Restaurant Closures Research Articles

County-Level Mandates Were Generally Effective At Slowing COVID-19 Transmission.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, counties adopted numerous nonpharmaceutical interventions, such as mask mandates and stay-at-home orders, to slow COVID-19 transmission and prevent hospitals from reaching full capacity. Early evidence has been mixed about whether these interventions are effective. However, most studies only covered the early waves of COVID-19 and did not account for county-level variation in the adoption and repeal of such policies. Using daily county-level data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we evaluated the joint impact of bans on large gatherings, stay-at-home orders, mask mandates, and bar and restaurant closures on slowing COVID-19 transmission during waves 1-4 of the pandemic in the US (March1, 2020-June30, 2021). Our survival analysis showed that these interventions were generally effective at slowing COVID-19 transmission during this period. The mitigating effect was particularly strong during waves 2 and 3 and less substantial during waves 1 and 4. We also found strong evidence of the overall protective effect of mask mandates and, to a lesser degree, anticongregation policies. These study findings provide crucial evidence for public health officials to reference for support when using nonpharmaceutical interventions to flatten the curve of future waves of COVID-19 or other infectious disease outbreaks.

Emerging Adult Mental Health During COVID: Exploring Relationships Between Discrete and Cumulative Individual and Contextual Stressors and Well-Being

PurposeIndicators of poor mental health increased during the COVID-19 pandemic among emerging adults aged 18–24 years, a group already at elevated risk. This study explores associations between contextual and personal stressors with symptoms of emerging adults’ anxiety and depression, assessing both multidimensional and distinct measures of stress. MethodsUsing Census Household Pulse Surveys from emerging adults aged 18 to 24 years (N = 71,885) and administrative data from April 23, 2020 to March 29, 2021, we estimated logistic regression models adjusted for state and wave fixed effects. ResultsRates of elevated anxiety and depressive symptoms rose dramatically among emerging adults during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicate that potential contextual stressors—state COVID-19 rates and state COVID-19 mitigation policies limiting social interactions (stay-at-home orders, restaurant closures, large gathering restrictions, and mask mandates)—were not significantly associated with symptoms. In contrast, personal economic stressors (nonemployment, household income loss, food insecurity, housing insecurity, lacking health insurance) and disruptions to education were associated significantly with elevated anxiety and depressive symptoms, with greater numbers of stressors associated with worse well-being. DiscussionEmerging adults reported persistently high levels of elevated anxiety and depressive symptoms during the first year of the pandemic, outcomes associated not with COVID-19 rates or mitigation policies, but with economic inequities, and other personal stressors heightened by the pandemic. Providing targeted support for young adults, including ensuring access to mental health supports, health care, and economic relief, is critical.

Inference under superspreading: Determinants of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Germany.

Superspreading, under-reporting, reporting delay, and confounding complicate statistical inference on determinants of disease transmission. A model that accounts for these factors within a Bayesian framework is estimated using German Covid-19 surveillance data. Compartments based on date of symptom onset, location, and age group allow to identify age-specific changes in transmission, adjusting for weather, reported prevalence, and testing and tracing. Several factors were associated with a reduction in transmission: public awareness rising, information on local prevalence, testing and tracing, high temperature, stay-at-home orders, and restaurant closures. However, substantial uncertainty remains for other interventions including school closures and mandatory face coverings. The challenge of disentangling the effects of different determinants is discussed and examined through a simulation study. On a broader perspective, the study illustrates the potential of surveillance data with demographic information and date of symptom onset to improve inference in the presence of under-reporting and reporting delay.

