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All things equal? Heterogeneity in policy effectiveness against COVID-19 spread in chile

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  • Bennett, Magdalena

Abstract

Several variables and practices affect the evolution and geographic spread of COVID-19. Some of these variables pertain to policy measures such as social distancing, quarantines for specific areas, and testing availability. In this paper, I analyze the effect that lockdown and testing policies had on new contagions in Chile, especially focusing on potential heterogeneity given by population characteristics. Leveraging a natural experiment in the determination of early quarantines, I use an Augmented Synthetic Control Method to build counterfactuals for high and lower-income areas that experienced a lockdown during the first two months of the pandemic. I find substantial differences in the impact that quarantine policies had for different populations: While lockdowns were effective in containing and reducing new cases of COVID-19 in higher-income municipalities, I find no significant effect of this measure for lower-income areas. To further explain these results, I test for difference in mobility during quarantine for high and lower-income municipalities, as well as delays in test results and testing availability. These findings are consistent with previous results, showing that differences in the effectiveness of lockdowns could be partially attributed to heterogeneity in quarantine compliance in terms of mobility, as well as differential testing availability for higher and lower-income areas.

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  • Bennett, Magdalena, 2021. "All things equal? Heterogeneity in policy effectiveness against COVID-19 spread in chile," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:137:y:2021:i:c:s0305750x20303351
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105208
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    1. Bedoya-Maya, Felipe & Calatayud, Agustina & Giraldez, Francisca & Sánchez González, Santiago, 2022. "Urban mobility patterns and the spatial distribution of infections in Santiago de Chile," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 43-54.
    2. Aminjonov, Ulugbek & Bargain, Olivier & Bernard, Tanguy, 2023. "Gimme shelter. Social distancing and income support in times of pandemic," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    3. Yu, Lamont Bo & Tran, Trang My & Lee, Wang-Sheng, 2023. "Bridging the gap: Assessing the effects of railway infrastructure investments in Northwest China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    4. Fernando Díaz & Pablo A Henríquez, 2021. "Social sentiment segregation: Evidence from Twitter and Google Trends in Chile during the COVID-19 dynamic quarantine strategy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(7), pages 1-29, July.
    5. Byron J. Idrovo-Aguirre & Javier E. Contreras-Reyes, 2021. "Monetary Fiscal Contributions to Households and Pension Fund Withdrawals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Approximation of Their Impact on Construction Labor Supply in Chile," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-10, November.
    6. Hausmann, Ricardo & Schetter, Ulrich, 2022. "Horrible trade-offs in a pandemic: Poverty, fiscal space, policy, and welfare," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    7. Lili Li & Araz Taeihagh & Si Ying Tan, 2023. "A scoping review of the impacts of COVID-19 physical distancing measures on vulnerable population groups," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, December.
    8. Kuzmanic, Danilo & Valenzuela, Juan Pablo & Claro, Susana & Canales, Andrea & Cerda, Daniela & Undurraga, Eduardo A., 2023. "Socioeconomic disparities in the reopening of schools during the pandemic in Chile," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    9. Mauricio Herrera & Alex Godoy-Faúndez, 2021. "Exploring the Roles of Local Mobility Patterns, Socioeconomic Conditions, and Lockdown Policies in Shaping the Patterns of COVID-19 Spread," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-24, April.
    10. Benjamín Villena-Roldán, 2024. "Unpacking the Persistence of Informality," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 203-231, June.
    11. Peter A.G. van Bergeijk, 2021. "Pandemic Economics," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 20401.
    12. Jaymee Sheng & Anup Malani & Ashish Goel & Purushotham Botla, 2021. "Does Mobility Explain Why Slums Were Hit Harder by COVID-19 in Mumbai, India?," NBER Working Papers 28541, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Bonvecchi, Alejandro & Calvo, Ernesto & Otálvaro-Ramírez, Susana & Scartascini, Carlos, 2022. "The Effect of a Crisis on Trust and Willingness to Reform: Evidence from Survey Panels in Argentina and Uruguay," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 12359, Inter-American Development Bank.
    14. Bo Huang & Zhihui Huang & Chen Chen & Jian Lin & Tony Tam & Yingyi Hong & Sen Pei, 2022. "Social vulnerability amplifies the disparate impact of mobility on COVID-19 transmissibility across the United States," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, December.
    15. Amarante, Verónica, 2022. "Fortalecimiento de los sistemas de protección social de la región: aprendizajes a partir de la pandemia de COVID-19," Documentos de Proyectos 47830, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    16. Bargain, Olivier & Aminjonov, Ulugbek, 2021. "Poverty and COVID-19 in Africa and Latin America," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    17. Walter Leal Filho & Amanda Lange Salvia & Arminda Paço & Celia Dias-Ferreira & Samara Neiva & Izabela Simon Rampasso & Rosley Anholon & Claudio Ruy Portela de Vasconcelos & João Henrique Paulino Pires, 2022. "Assessing the Connections between COVID-19 and Waste Management in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-19, July.

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