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Policy Responses: COVID-19 Data Tracker

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There are many reasons why some countries might have been worse-hit than others. Differences in governmental policy responses may explain some of the differences. To understand which policies might be effective in controlling the outbreak – especially as countries move towards easing restrictions – it’s essential that we have a good dataset on the timing and stringency of responses across the world. See how government policy responses — on travel, testing, vaccinations, face coverings, and more – vary across the world.

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Government Stringency Index

This is a composite measure based on nine response indicators including school closures, workplace closures, and
travel bans, rescaled to a value from 0 to 100 (100 = strictest). If policies vary at the subnational level, the index is
shown as the response level of the strictest sub-region.

Containment and Health Index

This is a composite measure based on thirteen policy response indicators including school closures, workplace
closures, travel bans, testing policy, contact tracing, face coverings, and vaccine policy rescaled to a value from 0 to
100 (100 = strictest). If policies vary at the subnational level, the index is shown as the response level of the strictest
sub-region.

School Closures

This graph shows government policies on school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Note, that there may be sub-national or regional differences in policies on school closures. The policy categories shown may not apply at all sub-national levels. A country is coded as ‘required closures’ if at least some sub-national regions have required closures. The specific policy and response categories are coded as follows: 0 - No measures, 1 - recommend closing, 2 - Require closing (only some levels or categories,
eg just high school, or just public schools), 3 - Require closing all levels, No data - blank.

Workplace Closures

This graph shows government policies on workplaces closures. Note, there may be sub-national or regional differences in policies on workplace closures. The policy categories shown may not apply at all sub-national levels. A country is coded as ‘required closures’ if at least some sub-national regions have required closures. The specific policy and response categories are coded as follows: 0 - No measures, 1 - recommend closing (or work from home), 2 - require closing (or work from home) for some sectors or categories of workers, 3 - require closing (or work from home) all but essential workplaces (eg grocery stores, doctors), No data - blank.
 

Cancellation of Public Events

This graph shows government policies on the cancellation of public events. The specific policy and response categories are coded as follows: 0- No measures, 1 - Recommend cancelling, 2 - Require cancelling, No data - blank.

Restrictions on Public Gatherings

This graph shows government policies on restrictions on public gatherings. Countries are grouped into five categories: 0 - No restrictions, 1 - Restrictions on very large gatherings (the limit is above 1000 people), 2 - Restrictions on gatherings between 100-1000 people, 3 - Restrictions on gatherings between 10-100 people, 4 - Restrictions on gatherings of less than 10 people, No data - blank.

Stay-at-Home Restrictions

This graph shows government policies on stay-at-home requirements or household lockdowns. Countries are grouped into four categories: 0 - No measures, 1 - recommend not leaving house, 2 - require not leaving house with exceptions for daily exercise, grocery shopping, and ‘essential’ trips, 3 - Require not leaving house with minimal exceptions (e.g. allowed to leave only once every few days, or only one person can leave at a time, etc.), No data - blank.

Face Covering Policies

This graph shows government policies on the use of face coverings outside-of-the-home. Countries are grouped into five categories: 

0- No policy, 1- Recommended, 2- Required in some specified shared/public spaces outside the home with other people present, or some situations when social distancing not possible, 3- Required in all shared/public spaces outside the home with other people present or all situations when social distancing not possible, 4- Required outside the home at all times regardless of location or presence of other people. Note that there may be sub-national or regional differences in policies on face coverings. The policy categories shown may not apply at all sub-national levels. A country is coded based on its most stringent policy at the sub-national level.

Public Information Campaigns

This graph shows public information campaigns on the COVID-19 pandemic. The Oxford Coronavirus Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) is missing data for many countries at level 1 “public officials urging caution about COVID-19”, and so most countries only have data for levels 0 and 2. The specific policy and response categories are coded as follows: 0 -No COVID-19 public information campaign, 1 - public officials urging caution about COVID-19, 2 - coordinated public information campaign (e.g. across traditional and social media), No data - blank.

Restrictions on Internal Movement

This graph shows government policies on restrictions on internal movement/travel between regions and cities. The policies shown may not apply at all sub-national levels. A country is coded as having these restrictions if at least some sub-national regions have implemented them. The specific policy and response categories are coded as follows: 0 - No measures, 1 - Recommend movement restriction, 2 - Restrict movement.

International Travel Controls

This graph shows government policies government policies on restrictions on international travel controls. The specific policy and response categories are coded as follows: 0 - No measures, 1 - Screening, 2 - Quarantine arrivals from high-risk regions, 3 - Ban on high-risk regions, 4 - Total border closure, No data - blank.

Testing Policies

This graph shows government policies on testing for COVID-19. Note that this relates to PCR testing for the virus only; it does not include non-PCR, antibody testing. Countries are grouped into four categories: 0 – No testing policy, 1 – Only those who both (a) have symptoms AND (b) meet specific criteria (eg key workers, admitted to hospital, came into contact with a known case, returned from overseas), 2 – testing of anyone showing COVID-19 symptoms, 3 – open public testing (eg “drive through” testing available to asymptomatic people), No data - blank.

Contact Tracing

This graph shows government policies on contract tracing for COVID-19. The specific policy and response categories are coded as follows: 0 - No contact tracing, 1 - Limited contact tracing - not done for all cases, 2 - Comprehensive contact tracing - done for all cases, No data - blank.

Vaccination Policy

This graph shows government policies on COVID-19 vaccination. Note that this only tracks policies on the availability of vaccinations. It does not track the number of people who have been vaccinated. Countries are grouped into six categories: 0 - No availability, 1 - Availability for ONE of following: key workers/ clinically vulnerable groups / elderly groups, 2 - Availability for TWO of following: key workers/ clinically vulnerable groups / elderly groups, 3 - Availability for ALL of following: key workers/ clinically vulnerable groups / elderly groups, 4 - Availability for all three plus partial additional availability (select broad groups/ages), 5 - Universal availability. For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, visit here.

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