COVID-19 lockdowns#Australia

File:Peruvian_army_K9_-_2020_coronavirus_pandemic_in_Peru.jpg with a police dog enforces curfew on 31 March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru.]]

One study led by an economist at the University of Chicago found that involuntary lockdowns had little impact, with voluntary distancing making up nearly 90% of the fall in consumer traffic as people feared the virus itself.{{Cite report|first1=Austan|last1=Goolsbee|first2=Chad|last2=Syverson|date=23 June 2020|title=Fear, Lockdown, and Diversion: Comparing Drivers of pandemic Economic Decline 2020|url=http://www.nber.org/papers/w27432.pdf|url-status=live|doi=10.2139/ssrn.3631180|ssrn=3631180|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926095209/https://www.nber.org/papers/w27432.pdf|archive-date=26 September 2020|s2cid=219939172|access-date=6 February 2024}} Similarly, a National Bureau of Economic Research study found stay-at-home orders increased staying at home by just 5–10%.{{cite journal |vauthors=Dave D, Friedson AI, Matsuzawa K, Sabia JJ |date=3 August 2020 |title=When Do Shelter-in-Place Orders Fight COVID-19 Best? Policy Heterogeneity Across States and Adoption Time |journal=Econ Inq |volume=59 |issue=1 |pages=29–52 |doi=10.3386/w27091 |pmc=7436765 |pmid=32836519 |s2cid=218484815}} Another study from Yale University found that most social distancing was voluntary, driven primarily by "media coverage of morbidity and mortality".{{Cite report|first1=Youpei|last1=Yan|first2=Amyn A.|last2=Malik|first3=Jude|last3=Bayham|first4=Eli P.|last4=Fenichel|first5=Chandra|last5=Couzens|date=6 May 2020|title=Measuring voluntary social distancing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic|url=https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.01.20087874v1.full.pdf|url-status=live|doi=10.1101/2020.05.01.20087874|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709180650/https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.01.20087874v1.full.pdf|archive-date=9 July 2020|s2cid=218515391}}

On the other hand, some studies have argued{{Cite journal|first1=Solomon|last1=Hsiang|first2=Daniel|last2=Allen|first3=Sébastien|last3=Annan-Phan|first4=Kendon|last4=Bell|first5=Ian|last5=Bolliger|first6=Trinetta|last6=Chong|first7=Hannah|last7=Druckenmiller|first8=Luna Yue|last8=Huang|first9=Andrew|last9=Hultgren|first10=Emma|last10=Krasovich|first11=Peiley|last11=Lau|first12=Jaecheol|last12=Lee|first13=Esther|last13=Rolf|first14=Jeanette|last14=Tseng|first15=Tiffany|last15=Wu|date=8 June 2020|title=The effect of large-scale anti-contagion policies on the COVID-19 pandemic|journal=Nature|volume=584|issue=7820|pages=262–267|doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2404-8|pmid=32512578|bibcode=2020Natur.584..262H|s2cid=219552534|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2404-8|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712231657/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2404-8|archive-date=12 July 2020|hdl=1903/26870|hdl-access=free}}{{Cite journal|first1=Seth|last1=Flaxman|first2=Swapnil|last2=Mishra|first3=Axel|last3=Gandy|first4=H. Juliette T.|last4=Unwin|first5=Thomas A.|last5=Mellan|first6=Helen|last6=Coupland|first7=Charles|last7=Whittaker|first8=Harrison|last8=Zhu|first9=Tresnia|last9=Berah|first10=Jeffrey W.|last10=Eaton|first11=Mélodie|last11=Monod|first12=Azra C.|last12=Ghani|first13=Christl|last13=A. Donnelly|first14=Steven M.|last14=Riley|first15=Michaela A. C.|last15=Vollmer|first16=Neil M.|last16=Ferguson|first17=Lucy C.|last17=Okell|first18=Samir|last18=Bhatt|date=22 May 2020|title=Estimating the effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 in Europe|journal=Nature|volume=584|issue=7820|pages=257–261|doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2405-7|pmid=32512579|bibcode=2020Natur.584..257F|s2cid=219549825|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2405-7_reference.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723041630/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2405-7_reference.pdf|archive-date=23 July 2020}} that coercive measures probably decreased interactions, while accepting that most of the reduction may have been voluntary. One of those two studies, by Flaxman et al., has been criticized, among other things for having a country-specific adjustment factor, without which the model would predict a massive number of deaths for Sweden.{{Cite journal|last1=Soltesz|first1=Kristian|last2=Gustafsson|first2=Fredrik|last3=Timpka|first3=Toomas|last4=Jaldén|first4=Joakim|last5=Jidling|first5=Carl|last6=Heimerson|first6=Albin|last7=Schön|first7=Thomas B.|last8=Spreco|first8=Armin|last9=Ekberg|first9=Joakim|last10=Dahlström|first10=Örjan|last11=Bagge Carlson|first11=Fredrik|date=8 June 2020|title=The effect of interventions on COVID-19|journal=Nature|volume=588|issue=7839|pages=E26–E28|doi=10.1038/s41586-020-3025-y|pmid=33361787|bibcode=2020Natur.588E..26S|doi-access=free}} One widely cited economic simulation asserting that shelter-in-place orders reduced total cases three-fold, however, held voluntary distancing constant.{{Cite journal|first1=Charles|last1=Courtemanche|first2=Joseph|last2=Garuccio|first3=Anh|last3=Le|first4=Joshua|last4=Pinkston|first5=Aaron|last5=Yelowitz|date=14 May 2020|title=Strong Social Distancing Measures In The United States Reduced The COVID-19 Growth Rate|journal=Health Affairs|volume=39|issue=7|pages=1237–1246|doi=10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00608|pmid=32407171|doi-access=free|s2cid=218648003|hdl=1903/25989|hdl-access=free}} Another study found a 30% difference among border-counties where stay-at-home orders were imposed.{{cite journal|first1=Wei|last1=Lyu|first2=George L.|last2=Wehby|date=15 May 2020|title=Comparison of Estimated Rates of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Border Counties in Iowa Without a Stay-at-Home Order and Border Counties in Illinois With a Stay-at-Home Order|journal=JAMA Network Open|volume=3|issue=5|pages=e2011102|doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.11102|pmid=32413112|pmc=7229521}}

