Face mask mandates and risk compensation: an analysis of mobility data during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh

IntroductionConcerns have been raised about the potential for risk compensation in the context of mask mandates for mitigating the spread of COVID-19. However, the debate about the presence or absence of risk compensation for universal mandatory mask-wearing rules—especially in the context of COVID-19—is not settled yet.MethodsMobility is used as a proxy for risky behaviour before and after the mask mandates. Two sets of regressions are estimated to decipher (any) risk-compensating effect of mask mandate in Bangladesh. These include: (1) intervention regression analysis of daily activities at six types of locations, using pre-mask-mandate and post-mandate data; and (2) multiple regression analysis of daily new COVID-19 cases on daily mobility (lagged) to establish mobility as a valid proxy.Results(1) Statistically, mobility increased at all five non-residential locations, while home stays decreased after the mask mandate was issued; (2) daily mobility had a statistically significant association on daily new cases (with around 10 days of lag). Both significances were calculated at 95% confidence level.ConclusionCommunity mobility had increased (and stay at home decreased) after the mandatory mask-wearing rule, and given mobility is associated with increases in new COVID-19 cases, there is evidence of risk compensation effect of the mask mandate—at least partially—in Bangladesh.

INCIDENCIA DE LA DISTRIBUCIÓN TERRITORIAL EN LA MOVILIDAD COTIDIANA DE MUJERES CASO DE ESTUDIO: CIUDADELA JAIME ROLDÓS DE CUENCA, ECUADOR

Las condiciones de movilidad de los ciudadanos no son equitativas, están atravesadas por diversos factores como el nivel socio-económico, las capacidades motrices, la edad y el género. Esta investigación se enfoca en la movilidad en transporte público de mujeres que residen en un barrio precario de Cuenca: la Ciudadela Jaime Roldós; se estudia la incidencia de la distribución territorial en sus desplazamientos. Para ello, se analiza, mediante entrevistas semi – estructuradas y cartografía social, de qué forma perciben sus recorridos en autobús al atravesar la ciudad. Se encuentra que el defciente servicio de transporte público produce viajes extensos, lo que provoca que las entrevistadas inviertan mucho tiempo en movilizarse. Así también, la percepción de inseguridad constante, el acoso y violencia sexual es un factor que defne sus viajes; no obstante, preferen el autobús por su economía. Estudios como este permiten visibilizar que las condiciones de movilidad aún están lejos de ser equitativas para todos los ciudadanos. Palabras clave: Transporte público, derecho a la ciudad, movilidad cotidiana, barrio precario, equidad de género AbstractThis thesis focuses on the daily mobility on public transportation of women residing in a precarious neighborhood of Cuenca. The incidence of territorial distribution on displacements was studied. To achieve this, an analysis, through semi - structured interviews and social cartography on how they perceive their bus routes when crossing the city, was carried out. It was found that poor public transport service produced extensive travel, which caused respondents to spend a lot of time to get around. Likewise, the perception of constant insecurity,harassment and sexual violence was a factor that defned their travels. Yet, they preferred bus service for its economy. Keywords: Public transport, right to the city, daily mobility, slum, gender equality.

Geographically Explicit Network Analysis of Urban Living and Working Interaction Pattern in Shenzhen City, South China

Human daily mobility plays an important role in urban research. Commuting of urban residents is an important part of urban daily mobility, especially in working days. However, the characteristic of the mobility network formed by the commuting of urban residents and its impact on the internal structure of the city are still an important work that needs to be explored further. Aiming to study the living–working interaction pattern of meta-populations over urban divisions within cities, a fine-grained dataset of living–working tracking of Shenzhen is curated and used to construct an urban living–working mobility network, and the living–working interaction pattern is analyzed through the community structures of the network. The results show that human daily mobility plays an important role in understanding the formation of urban structure, the administrative divisions of the city affect human daily mobility, and human daily mobility reacts on the formation of urban structure.

Peran Aplikasi “Visiting Jogja” dalam Mengembalikan Kepercayaan Wisatawan untuk Berwisata ke Yogyakarta

Covid-19 made several countries adopt lock-down policies as an effort to break the chain of spreading the virus. However, this policy greatly affects sectors related to the daily mobility of people, especially the tourism sector which has been most significantly affected by Covid-19. One of the provinces in Indonesia that has experienced a major loss in the tourism sector due to Covid-19 is the Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY). Therefore, the DIY government gradually continues to encourage the tourism sector to resume operations, one of which is by releasing new applications for tourists, namely "Jogja Pass" and "Visiting Jogja" to monitor visitors to tourism destinations in DIY. In this study the author will focus on studying the application "Visiting Jogja". The purpose of this research is to examine the advantages and disadvantages of the "Visiting Jogja" application from the user's point of view, and to find out whether the "Visiting Jogja" application can help restore the confidence of tourists to travel to Yogyakarta. This study uses qualitative research methods, with data collection techniques through direct interviews with 10 respondents as a sample who is determined randomly. The results show that the application "Visiting Jogja" can provide assurance for tourists, which helps generate confidence in users to visit more tourism attractions in Yogyakarta. However, the government's efforts in socializing and promoting the “Visiting Jogja” application to the public are still lacking.

COVID-19 impact on daily mobility in Slovenia

We analyse the Slovenian subsample (n = 415) of an international online survey about changes in daily mobility during the COVID-19 outbreak in spring of 2020 from a geographical perspective. We split the dataset into three spatial classes (urban, transitional and rural) according to respondents’ place of residence. The people’s behaviour is compared before and under the COVID-19 lockdown and are analysed in terms of commuting frequency, changes in mode choice for commuting and style of grocery shopping. The results show that commuting was reduced drastically during the lockdown while the car both for commuting and shopping remained the main transport mode, especially in rural areas. With an unprecedented insight on travel behaviour changes due to pandemic, the study congruously argues for improved transport policies to meet climate change and public health challenges.

Dynamical Regulations On Mobility and Vaccinations To Control Covid19 Spread

Using a system of time-dynamical equations, we investigate how daily mobility indices, such as homestay above the pre-Covid normal (H%; or H-forcing), and cumulative vaccinations (Vc%; or V-forcing) impact the net reproductive rate (R0) of COVID19 in ten island nations as a prototype, and then, extending it to 124 countries Worldwide. Our H- and V-forcing model of R0 could explain the new trends in 106 countries. The disease transmission can be controlled by forcing down R0(H, Vc) < 1 with enforcement of continuous H > 40% in 91% of countries with 0% vaccinated plus recovered, Vp. The required critical H% decreases with increasing Vp%, dropping it down to 20% with 25% Vp, and further down to 8% with 50% Vp. However, the regulations on H% are context-dependent and country-specific. Our Model is useful in forecasting and controlling the disease spread when the effectiveness of the vaccines is a concern due to new variants, and/or delays in vaccination rollout programs.