SPATIO-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF URBAN ECONOMIC RESILIENCE DURING COVID-19 WITH MULTILAYER COMPLEX NETWORKS

Abstract. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the economic growth of almost every country, with many industries facing operational difficulties, and the failures of a large number of restaurants, in particular, have extensively tested the resilience of urban economies. The gastronomy business is one of the most decentralized and location-based consumer business in urban, which is highly related to the economic attributes of cities. However, there are few studies on quantitative analysis of urban economic resilience through the opening and closing of restaurants. Understanding and planning for the aftermath of the COVID-19 may not only minimize detrimental effects but also provide insights into the economic recovery policies. This study analyzes the phenomenon of restaurant failures after the pandemic in Shenzhen, China via percolation in multilayer complex networks. We identify the closed restaurants through data mining, and construct the human mobility network through mobile phone location data, aggregating origin and destination points into grids. We then embedded the restaurants’ Points of Interest (POIs) into the grids, creating an additional restaurant network layer. By considering spatial interactions between restaurants, we constructed a geographical proximity network for restaurants in each grid. Finally, Using these multilayered nested networks, we analyzed the pandemic’s impact and the occurrence of critical phenomena related to restaurant closures under lockdown policies through percolation in multilayer complex networks. As a result, this study found that the severity of the pandemic significantly increased the probability of restaurant failures, with cascade and critical phenomena. However, implementing precise lockdown measures can effectively lower the probability of restaurant closures. These results highlight the effectiveness of accurate lockdown policies in striking a balance between epidemic prevention and economic development, contingent upon the correct identification of high-risk areas. This finding suggests that policy makers and public health departments need to balance policy effectiveness with interventions in economic activities in order to increase the resilience of urban economies during the pandemic.

코로나19는 여당 지지율을 상승시켰는가?

During the pandemic period, the world underwent significant changes not only in health and economic fields, but also in political ones. European politics also saw substantial changes in supporting rates for the ruling parties, far-right parties, and the main opposition parties. However, in exceptional situations like COVID-19, supporting rates for parties might be influenced more by the crisis itself than by party policies or economic performance. This paper aims to identify the key factors that contributed to the changes of supporting rates for the ruling parties, far-right parties, and the main opposition parties during the two waves of COVID-19 in 2020. A multiple regression analysis was conducted, with the dependent variable of supporting rates for the ruling parties, far-right parties, and the main opposition parties of 30 European countries, including EU member states(excluding Cyprus), Iceland, Norway, the UK, and Scotland, during the first wave, period of pause, and second wave of COVID-19. The independent variables are supporting rates for other parties, health factors such as COVID-19 casualties and confirmed cases, economic factors like GDP growth rate, inflation, total income, and 23 government-imposed lockdown measures of 30 European countries. The analysis revealed following findings. First, the human casualties of COVID-19 did not directly impact supporting rates of parties. The number of deaths per million was only positively correlated with an increase in support for the ruling party during the second wave, likely due to a rallying effect as the pandemic resurged. Second, among the lockdown measures, bans on outdoor activities, restaurant closures, and workplace shutdowns had an impact on the support rates for the ruling parties, far-right parties, and the main opposition parties. Countries that imposed outdoor activity bans for a longer duration experienced a decrease in support for the ruling parties, while far-right and main opposition parties’ supporting rates tended to increase. Third, economic factors continued to influence party support during the pandemic. Countries with higher GDP growth rates, higher total income, and lower unemployment rates during the first and second waves maintained higher supporting rates for the ruling parties. Additionally, during the second wave, countries with rapidly rising unemployment rates had higher supporting rates for far-right parties and the main opposition parties. Through this analysis, it became evident that supporting rates for parties in 30 European countries were influenced more by government-imposed lockdown measures and economic factors than by the direct impact of COVID-19 casualties during the pandemic spread.

Understanding Changes in Spatial Accessibility to Restaurants During the COVID‐19 Pandemic: Disentangling Closures, Inequity, Neighborhood, and Transportation Mode

Among one of the more significant societal impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic, restrictions on people's movement accelerated, and in some cases outright caused, restaurant closures. By considering people's potential for both driving and walking to restaurants, this study aims to examine how restaurant closures are associated with neighborhood characteristics during the pandemic. To do so, we investigated changes in spatial accessibility to restaurants, identified hot spots of communities with large accessibility reductions, and explored relationships between the reductions and neighborhood characteristics in Leon County, Florida. Analysis showed that the area experiencing the largest reductions in spatial access to restaurants varied by transportation modes and the overall geographic patterns in accessibility reductions significantly differed. Communities with significant reductions in car‐based accessibility were areas with a small percentage of the older and non‐White populations and a longer distance to the central area. On the other hand, only being a shorter distance to the central area was more related to hot spots of changes in walking accessibility. Findings show geographic patterns of restaurant closures, which interacted with people's modes of transportation. As such, the closures most substantially affected people in more suburban areas who might rely on driving during the pandemic.