Another study that compared the impact of 'less restrictive interventions' on the spread of COVID-19 in Sweden and South Korea, with mandatory stay-at home orders in 8 other countries, such as France and Spain, did not find evidence for greater disease control in the countries with more restrictions.{{cite journal|author=Eran Bendavid|date=5 January 2021|title=Assessing Mandatory Stay-at-Home and Business Closure Effects on the Spread of COVID-19|journal=European Journal of Clinical Investigation|volume=51|issue=4|pages=e13484|doi=10.1111/eci.13484|pmc=7883103|pmid=33400268|doi-access=free|s2cid=230655481}} However, the findings of the study have been questioned due to its numerous limitations, including the small sample size of countries.{{cite journal|last1=Besançon|first1=Lonni|last2=Meyerowitz-Katz|first2=Gideon|last3=Flahault|first3=Antoine|year=2021|title=Sample size, timing, and other confounding factors: toward a fair assessment of stay-at home orders.|journal=European Journal of Clinical Investigation|volume=51|issue=6|pages=e13518|doi=10.1111/eci.13518|pmid=33580547|s2cid=231909650|issn=0014-2972|url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03143533/file/Towards%20A%20Fair%20Assessment%20of%20Lockdowns.pdf|access-date=9 April 2021|archive-date=8 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408065756/https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03143533/file/Towards%20A%20Fair%20Assessment%20of%20Lockdowns.pdf|url-status=live}}{{cite journal | last1=Besançon | first1=Lonni | last2=Meyerowitz-Katz | first2=Gideon | last3=Zanetti Chini | first3=Emilio | last4=Fuchs | first4=Hermann | last5=Flahault | first5=Antoine | title=Challenges in determining causality: An ongoing critique of Bendavid et al's 'Assessing mandatory stay-at-home and business closure effects on the spread of COVID-19' | journal=European Journal of Clinical Investigation | publisher=Wiley | date=18 June 2021 | volume=51 | issue=8 | pages=e13599 | issn=0014-2972 | doi=10.1111/eci.13599 | pmid=33998694 | pmc=8209814 }}

Some research has also found that an "advisory" approach is not adequate to control COVID-19 outbreaks. An analysis of an outbreak in northern Italy found that an effective reduction in community transmission occurred during a strict national lockdown, and that earlier less stringent measures were ineffective at reducing mobility to a level low enough to reduce the spread of COVID-19.{{Cite journal|date=1 August 2020|title=Lockdown timing and efficacy in controlling COVID-19 using mobile phone tracking|journal=eClinicalMedicine|volume=25|pages=100457|doi=10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100457|issn=2589-5370|doi-access=free|last1=Vinceti|first1=Marco|last2=Filippini|first2=Tommaso|last3=Rothman|first3=Kenneth J.|last4=Ferrari|first4=Fabrizio|last5=Goffi|first5=Alessia|last6=Maffeis|first6=Giuseppe|last7=Orsini|first7=Nicola|pmid=32838234|pmc=7355328}}

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Google has consistently collected data on movements, showing rapid declines in public activity long before legal restrictions were imposed.{{Cite web|title=COVID-19 Community Mobility Report|url=https://www.google.com/covid19/mobility?hl=en|access-date=13 January 2021|website=Google|archive-date=13 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113071548/https://www.google.com/covid19/mobility/?hl=en|url-status=live}} An April 2020 poll found that 93% of Americans voluntarily chose to only leave home when necessary, regardless of legal restrictions.{{Cite web|date=8 April 2020|title=Fauci, Governors Get Highest Marks for Response to Coronavirus, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Majority Say Trump's Response Not Aggressive Enough|url=https://poll.qu.edu/images/polling/us/us04082020_uksb19.pdf|access-date=13 January 2021|website=Quinnnipiac Poll|archive-date=13 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213042246/https://poll.qu.edu/images/polling/us/us04082020_uksb19.pdf|url-status=live}}

