Trends in Percentages of the US Population Covered by State-Issued COVID-19 Nonpharmaceutical Interventions, March 1, 2020-August 15, 2021. Issue 5 (September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Joo, Heesoo; Howard-Williams, Mara; McCord, Russell F.; Sunshine, Gregory; Fuller, James A.; Maskery, Brian A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of public health management and practice. Volume 28:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: 491
• Page End: 495
• Publication Date: 2022-09
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- legal epidemiology -- nonpharmaceutical interventions -- pandemic -- policy surveillance; Public health administration -- United States -- Periodicals; 253.6
• DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001564
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1078-4659

Abstract

Abstract : Trends in the percentages of the US population covered by state-issued nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), including restaurant and bar restrictions, stay-at-home orders, gathering limits, and mask mandates, were examined by using county-specific data sets on state-issued orders for NPIs from March 1, 2020, to August 15, 2021. Most of the population was covered by multiple NPIs early in the pandemic. Most state-issued orders were lifted or relaxed as COVID-19 cases decreased during summer 2020. Few states reimplemented strict NPIs during later surges in US COVID-19 cases over the winter of 2020-2021. The exceptions were mask mandates, which covered about 80% of the population between August 2020 and February 2021, and the most restrictive gathering limits, which covered a maximum of 66% of the population in early 2020 and 68% of the population in winter 2020-2021. Most NPIs were lifted by the end of the analysis period.