FRI053 Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Weight And Lifestyle In Patients From The Endocrinology Department In Uruguay

Abstract Disclosure: C. Rotundo: None. V. Maguna: None. B. Martinez: None. F. Larrea: None. N. Langlois: None. P. Lopez: None. P. Agüero: None. M.M. Pineyro: None. In Uruguay, on March 13 of 2020 the government decreed a “Health Emergency” due to the COVID 19 pandemic with voluntary confinement, which ended on April 5, 2022. Social isolation, with temporary closure of workplaces, restaurants, gyms and other public spaces abruptly changed the lifestyle of the population. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the pandemic on physical activity, body weight, quantity and quality of food, and sleep habits in patients that attended the Endocrinology Department of our Hospital from July to September of 2022. We performed an observational-descriptive-cross-sectional study that included 93 patients. A survey about eating habits, physical activity and sleep was performed and anthropometric measurements (height, weight) were taken. Results: The median age was 60 years (range 21-83), 63.4% female. Fifty-eight percent of patients had HTN, 50.5% diabetes mellitus, 37.6% thyroid disease and 32.3% dyslipidemia. Between the period before the pandemic and the pandemic, patients gained 0.6 kg (p=0.71), between the pandemic and after it they gained 1.5 kg (p=0.88). Pre-pandemic and post-pandemic the increase was of 2.1 kg (p=0.32). A significant increase in obesity was found before and after the pandemic (26.9% vs. 36.6%, p<0.0001). Fifty-six percent performed physical exercise before the pandemic, during the pandemic it decreased to 38.7% (p=0.0001), at the expense of aerobic exercise (27% decrease, p=0.0001). Before the pandemic, 39.8% met the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week, which decreased to 22.6% during the pandemic (p=0.0001). Thirty-one point two percent reported changing eating habits (increased snacks, processed foods, fruits, vegetables and sugary drinks), and 30% consumed more food at night. The number of hours of sleep in both periods was the same (median 7 hours). We found a significant increase in problems falling asleep (5.4%, p=0.0001) and staying asleep (9.7%, p=0.0001). Conclusion: We found a negative effect of the covid-19 pandemic confinement on the frequency of obesity, levels of physical activity and unfavorable changes in eating habits and sleep. A significant increase in obesity was found, as well as a decrease in physical activity in a quarter of the population, and a significant increase in problems falling asleep and staying asleep. In addition, we observed unfavorable changes in food consumption in a third of the population (increase in snacks, processed food, and sugary drinks). However, we found healthy changes during the pandemic, such as increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. These changes can have significant short- and long-term consequences on health of the population. The promotion of measures to recover and maintain healthy lifestyle habits is required, as well as to counteract the impact of lockdown on weight gain to prevent the long-term effects of the pandemic on health. Presentation: Friday, June 16, 2023

Surviving the pandemic: COVID-19 and restaurant closures in Suzhou

ABSTRACT The outbreak of COVID-19 disrupts the economy and presents challenges to small and medium enterprises in various sectors. Focused on the restaurant industry in Suzhou, China, this study draws upon secondary data from Meituan Dianping and Baidu Map API and considers how variables related to restaurants themselves and variables pertaining to restaurants’ built environment conditions contribute to their survival during the pandemic with the use of regression analysis. For restaurants, it is important to have certain core competencies, such as price or quality advantage, if they were to survive external shocks. In addition, high population density of a restaurant’s surrounding area, one of the most crucial factors in determining business success under normal circumstances, significantly reduces its survival likelihood during the pandemic. We conclude by outlining opportunities for future research. Highlights This study examines what determines restaurant survival in the pandemic. The survival is influenced by both restaurant and built environment factors. Restaurants need to have specific core competencies to survive market shocks. Density and accessibility have adverse impacts on restaurant survival. The analysis provides policy suggestions for similar circumstances in the future.