A February 2021 review of 348 articles concluded there was acknowledgement of the importance of non-pharmaceutical interventions in controlling the spread of COVID-19.{{Cite journal|date=13 February 2021|title=Non-pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic: A review|journal=Physics Reports|doi=10.1016/j.physrep.2021.02.001|issn=0370-1573|doi-access=free|last1=Perra|first1=Nicola|volume=913|pages=1–52|pmid=33612922|pmc=7881715|arxiv=2012.15230|bibcode=2021PhR...913....1P}} However, later research also acknowledges high societal costs, though in some circumstances less than the costs of allowing the pandemic to spread without mitigation.{{cite journal |last1=Bjørnskov |first1=Christian |title=Did Lockdown Work? An Economist's Cross-Country Comparison |journal=CESifo Economic Studies |date=29 March 2021 |volume=67 |issue=3 |pages=318–331 |doi=10.1093/cesifo/ifab003 |doi-access=free|pmc=8083719 }}{{cite journal |last1=Bendavid |first1=E |last2=Oh |first2=C |last3=Bhattacharya |first3=J |last4=Ioannidis |first4=JPA |title=Assessing mandatory stay-at-home and business closure effects on the spread of COVID-19. |journal=European Journal of Clinical Investigation |date=April 2021 |volume=51 |issue=4 |pages=e13484 |doi=10.1111/eci.13484 |pmid=33400268|pmc=7883103 }}

Epidemiological evidence supports generalized non-pharmaceutical interventions to curb the spread of COVID-19.{{#invoke:cite|magazine|last=Reynolds|first=Matt|title=There is no 'scientific divide' over herd immunity|language=en-GB|magazine=Wired UK|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/great-barrington-declaration-herd-immunity-scientific-divide|access-date=30 May 2021|issn=1357-0978}}{{Cite journal|last1=Alwan|first1=Nisreen A.|last2=Burgess|first2=Rochelle Ann|last3=Ashworth|first3=Simon|last4=Beale|first4=Rupert|last5=Bhadelia|first5=Nahid|last6=Bogaert|first6=Debby|author-link6=Debby Bogaert|last7=Dowd|first7=Jennifer|last8=Eckerle|first8=Isabella|last9=Goldman|first9=Lynn R.|last10=Greenhalgh|first10=Trisha|last11=Gurdasani|first11=Deepti|date=31 October 2020|title=Scientific consensus on the COVID-19 pandemic: we need to act now|journal=The Lancet|language=English|volume=396|issue=10260|pages=e71–e72|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32153-X|issn=0140-6736|pmc=7557300|pmid=33069277}}{{Cite journal|last1=Hale|first1=Thomas|last2=Angrist|first2=Noam|last3=Hale|first3=Andrew J.|last4=Kira|first4=Beatriz|last5=Majumdar|first5=Saptarshi|last6=Petherick|first6=Anna|last7=Phillips|first7=Toby|last8=Sridhar|first8=Devi|last9=Thompson|first9=Robin N.|last10=Webster|first10=Samuel|last11=Zhang|first11=Yuxi|date=2021-07-09|title=Government responses and COVID-19 deaths: Global evidence across multiple pandemic waves|journal=PLOS ONE|language=en|volume=16|issue=7|pages=e0253116|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0253116|issn=1932-6203|pmc=8270409|pmid=34242239|bibcode=2021PLoSO..1653116H|doi-access=free}}

During the early stages of the pandemic in Europe and the United States, statistical modeling which advised that restrictions were helpful to prevent a large number of deaths were used as the basis for lockdowns.{{Cite journal|last=Adam|first=David|date=2 April 2020|title=Special report: The simulations driving the world's response to COVID-19|journal=Nature|volume=580|issue=7803|pages=316–318|doi=10.1038/d41586-020-01003-6|pmid=32242115|bibcode=2020Natur.580..316A|s2cid=256820433 |doi-access=}} This includes an Imperial College projection, led by epidemiologist Neil Ferguson.{{Cite web|first1=Neil M|last1=Ferguson|first2=Daniel|last2=Laydon|first3=Gemma|last3=Nedjati-Gilani|first4=Natsuko|last4=Imai|first5=Kylie|last5=Ainslie|first6=Marc|last6=Baguelin|first7=Sangeeta|last7=Bhatia|first8=Adhiratha|last8=Boonyasiri|first9=Zulma|last9=Cucunubá|first10=Gina|last10=Cuomo-Dannenburg|first11=Amy|last11=Dighe|first12=Ilaria|last12=Dorigatti|first13=Han|last13=Fu|first14=Katy|last14=Gaythorpe|first15=Will|last15=Green|first16=Arran|last16=Hamlet|first17=Wes|last17=Hinsley|first18=Lucy C|last18=Okell|first19=Sabine|last19=van Elsland|first20=Hayley|last20=Thompson|first21=Robert|last21=Verity|first22=Erik|last22=Volz|first23=Haowei|last23=Wang|first24=Yuanrong|last24=Wang|first25=Patrick GT|last25=Walker|first26=Caroline|last26=Walters|first27=Peter|last27=Winskill|first28=Charles|last28=Whittaker|first29=Christl A|last29=Donnelly|first30=Steven|last30=Riley|first31=Azra C|last31=Ghani|date=16 March 2020|title=Report 9: Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID-19 mortality and healthcare demand|url=https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/sph/ide/gida-fellowships/Imperial-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316223332/https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/sph/ide/gida-fellowships/Imperial-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf|archive-date=16 March 2020}} Despite some criticisms, academics defended the Imperial projection as fundamentally sound, while admitting the code was "a buggy mess".{{Cite journal|last=Singh Chawla|first=Dalmeet|date=8 June 2020|title=Critiqued coronavirus simulation gets thumbs up from code-checking efforts|journal=Nature|volume=582|issue=7812|pages=323–324|bibcode=2020Natur.582..323S|doi=10.1038/d41586-020-01685-y|pmid=32546864|s2cid=219700526 |doi-access=}} Retrospective evaluation of lockdowns and computer modeling has verified that they have significantly contributed to reducing mortality and morbidity from COVID-19.{{cite book |last=von Csefalvay |first=Chris |chapter=Modeling the control of infectious disease: Pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions |date=2023 |title=Computational modeling of infectious disease: With applications in Python |pages=173–215 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EkyMEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA173 |publisher=Academic Press |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-0-32-395389-4.00015-3 |isbn=978-0-323-95389-4 |url=https://ebin.pub/computational-modeling-of-infectious-disease-with-applications-in-python-0323953891-9780323953894.html}}

