Abstract

BackgroundChina issued strict nationwide guidelines to combat the COVID-19 outbreak in January 2020 and gradually loosened the restrictions on movement in early March. Little is known about how these disease control measures affected the 600 million people who live in rural China. The goal of this paper is to document the quarantine measures implemented in rural China outside the epicenter of Hubei Province and to assess the socioeconomic effect of the measures on rural communities over time.MethodsWe conducted three rounds of interviews with informants from 726 villages in seven provinces, accounting for over 25% of China’s overall rural population. The survey collected data on rural quarantine implementation; COVID-19 infections and deaths in the survey villages; and effects of the quarantine on employment, income, education, health care, and government policies to address any negative impacts. The empirical findings of the work established that strict quarantine measures were implemented in rural villages throughout China in February.ResultsThere was little spread of COVID-19 in rural communities: an infection rate of 0.001% and zero deaths reported in our sample. However, there were negative social and economic outcomes, including high rates of unemployment, falling household income, rising prices, and disrupted student learning. Health care was generally accessible, but many delayed their non-COVID-19 health care due to the quarantine measures. Only 20% of villagers received any form of local government aid, and only 11% of villages received financial subsidies. There were no reports of national government aid programs that targeted rural villagers in the sample areas.ConclusionsBy examining the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 restrictions in rural communities, this study will help to guide other middle- and low-income countries in their containment and restorative processes. Without consideration for economically vulnerable populations, economic hardships and poverty will likely continue to have a negative impact on the most susceptible communities.

Highlights

  • China issued strict nationwide guidelines to combat the COVID-19 outbreak in January 2020 and gradually loosened the restrictions on movement in early March

  • In early March, as COVID-19 began to abate in all major city centers, the restrictions on movement were gradually loosened

  • The goal of this paper is to document the quarantine measures implemented in rural China outside the epicenter in Hubei Province and to assess their socioeconomic effect on rural communities over time—both during the time that disease control measures were being strictly implemented and after their loosening

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Summary

Introduction

China issued strict nationwide guidelines to combat the COVID-19 outbreak in January 2020 and gradually loosened the restrictions on movement in early March. China’s government issued nationwide guidelines to combat the COVID-19 outbreak in January 2020 and, after implementing strict lockdown measures for more than a month, gradually loosened the restrictions on movement in early March. These guidelines mandated social behaviors that were designed to prevent the spread of infection and were implemented by local health organizations [1]. In cities across the country, flights and train travel were limited, public events were cancelled or postponed, and schools were closed until further notice [3] The rollout of these measures coincided with China’s Lunar New Year holiday—a time when a majority of the population returned to their homes to celebrate with family. Schools in urban areas started to reopen in April [3]

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