The Effectiveness of Food Delivery Service During Movement Control Order in Malaysia

This study discusses the effectiveness of food delivery services during the Movement Control Order in Malaysia, which imposed restrictions on face-to-face business activities, including food services. This situation prompted businesses to employ food delivery services. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors influencing food delivery service and the impact of Movement Control Order on food delivery service. This study uses secondary data, which comprised previously gathered research data. Data were gathered from selected past journals, blogs, books, online magazines, newspapers, and articles related to this research study. Findings show that time-saving, discounts, delivery experience and closure of restaurants for dine-in are vital factors for choosing food delivery services. Besides that, the Movement Control Order impacts food delivery services by increasing the demand for these services, creating more job opportunities for delivery riders. In addition, the spread of Covid-19 caused the contactless delivery service to be introduced.

Qualitative analysis of customer behavior in the retail industry during the COVID-19 pandemic: A word-cloud and sentiment analysis approach

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a paradigm shift in customer behavior within the retail industry. Pandemic-induced restrictions and fear of product scarcity led to a change in purchasing frequency, with customers stockpiling non-perishable products such as basic foods and hygiene items. Media and social networks also played a significant role in fueling panic-buying behavior. Although sales decreased, consumption in all food categories increased due to the closure of restaurants and the need to prepare meals at home. The pandemic had a significant impact on both customers and retailers, resulting in staff reductions and a change in business strategies.To explore how Romanian food retailers’ representatives responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and adjusted to changing consumer behavior, the authors employed a qualitative research approach based on an interview guide. The data collected were analyzed using the statistical software R. In data analysis with R, the choice of functions used depends on various factors, such as the type of data, research questions, and analysis methods. Generally, commonly used functions in R for data analysis include data cleaning and manipulation functions such as subset, merge, and transform, data visualization functions such as ggplot2, and statistical modeling functions such as lm and glm, resulting in world clouds and a sentiment analysis.The results show that to develop effective business strategies, qualitative analysis helps identify the root causes of these changes. Sentiment analysis can reveal how retail chains representatives perceived the safety measures implemented in stores, such as social distancing and mask-wearing mandates, and how these measures affected customers’ shopping behavior. It also sheds light on how customers shopped and whether they planned to continue using these methods post-pandemic. Understanding these insights is crucial for retail companies to adapt their operations and better serve their customers in the post-pandemic world.

WHO CARES? GENDER, UNPAID DOMESTIC AND CARE WORK IN BRAZIL DURING THE PANDEMIC

Historically, societies present a sexual division of labor wherein women are responsible for domestic and care work. Adding to this, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the time spent on these activities, as social distancing imposes the closure of workplaces, schools, restaurants and governmental services. This paper investigates if the extra amount of domestic and care work added to women’s burden or if this was an opportunity for men to take more responsibility. The analysis of 455 questionnaires answered during social distancing in Brazil shows that the domestic and care work increase was not evenly distributed in gender and race terms.

Brazilian consumer behavior in restaurants during the pandemic: practical implications

The Covid-19 pandemic situation brought several challenges to Brazilian consumers, especially in the food and catering sector. For greater control of the pandemic, the Brazilian government has implemented a set of laws and regulations with the aim of containing the spread of the virus. The closure of restaurants, as well as the ban on the sale of food and beverages, led consumers to change their buying habits, as well as the emergence of innovative ways of selling these products to customers. This study aims to identify changes in consumer behavior during the pandemic period in restaurants located in the state of Bahia, Brazil. As for the methodology, quantitative research was used, with the application of an online questionnaire, made available on google forms; we get a final sample of 123 consumers of food and beverages, residents in the state of Bahia. The data obtained by applying the questionnaire revealed some changes in consumer behavior during the pandemic: adaptations in the way of buying and consuming food, as well as a reduction in trips to restaurants due to the increased use of mobile applications in shopping habits and a greater concern with hygiene habits.