A notable opponent of lockdowns has included Sweden's state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, who has frequently criticised the strategy.{{Cite news|last=Booth|first=William|date=8 May 2020|title=A tale of two epidemics: Scientists in Sweden and Britain fight over who took the right public health path|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/a-tale-of-two-epidemics-scientists-in-sweden-and-the-uk-fight-over-who-took-the-right-public-health-path/2020/05/07/104f60be-8a5b-11ea-80df-d24b35a568ae_story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714174017/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/a-tale-of-two-epidemics-scientists-in-sweden-and-the-uk-fight-over-who-took-the-right-public-health-path/2020/05/07/104f60be-8a5b-11ea-80df-d24b35a568ae_story.html|archive-date=14 July 2020}}{{Cite news|title=Sweden no longer stands out in pandemic, says architect of 'no lockdown' policy|url=https://www.ft.com/content/0c07de5f-e852-4c23-823b-5f8f7d18ebef|access-date=14 November 2021|newspaper=Financial Times|date=12 November 2021|archive-date=14 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211114062408/https://amp.ft.com/content/0c07de5f-e852-4c23-823b-5f8f7d18ebef|url-status=live}} The Swedish government's approach has included minimal restrictions and has been controversial in part due to the relatively high death toll due to widespread transmission.{{cite web|last1=Vogel|first1=Gretchen|date=6 October 2020|title='It's been so, so surreal.' Critics of Sweden's lax pandemic policies face fierce backlash|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/it-s-been-so-so-surreal-critics-sweden-s-lax-pandemic-policies-face-fierce-backlash|access-date=29 December 2020|website=Science {{!}} AAAS|archive-date=7 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007092330/https://www.science.org/content/article/it-s-been-so-so-surreal-critics-sweden-s-lax-pandemic-policies-face-fierce-backlash|url-status=live}}{{cite journal|last1=Claeson|first1=Mariam|last2=Hanson|first2=Stefan|date=22 December 2020|title=COVID-19 and the Swedish enigma|url= |journal=The Lancet|volume=397|issue=10271|pages=259–261|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32750-1|issn=0140-6736|pmc=7755568|pmid=33357494|doi-access=free}} However, the Swedish government began considering enacting a lockdown in early 2021.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=24 February 2021|title=Swedish Prime Minister Sees High Risk of New Wave of Covid Infections|work=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-24/swedish-pm-sees-high-risk-of-new-wave-of-covid-infections|access-date=12 March 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Orange|first=Richard|date=26 February 2021|title=Sweden hesitates to use new Covid lockdown laws as infection rate leads western Europe|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/02/26/sweden-hesitates-use-new-covid-lockdown-laws-infection-rate/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/02/26/sweden-hesitates-use-new-covid-lockdown-laws-infection-rate/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=12 March 2021|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}

While arguing in August 2020 for the need for further lockdowns in the United States, physicians Ranu Dhillon and Abraar Karan argued for "smarter lockdowns" that impose restrictions on areas with high levels of transmission, and to increase support to vulnerable populations in these locations to offset the economic costs.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Dhillon|first1=Ranu S.|last2=Karan|first2=Abraar|date=12 August 2020|title=The U.S. Needs Smarter Lockdowns. Now.|work=Harvard Business Review|url=https://hbr.org/2020/08/the-u-s-needs-smarter-lockdowns-now|url-status=live|access-date=16 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102012907/https://hbr.org/2020/08/the-u-s-needs-smarter-lockdowns-now|archive-date=2 November 2020|issn=0017-8012}}

