State of emergency and human mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan

The Japanese government declared a state of emergency (SoE) to control the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, the requirements of these SoE were less stringent than those in other nations. It has not been assessed whether soft containment policies were sufficiently effective in the promotion of social distancing or the reduction of human contact. Mobility changes across different travel destinations, such as, (a) retail and recreation spaces; (b) supermarkets and pharmacies; (c) parks; (d) public transportation; (e) workplaces; and (f) residential areas, were analyzed using the Google mobility index to assess social distancing behavior in all Japanese prefectures between 15 February 2020 and 21 September 2021. The changes were evaluated through the utilization of an interrupted time-series analysis after adjustment for seasonality and various prefecture-specific fixed-effects, and distinguishment of potential heterogeneity across multiple SoEs and the time that had passed after the declaration. The mobility index for retail and recreation exhibited an immediate decline of 7.94 percent-points (95%CI: −8.77 to −7.12) after the declaration of the SoE, and a further decline after the initial period (beta: −1.27 95%CI: −1.43 to −1.11). However, it gradually increased by 0.03 percent-points (95%CI: 0.02–0.03). This trend was similar for mobility in other places. Among the four SoEs, the overall decline in human mobility outside the home was the least significant in the third and fourth SoE, which suggests that people were less compliant with social distancing measures during these periods. Although government responses to the pandemic may aid the controlling of human mobility outside the home, their effectiveness may decrease if these interventions are repeated and enforced for extended periods. A combination of these with other measures (i.e., risk-communication strategies) would enable even mild containment and closure policies to effectively curb the spread of the virus.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2022.101405
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140522000779
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/22141405
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Okamoto, Shohei
  • 0000-0002-8580-5291
• Publication Date: 2022-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 101405
• Serial:
  • Journal of Transport & Health
  • Volume: 26
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 2214-1405
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/22141405

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Communicable diseases; COVID-19; Mobility; Quality of life; Travel restrictions
• Geographic Terms: Japan
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01849862
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 27 2022 2:35PM