Le compagnon idéal par Isabelle Minière

Reviewed by: Le compagnon idéal par Isabelle Minière Eilene Hoft-March MiniÈre, Isabelle. Le compagnon idéal. Serge Safran, 2022. ISBN 979-10-90175-97-6. Pp. 176. "Love in the time of lockdown" could arguably serve as this novel's subtitle. Readers are hauled back to the inauspicious spring of 2020, confronted with our shared pandemic history, especially its European version: le grand confinement with its circumscribed mobility, restaurant closures, télétravail, and runs on toilet paper and pasta. "Comme si c'était la guerre" (34) observes the narrator of the world's resigned conformity to a common misfortune. While recent history undergirds almost every page, title, and cover suggest a different, less realistic story. Its vintage image straight from an early 50s romance novel illustrates the title's "ideal companion," a suited young man in the driver's seat of a convertible, arms in a proprietary embrace of a young woman. The image's outmoded romanticism constitutes a conspiratorial wink at readers. The narrator, Eva, certainly seems an unlikely proponent of such archaic claptrap. Clear-eyed and self-aware, she knows herself to be mildly unhappy, socially inept, and constitutionally timid. Eva traces her self-diagnosed behaviors to unhealthy family dynamics: a cold and critical mother, a sister who ranks as Mother 2.0, and a father who, she fantasizes, might be affectionate, though she has no proof of his disposition toward her. Eva prefers, in family or social gatherings alike, to withdraw from events undetected ("s'éclipser" 9). Equipped with just such a strategy, Eva attends her boss's birthday party, positioning herself on the periphery preparatory to her usual discreet exit. Enter the fortuitous "companion," her boss's brother, Jimmy (or perhaps Jeff, hesitates the narrator). A very brisk courtship ensues—texts, flowers, dinner, lovemaking, and a hasty decision to live together in Eva's apartment. That these events are all compressed into a few days speaks to those peculiar times when many were propelled by the decree of quarantining to choose almost irrevocably between virtual exile and overly cozy cohabitation. But Jimmy proves indeed to be the title's ideal companion. His personality conforms snugly to Eva's own, matching her every mood and supporting her every decision; there is no daylight between them. Here is where the plot begins to thicken and where the reviewer needs to hold back to avoid spoiling readerly pleasure. The narrative obliges attention to clues scattered throughout the text, further obliging a reassessment of characters and plot. Beyond reviving the history of a global pandemic most likely seared into this generation's memory, Minière projects the psychological wages of isolation that may be with us for years to come. Her novel is a quick, enjoyable read, but nowhere near as lightweight as its cover illustration projects. [End Page 243] Eilene Hoft-March Lawrence University (WI) Copyright © 2023 American Association of Teachers of French

Assessing COVID-19 pandemic policies and behaviours and their economic and educational trade-offs across US states from Jan 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022: an observational analysis