A number of medical experts signed the Great Barrington Declaration in October 2020 which called for "Focused Protection" on high risk groups and minimal restrictions on the general population to achieve herd immunity through COVID-19 infection. However, the majority of medical experts and the WHO have strongly criticised this proposed strategy for its lack of scientific basis and for being unethical.{{Cite web|date=12 October 2020|title=WHO chief says herd immunity approach to pandemic 'unethical'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/12/who-chief-says-herd-immunity-approach-to-pandemic-unethical|access-date=30 May 2021|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526112328/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/12/who-chief-says-herd-immunity-approach-to-pandemic-unethical|url-status=live}}{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Mandavilli|first1=Apoorva|last2=Stolberg|first2=Sheryl Gay|date=19 October 2020|title=A Viral Theory Cited by Health Officials Draws Fire From Scientists|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/19/health/coronavirus-great-barrington.html|access-date=30 May 2021|issn=0362-4331}} The declaration has also attracted controversy over its funding and the authenticity of its signatures.{{Cite web|first1=Martin|last1=Finucane|date=14 October 2020|title=Boston researchers join letter in The Lancet rejecting herd immunity strategy|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/10/14/nation/boston-researchers-join-letter-lancet-rejecting-herd-immunity-strategy/|access-date=30 May 2021|website=BostonGlobe.com|language=en-US|archive-date=10 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410140127/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/10/14/nation/boston-researchers-join-letter-lancet-rejecting-herd-immunity-strategy/|url-status=live}}

{{See also|Human rights issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic|Gendered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic}}

The lockdowns had multiple effects on people's everyday lives. Some of these were direct effects, such as cancelling or postponing a social event, and others had indirect effects, such as losing a sense of identity.{{Cite news |last=Mooallem |first=Jon |date=22 February 2023 |title=Three Years into Covid, We Still Don't Know How to Talk About It |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/02/22/magazine/covid-pandemic-oral-history.html |work=The New York Times Magazine}} For example, teachers often derive meaning and a sense of life purpose from teaching, but the schools were closed, which caused many of them to feel disconnected from their identity as teachers. Many people also felt that they could not trust that the things (e.g., doorknobs) and people around them were safe. People also lost a sense of time, with the feelings of unpredictability developing into the opposite of the normal human ontological security. Instead of knowing what to do, what to trust, and what to expect in the future, people felt disconnected and at a loss. It also made people more aware of the pre-existing problems they were facing, such as abuse, addiction, and racism. The sociologist Ann Swidler compared the social changes to anomie, an absence of social norms that was first described at the end of the Industrial Revolution, as the prior, socially agreed-upon system of interpersonal connections, values, interdependence, and ideas about normal behavior was set aside, and a new system had not yet emerged.

Some commentators have suggested that stay-at-home orders are unconstitutional, or that states' use of emergency powers to restrict freedom of assembly and movement are authoritarian and may result in long-term democratic backsliding.{{cite journal |author=Martin van Staden |title=Constitutional rights and their limitations: A critical appraisal of the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa |journal=African Human Rights Law Journal |volume=20 |issue=2 |year=2020 |pages=1–28 |doi=10.17159/1996-2096/2020/v20n2a6 |doi-access=free }}{{cite journal |last1= Lundgren |first1= Magnus|last2= Klamberg |first2= Mark|last3= Sundström |first3= Karin |last4= Dahlqvist |first4= Julia|date= 2020 |title=Emergency Powers in Response to COVID-19: Policy Diffusion, Democracy, and Preparedness |journal= Nordic Journal of Human Rights |volume= 38 |issue= 4 |pages= 305–318 |doi= 10.1080/18918131.2021.1899406 |doi-access= free |arxiv= 2007.00933 }} Centralization of power by political leadership in Hungary, Poland, China and Cambodia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have been cited as examples.{{cite web|last1=Whetstone|first1=Anwar|last2=Mhajne|first2=Crystal|title=The Rise of the COVID Dictatorships|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/10/16/the-rise-of-the-covid-dictatorships/|access-date=29 December 2020|website=Foreign Policy|date=16 October 2020|archive-date=19 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119091908/https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/10/16/the-rise-of-the-covid-dictatorships/|url-status=live}}The Economist, 28 March 2020, page 7.{{cite web|date=10 April 2020|title=Fears as Cambodia grants PM vast powers under Covid-19 pretext|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/10/fears-as-cambodia-grants-hun-sen-vast-power-under-covid-19-pretext|access-date=30 December 2020|website=The Guardian|archive-date=22 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222051143/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/10/fears-as-cambodia-grants-hun-sen-vast-power-under-covid-19-pretext|url-status=live}} Many states restricted religious gatherings.{{cite web |author=Pew Research Center |title=How COVID-19 Restrictions Affected Religious Groups Around the World in 2020 |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/11/29/how-covid-19-restrictions-affected-religious-groups-around-the-world-in-2020/ |date=November 29, 2022 |website=Pew Research Center}}

