23 March 2020). "Social distancing is out, physical distancing is in—here's how to do it". Global News. Corus Entertainment Inc. Archived from the original on 26 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  4. ^ Venske R [in German] (26 March 2020). Schwyzer A (ed.). "Die Wirkung von Sprache in Krisenzeiten" [The effect of language in times of crisis] (Interview). NDR Kultur (in German). Norddeutscher Rundfunk. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020. (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.)
  5. ^ Johnson CY, Sun L, Freedman A (10 March 2020). "Social distancing could buy U.S. valuable time against coronavirus: It's a make-or-break moment with coronavirus to test one of the most basic—but disruptive—public health tools". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  6. ^ Pearce K (13 March 2020). "What is social distancing and how can it slow the spread of COVID-19?". The Hub. Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Risk Assessment and Management". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 22 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  8. ^ a b "COVID-19 advice - Physical distancing | WHO Western Pacific". www.who.int. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  9. ^ a b "COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response". UNESCO. 4 March 2020. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Most UK cinemas shut after virus advice". BBC News. 17 March 2020. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020.
  11. ^ Fottrell Q (9 March 2020). "'We're going to have more deaths': Influenza kills more people than the coronavirus so everyone is overreacting, right? Wrong—and here's why". MarketWatch.
  12. ^ "Parents, police struggle to social distance the young in coronavirus outbreak". 20 March 2020. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  13. ^ Young E, Baker DR (20 March 2020). "Uh-Oh Moment Finally Hits States Slow to Adopt Social Distancing". Bloomberg News. Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  14. ^ Frieden T (11 March 2020). "Lessons from Ebola: The secret of successful epidemic response". CNN. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  15. ^ "Coronavirus deprives nearly 300 million students of their schooling: UNESCO". SaltWire Network. Reuters. 5 March 2020. Archived from the original on 28 March 2020.
  16. ^ Lipsitch M, Swerdlow DL, Finelli L (26 March 2020) [2020-02-19]. "Defining the Epidemiology of Covid-19—Studies Needed". New England Journal of Medicine. 382 (13): 1194–1196. doi:10.1056/NEJMp2002125. ISSN 0028-4793. PMID 32074416.
  17. ^ Zimmermann P, Curtis N (18 March 2020). "Coronavirus Infections in Children Including COVID-19: An Overview of the Epidemiology, Clinical Features, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention Options in Children". The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 39 (5): 355–368. doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000002660. ISSN 0891-3668. PMC 7158880. PMID 32310621.
  18. ^ "Adverse consequences of school closures". UNESCO. 10 March 2020. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  19. ^ Epperly DE, Rinehart KR, Caney DN (2020). "COVID-19 Aerosolized Viral Loads, Environment, Ventilation, Masks, Exposure Time, Severity, And Immune Response: A Pragmatic Guide Of Estimates". medRxiv 10.1101/2020.10.03.20206110.
  20. ^ "Viral Load Exposure Factors". ReallyCorrect.com.
  21. ^ The Economist, 4 April 2020, page 14.
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