The USA struggled in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, but not all states struggled equally. Identifying the factors associated with cross-state variation in infection and mortality rates could help to improve responses to this and future pandemics. We sought to answer five key policy-relevant questions regarding the following: 1) what roles social, economic, and racial inequities had in interstate variation in COVID-19 outcomes; 2) whether states with greater health-care and public health capacity had better outcomes; 3) how politics influenced the results; 4) whether states that imposed more policy mandates and sustained them longer had better outcomes; and 5) whether there were trade-offs between a state having fewer cumulative SARS-CoV-2 infections and total COVID-19 deaths and its economic and educational outcomes. Data disaggregated by US state were extracted from public databases, including COVID-19 infection and mortality estimates from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's (IHME) COVID-19 database; Bureau of Economic Analysis data on state gross domestic product (GDP); Federal Reserve economic data on employment rates; National Center for Education Statistics data on student standardised test scores; and US Census Bureau data on race and ethnicity by state. We standardised infection rates for population density and death rates for age and the prevalence of major comorbidities to facilitate comparison of states' successes in mitigating the effects of COVID-19. We regressed these health outcomes on prepandemic state characteristics (such as educational attainment and health spending per capita), policies adopted by states during the pandemic (such as mask mandates and business closures), and population-level behavioural responses (such as vaccine coverage and mobility). We explored potential mechanisms connecting state-level factors to individual-level behaviours using linear regression. We quantified reductions in state GDP, employment, and student test scores during the pandemic to identify policy and behavioural responses associated with these outcomes and to assess trade-offs between these outcomes and COVID-19 outcomes. Significance was defined as p<0·05. Standardised cumulative COVID-19 death rates for the period from Jan 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022 varied across the USA (national rate 372 deaths per 100 000 population [95% uncertainty interval [UI] 364-379]), with the lowest standardised rates in Hawaii (147 deaths per 100 000 [127-196]) and New Hampshire (215 per 100 000 [183-271]) and the highest in Arizona (581 per 100 000 [509-672]) and Washington, DC (526 per 100 000 [425-631]). A lower poverty rate, higher mean number of years of education, and a greater proportion of people expressing interpersonal trust were statistically associated with lower infection and death rates, and states where larger percentages of the population identify as Black (non-Hispanic) or Hispanic were associated with higher cumulative death rates. Access to quality health care (measured by the IHME's Healthcare Access and Quality Index) was associated with fewer total COVID-19 deaths and SARS-CoV-2 infections, but higher public health spending and more public health personnel per capita were not, at the state level. The political affiliation of the state governor was not associated with lower SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 death rates, but worse COVID-19 outcomes were associated with the proportion of a state's voters who voted for the 2020 Republican presidential candidate. State governments' uses of protective mandates were associated with lower infection rates, as were mask use, lower mobility, and higher vaccination rate, while vaccination rates were associated with lower death rates. State GDP and student reading test scores were not associated with state COVD-19 policy responses, infection rates, or death rates. Employment, however, had a statistically significant relationship with restaurant closures and greater infections and deaths: on average, 1574 (95% UI 884-7107) additional infections per 10 000 population were associated in states with a one percentage point increase in employment rate. Several policy mandates and protective behaviours were associated with lower fourth-grade mathematics test scores, but our study results did not find a link to state-level estimates of school closures. COVID-19 magnified the polarisation and persistent social, economic, and racial inequities that already existed across US society, but the next pandemic threat need not do the same. US states that mitigated those structural inequalities, deployed science-based interventions such as vaccination and targeted vaccine mandates, and promoted their adoption across society were able to match the best-performing nations in minimising COVID-19 death rates. These findings could contribute to the design and targeting of clinical and policy interventions to facilitate better health outcomes in future crises. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, J Stanton, T Gillespie, J and E Nordstrom, and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Timing, extent and outcomes of public health measures in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel and a comparative analysis by socioeconomic indices

BackgroundEarly in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, governments implemented exceptional public health measures (PHMs) in the face of uncertainty. This study aimed to compare mitigation policies implemented by Israel and their timing in the first wave of the pandemic to those of other countries, and to assess whether country characteristics such as democracy, trust, education, economic strength and healthcare reserve were associated with decision-making.MethodsPHMs and pre-pandemic characteristics, using internationally accepted indices, of 50 countries were collected from 1/1/2020-30/06/2020; and associations between them were assessed. Time to implementation of these measures was compared among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation (OECD) nations. Log-rank test was used for univariate analysis. Cox regression was performed to assess the independent contribution of pre-pandemic characteristics to time-to-implementation of measures. Correlations between timing of specific measures and COVID-19 mortality at 60 days were assessed.ResultsIsrael ranked in the upper third of the OECD in swiftness to implementation of eight of the ten measures compared. In univariate survival analysis, countries with an education level below the OECD median were more likely to implement a lockdown (p-value = 0.043) and to close restaurants and entertainment venues (p-value = 0.007) when compared to countries above the OECD median. In Cox regression models, controlling for geographic location, democracy level above the OECD median was associated with a longer time-to-implementation of a lockdown (HR=0.35, 95% CI=0.14-0.88, p-value=0.025). Similarly, a high level of GDP per capita was inversely associated with closing schools; and a high level of education inversely associated with closure of restaurants and entertainment venues. Earlier initiation of all PHMs was associated with lower mortality at 60 days, controlling for geographic location.ConclusionsIsrael's initial response to the pandemic was relatively quick, and may have been facilitated by its geographic isolation. Countries with lower pre-pandemic socio-economic indices were quicker to initiate forced social distancing. Early initiation of PHMs was associated with reduced mortality in the short run. Timing of initiation of measures relative to the country-specific spread of disease is a significant factor contributing to short-term early local pandemic control, perhaps more than the exact measures implemented. It is important to note that this study is limited to the initial pandemic response. Furthermore, it does not take into account the broader long-term effects of certain PHMs, which should be a focus of further research.