Some researchers have noted that COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have come with mental health costs, compounded by those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic itself.{{Cite web|title=The COVID Pandemic Could Lead to 75,000 Additional Deaths from Alcohol and Drug Misuse and Suicide|work=Well Being Trust |url=https://wellbeingtrust.org/areas-of-focus/policy-and-advocacy/reports/projected-deaths-of-despair-during-covid-19/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713065633/https://wellbeingtrust.org/areas-of-focus/policy-and-advocacy/reports/projected-deaths-of-despair-during-covid-19/|archive-date=13 July 2020}}{{cite journal|last1=Every-Palmer|first1=Susanna|first2=Matthew|last2=Jenkins|first3=Philip|last3=Gendall|first4=Janet|last4=Hoek|author-link4=Janet Hoek|first5=Ben|last5=Beaglehole|first6=Caroline|last6=Bell|first7=Jonathan|last7=Williman|first8=Charlene|last8=Rapsey|first9=James|last9=Stanley|date=November 2020|title=Psychological distress, anxiety, family violence, suicidality, and wellbeing in New Zealand during the COVID-19 lockdown: A cross-sectional study|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=15|issue=11|pages=e0241658|bibcode=2020PLoSO..1541658E|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0241658|pmc=7641386|pmid=33147259|doi-access=free}}{{cite journal|last1=Ozamiz-Etxebarria|first1=Naiara|first2=Nahia|last2=Idoiaga Mondragon|first3=María|last3=Dosil Santamaría|first4=Maitane|last4=Picaza Gorrotxategi|date=June 2020|title=Psychological symptoms during the two stages of lockdown in response to the COVID-19 outbreak: an investigation in a sample of citizens in Northern Spain|journal=Frontiers in Psychology|volume=11|page=1491|doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01491|pmc=7314923|pmid=32625157|doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal|last1=Lashley|first1=Marcus A.|last2=Acevedo|first2=Miguel|last3=Cotner|first3=Sehoya|last4=Lortie|first4=Christopher J.|date=2020|title=How the ecology and evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic changed learning|journal=Ecology and Evolution |volume=10|issue=22|pages=12412–7|doi=10.1002/ece3.6937 |pmc=7679547|pmid=33250980|bibcode=2020EcoEv..1012412L }} Systematic reviews and meta-analyses indicate that the COVID-19 lockdowns were associated with increased rates of depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and a decline in health-related quality of life among children and adolescents, largely driven by school closures, social isolation, and disrupted routines.{{Cite journal |title=Mental health and quality of life in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review of longitudinal studies |journal=Frontiers in Public Health |date=2023 |doi=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1275917 |doi-access=free |volume=11 |pmid=38259801 |pmc=10800626 | vauthors = Orban E, Li LY, Gilbert M, Napp A, Kaman A, Topf S, Boecker M, Devine J, Reiß F, Wendel F, Jung-Sievers C, Ernst VS, Franze M, Möhler E, Breitinger E, Bender S, Ravens-Sieberer U }} Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic also led to strained relationships, increased cyberbullying, and physical consequences like abuse, accidental poisonings, and foreign object injuries.{{cite journal |author=Bialy L, Elliott SA, Melton A |title=Consequences of the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on child and adolescent mental, psychosocial, and physical health: A scoping review and interactive evidence map |journal=Journal of Child Health Care |year=2024 |doi=10.1177/13674935241238794|pmid=38503453 |doi-access=free }} Pandemic policies were associated with increased depressive symptoms, decreased physical activity, poorer nutrition, reduced emergency department visits, higher child mortality in Cameroon, a drop in immunizations in Pakistan, and an increase in physical child abuse trauma cases in one U.S. center.{{cite journal | last1=Rajmil | first1=Luis | last2=Hjern | first2=Anders | last3=Boran | first3=Perran | last4=Gunnlaugsson | first4=Geir | last5=Kraus de Camargo | first5=Olaf | last6=Raman | first6=Shanti | date=2021 | title=Impact of lockdown and school closure on children's health and well-being during the first wave of COVID-19: A narrative review | journal=BMJ Paediatrics Open | volume=5 | issue=1 | issn=2399-9772 | pmid=34192198 | pmc=8154298 | doi=10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001043 | doi-access=free | hdl=11375/26593 | hdl-access=free | article-number=e001043 }}

Due to their closure, educational institutions worldwide transitioned to online learning. Teachers and faculty had to learn new ways to engage with students while in a COVID-19 pandemic. Examples of online teaching tools are podcasts, videos, and virtual classrooms.{{Cite journal|last1=Strickland|first1=Bronson K.|last2=Brooke|first2=Jarred M.|last3=Zischke|first3=Mitchell T.|last4=Lashley|first4=Marcus A.|date=2021|title=Podcasting as a tool to take conservation education online|journal=Ecology and Evolution|language=en|volume=11|issue=8|pages=3597–3606|doi=10.1002/ece3.7353 |pmc=8057326|pmid=33898012|bibcode=2021EcoEv..11.3597S }}{{Better source needed|date=December 2021|reason=more general source providing global overview}} Prolonged COVID-19 school closures and the ineffectiveness of remote learning, especially in low- and middle-income countries, exacerbated educational inequities, leading to substantial learning losses that could cost this generation of students $17 trillion in lifetime earnings. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education for 1.6 billion students at its peak, exacerbating the gender divide with disproportionately greater learning losses among girls and increased risks of child labor, gender-based violence, early marriage, and pregnancy in some countries.{{cite web |title=The State of the Global Education Crisis: A Path to Recovery |year=2021 |publisher=The World Bank, UNESCO, and UNICEF |url=https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/416991638768297704/pdf/The-State-of-the-Global-Education-Crisis-A-Path-to-Recovery.pdf |access-date=9 December 2024}} School closures during the pandemic resulted in significant learning loss, although some countries managed to limit the impact.{{cite web |title=An Analysis of COVID-19 Student Learning Loss |author=Harry Anthony Patrinos, Emiliana Vegas, Rohan Carter-Rau |website=World Bank |url=https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099720405042223104/pdf/IDU00f3f0ca808cde0497e0b88c01fa07f15bef0.pdf |access-date=6 December 2024 }} The closures also led to a significant reduction in child abuse reporting, especially in Florida, where allegations of child abuse and neglect dropped by nearly one-third. This decline has been attributed to the limited access that teachers and school staff had to students, who typically serve as key reporters of child abuse.