Lessons from COVID-19 pandemic: Analysis of unequal access to food stores using the Gini coefficient

COVID-19 has dramatically altered daily life worldwide, with some urban residents resorting to panic buying at the beginning of the pandemic. Large-scale lockdowns and restaurant closures have increased the need for grocery shopping. Such shifts in consumer patterns have altered supply–demand systems. Insufficient food store availability increases the likelihood of crowding and thus increases the probability of viral infection. People who live without easy access to food stores also face high infection risks when forced to travel long distances for grocery shopping. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of the number and distribution of food stores to virus transmission. Food access is also a core factor of urban resilience during the pandemic. This study used the Gini coefficient to investigate the fairness of accessibility to food stores at the city and village levels, with Taipei City chosen as the research area. Different spatial scales were considered, and we calculated the equality of food access for older (≥65 years old) and non-older populations separately to determine whether one group faces greater inequality. At the city level, both older and non-older populations in Taipei have reasonable access (Gini coefficient between 0.3 and 0.4), with mean Gini coefficients of 0.3616 and 0.3655, respectively. This city-level analysis represents the overall degree of unequal access to food stores. At the village level, eight villages (1.8 %; total N = 456) had severe access inequality (Gini coefficient > 0.6) for older adults; they are located primarily in downtown or suburban areas. For the non-older population, only two villages (0.4 %; total N = 456) in suburban areas exhibit severe access inequality. The village-level analysis identified villages with low equality of access to food stores and revealed local problems that cannot be observed at the city level.

ANALYSING THE RESIDENTS’ FOOD (EATING OUT) BEHAVIOUR IN THE PRE &amp; POST COVID-19 PERIOD: A STUDY OF DHARAMSHALA REGION, INDIA

The first epidemic of the modern world that has changed the course of the current civilization &amp; turned out to be a pandemic (i.e. COVID-19) has tremendously affected several industries including that of tourism &amp; hospitality. Due to the multilevel impact, the whole world struggled to overcome this situation but with almost two years of its co-existence, people have now managed to change their style of living &amp; social habits including that of the food habits. One of such food habits i.e. 'Eating out/ Dining out' was bound to change in the post-pandemic period due to the health advisories &amp; closure of several hotels, restaurants and food outlets. The present research tries to find out the changes in the Eating out behaviour of the residents of Dharamshala (H.P.) in the pre &amp; post-pandemic period. Further, it tries to identify the factors which affect the eating out behaviour of the residents &amp; measure their importance in different periods (pre &amp;post pandemic). The data were collected from 286 residents of Dharamshala region, through a structured questionnaire &amp; analysed through reliability checks (Cronbach's Alpha-α), KMO &amp; Bartlett’s test, factor analysis, paired sample t-test and analysis of frequency &amp; mean values. The results showed a significant decrease in the frequency of visits, purchasing/ordering, percentage of outside meals consumed, average spending etc, whereas the level of priority given by the residents to hygiene, food safety, quality, service &amp; distribution etc has increased in the post-pandemic period. Hence various strategies were suggested for the restaurants/local eateries like, (1) Use of technology (automatic doors, sensor &amp; timer enabled soap &amp; sanitiser dispenser, online payments), (2) cost reduction tactics (controlling of food wastage, reduction in menu items), (3) training of employees (sanitisation rules, HACCP rules) etc which were if adopted will certainly help them revive from the crisis slowly &amp; steadily over the period.

Effects of dietary intake behavior, food supply, nutrition, and health during the COVID-19 outbreak

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which began in 2019, has far-reaching ramifications, including economic losses and health challenges that still affect various parts of the world. During our review, we learned that the entire world is working to stop the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. We explore ways that may lower the danger of SARS-CoV-2 contamination and useful strategies to avoid the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 spreading through food. While hygienic protocols are required in the food supply sector, cleaning, disinfection, and the avoidance of cross-contamination across food categories and other related goods at different stages of the manufacturing process remain especially important because the virus can survive for long periods of time on inert materials such as food packaging. Furthermore, personal hygiene (regular washing and disinfection), wearing gloves and using masks, garments, and footwear dedicated to maintaining hygiene provide on-site safety for food sector personnel, supply chain intermediaries, and consumers. Restrictions imposed in response to the pandemic (e.g., closure of physical workplaces, canteens, cafes, restaurants, schools, and childcare institutions), changes in household grocery shopping frequency, individuals' perceived risk of COVID-19, income losses due to the pandemic, and sociodemographic factors are among the factors. The conclusions drawn from this study consider the implications of healthy diets, food system resilience, behavior change, and nutritional imbalance for policymakers and food supply chain participants, as well as the antimicrobial effects of vitamins and nutrients. During a public health crisis, people should eat less, necessitating preventive policies and nutritional advice to deal with this.

Policymaking during COVID-19: Preemptive State Interventions and the Factors Influencing Policy Implementation Success

COVID-19 sparked a public health crisis and created a series of public policy challenges. This article examines how COVID-19 interventions played out at the state level given the absence of guidance and coordinated national response. We focus on how the level of policy rigidness and enforcement of behavioral interventions helps us understand the success and failures of reducing the number of positive test rates over a 20-week period (March–July 2020). Specifically, we examine how four specific interventions (masking, school closures, restaurant closures, and travel restrictions) moved through the policy creation and implementation process as outlined by a modified version of Kingdon’s multiple streams approach. We leverage a pooled-OLS approach to identify the agenda-setting and decision-making windows to verify the narrative derived from applying a modified multiple streams approach to the initial wave of policy making around COVID-19 interventions. Using this technique, we find evidence of two distinct agenda-setting windows and a decision-making window. Using these windows, we ascertain that highly restrictive policies are effective in controlling the spread of COVID-19. We find that governors acting as political entrepreneurs may not play as large of a role in the policy-making process, but they are responsive to constituent policy preferences.

COVID-19-Related Stressors and Mental Health Disorders Among US Adults.

Objectives:The COVID-19 pandemic has led to severe mental health repercussions. We examined rates of anxiety and depression in the United States during the pandemic by demographic characteristics, individual stressors, and COVID-19 infection rates and policy contexts.Methods:We merged data from the April 2020–March 2021 US Household Pulse Survey with state-level data on COVID-19 rates and mitigation policies, including stay-at-home orders, face mask mandates, and restaurant closures. We estimated weighted logistic regression models to assess correlates of anxiety and depression.Results:Rates of anxiety and depression peaked in late 2020 at 39% and 32%, respectively. Food insecurity and disrupted medical care were associated with more than twice the odds of anxiety and depression (food insecurity: odds ratio [OR] = 2.58 for anxiety and 2.61 for depression; disrupted medical care: OR = 2.40 and 2.27). Being not employed (OR = 1.32 for anxiety and 1.45 for depression), uninsured (OR = 1.30 and 1.38), housing insecure (OR = 1.41 and 1.34), and experiencing disruptions in education (OR = 1.28 and 1.25) were linked to 25% to 45% increased odds of anxiety and depression. Increases in state COVID-19 infection rates were associated with significantly heightened odds of anxiety and depression (OR = 1.01 for anxiety and depression), but state mitigation policies were not.Conclusions:Levels of anxiety and depression rose during the pandemic, particularly among economically vulnerable individuals and those experiencing economic and service disruptions. Future research should assess the effectiveness of policies targeting COVID-19 economic and service disruptions.