UN Women warned in an April 2020 report that COVID-19 pandemic restrictions exacerbate gender inequalities and have led to an increase in domestic violence.{{Cite web|title=UN Secretary-General's policy brief: The impact of COVID-19 on women {{!}} Digital library: Publications|url=https://www.unwomen.org/digital-library/publications/2020/04/policy-brief-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-women|access-date=16 April 2021|website=UN Women|archive-date=12 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712230459/https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/04/policy-brief-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-women|url-status=live}} Many women were being forced to 'lockdown' at home with their abusers at the same time that services to support survivors are being disrupted or made inaccessible.{{cite web|date=11 March 2021|title=El impacto de la covid-19 en las mujeres|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/junior-report/20210311/6267406/impacto-covid-19-mujeres.html|access-date=14 April 2021|website=La Vanguardia|language=es|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414125337/https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/junior-report/20210311/6267406/impacto-covid-19-mujeres.html|url-status=live}} For instance, in France there was around a 30% spike in cases of violence against women since the lockdown in March 2020.

Telehealth had an important role to allow physicians not to miss the follow-up of patients with different chronic diseases and potentially helped to contain SARS-CoV-2 spreading among both patients and healthcare providers.{{cite journal |vauthors=Hincapié MA, Gallego JC, Gempeler A, Piñeros JA, Nasner D, Escobar MF |title=Implementation and Usefulness of Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review |journal=J Prim Care Community Health |volume=11 |issue= |pages=2150132720980612 |date=2020 |pmid=33300414 |pmc=7734546 |doi=10.1177/2150132720980612 }}

In late 2023, former Director of the National Institutes of Health Francis Collins went viral online amongst critics of the lockdown response when he discussed the lack of weight that public health authorities had given to the potential downsides of the lockdown measures when they were formulating the official response to COVID-19.{{Cite web |last=Jr |first=John Wood |title=This doctor admitted COVID pandemic mistakes. Then his critics attacked him again. |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/01/30/covid-pandemic-mistakes-lockdown-nih-director/72367122007/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}

File:Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg at the Ohio Statehouse in April 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the state]]

File:Police in 6th Lockdown Melbourne.jpg at an anti-lockdown protest]]

Some economists supported increased government funding for mitigation efforts, even at the cost of tolerating a very large economic contraction.{{cite journal|last1=Gandjour|first1=Afschin|date=14 October 2020|title=The clinical and economic value of a successful shutdown during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Germany|journal=The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance|volume=84 |pages=502–509 |doi=10.1016/j.qref.2020.10.007|pmid=33071532|pmc=7554483}} They agreed that lockdowns should continue until the threat of resurgence has declined, even when considering only the economic impact.{{cite web | author=Initiative on Global Markets [later renamed the Kent A. Clark Center for Global Markets] | title=Policy for the COVID-19 crisis | type=Poll of experts | publication-place=Chicago | publisher=University of Chicago Booth School of Business | date=7 December 2020 | url=https://www.kentclarkcenter.org/surveys/policy-for-the-covid-19-crisis/ | access-date=9 January 2025}} There was a general agreement, at least in some economic circles, that "severe lockdowns — including closing non-essential businesses and strict limitations on people's movement — are likely to be better for the economy in the medium term than less aggressive measures".{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Sandbu|first=Martin|date=7 April 2020|title=Economists are united in support of the coronavirus lockdown|work=Financial Times|url=https://www.ft.com/content/e593e7d4-b82a-4bf9-8497-426eee43bcbc|url-status=live|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200407121242/https://www.ft.com/content/e593e7d4-b82a-4bf9-8497-426eee43bcbc|archive-date=7 April 2020}}

Both the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have published statements noting the impact of the lockdowns on livelihoods and food security, and David Nabarro, WHO Special Envoy on COVID-19 stated in October 2020 that "lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never ever belittle, and that is making poor people an awful lot poorer".{{cite web|date=17 September 2020|title=WFP Chief warns of grave dangers of economic impact of Coronavirus as millions are pushed further into hunger|url=https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-chief-warns-grave-dangers-economic-impact-coronavirus-millions-are-pushed-further-hunger|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028205653/https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-chief-warns-grave-dangers-economic-impact-coronavirus-millions-are-pushed-further-hunger|archive-date=28 October 2020|access-date=25 October 2020|publisher=World Food Programme}}{{cite web|date=13 October 2020|title=Impact of COVID-19 on people's livelihoods, their health and our food systems|url=https://www.who.int/news/item/13-10-2020-impact-of-covid-19-on-people%27s-livelihoods-their-health-and-our-food-systems|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020112434/https://www.who.int/news/item/13-10-2020-impact-of-covid-19-on-people%27s-livelihoods-their-health-and-our-food-systems|archive-date=20 October 2020|access-date=25 October 2020|publisher=World Health Organization}}{{#invoke:cite|news|author=Cockburn|date=12 October 2020|title=The incredible vanishing World Health Organization|work=The Spectator|url=https://spectator.us/lockdown-incredible-vanishing-world-health-organization/|url-status=live|access-date=25 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020062354/https://spectator.us/lockdown-incredible-vanishing-world-health-organization/|archive-date=20 October 2020}}

{{Further|Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic}}

There have also been a number of protests worldwide in opposition to lockdowns, including in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and New Zealand. The motivations for and sizes of these protests have varied. Some have been spurred by the economic and social impacts of lockdowns, but have also been associated with misinformation related to the pandemic, conspiracy theories and anti-vaccination.{{cite news|title=Analysis {{!}} The pandemic leads to another summer of anger|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|first=Ishaan|last=Tharoor|date=30 July 2021|access-date=7 August 2022|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=30 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730070551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Haddad|first=Mohammed|title=Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world|access-date=4 August 2021|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806180523/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world/|url-status=live}}

{{clear right}}

{{COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns}}

In the table, pandemic lockdowns are defined as the shutdown of parts of the economy,{{cite web |title=Europe's coronavirus lockdown measures compared |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/europes-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-compared/ |website=Politico |date=31 March 2020 |access-date=3 May 2020 |archive-date=18 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418050338/https://www.politico.eu/article/europes-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-compared/ |url-status=live}} due to non-pharmaceutical anti-pandemic measures and enforceable by law like:

• Closing of schools and kindergartens
• Closing of non-essential shops (shops and stores apart from food, doctors and drug stores)
• Closing of non-essential production
• Cancellation of recreational venues and closing of public places
• Curfews
• Stay-at-home orders and total movement control

These measures caused the COVID-19 recession in 2020.{{cite web |url=https://www.copenhageneconomics.com/publications/publication/economic-consequences-of-the-covid-19-pandemic |title=Economic Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic |website=Copenhagen Economics |access-date=4 May 2020 |archive-date=18 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518122217/https://www.copenhageneconomics.com/publications/publication/economic-consequences-of-the-covid-19-pandemic |url-status=live}}

The table does not contain:

• Measures with smaller economic impacts like:
• border closures
• social distancing measures and social movement restrictions
• travel restrictions.
• Other non-pharmaceutical anti-pandemic measures like mandatory quarantines after travel, self quarantine and social distancing measures
• Any measures which are voluntary rather than enforceable by law

The pandemic resulted in the largest number of shutdowns worldwide at the same time in history.{{cite book |last1=Michie |first1=Jonathan |last2=Sheehan |first2=Maura |title=The Political Economy of Covid-19: Covid-19, Inequality and Government Responses |date=18 August 2022 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-63777-9 |page=48 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sGNxEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT48 |access-date=28 November 2022 |archive-date=28 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128021953/https://books.google.com/books?id=sGNxEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT48 |url-status=live }}

By 26 March, 1.7 billion people worldwide were under some form of lockdown,{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Jones |first1=Sam |last2=Kassam |first2=Ashifa |title=Spain defends response to coronavirus as global cases exceed 500,000 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/26/spanish-coronavirus-deaths-slow-as-world-nears-500000-cases |access-date=29 March 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=26 March 2020 |archive-date=19 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519053834/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/26/spanish-coronavirus-deaths-slow-as-world-nears-500000-cases |url-status=live}} which increased to 3.9 billion people by the first week of April – more than half of the world's population.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Coronavirus: Half of humanity now on lockdown as 90 countries call for confinement |url=https://www.euronews.com/2020/04/02/coronavirus-in-europe-spain-s-death-toll-hits-10-000-after-record-950-new-deaths-in-24-hou |work=Euronews |date=3 April 2020 |access-date=25 April 2020 |archive-date=19 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519122856/https://www.euronews.com/2020/04/02/coronavirus-in-europe-spain-s-death-toll-hits-10-000-after-record-950-new-deaths-in-24-hou |url-status=live}}{{#invoke:cite|news|title=How the world locked down due to COVID-19 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-on-lockdown-coronavirus-italy-2020-3 |work=Business Insider |date=28 March 2020 |access-date=24 March 2020 |archive-date=19 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519030223/https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-on-lockdown-coronavirus-italy-2020-3 |url-status=live}} Lockdowns affected 93% of workers worldwide. 30% lived in nations with complete workplace closures, save for critical businesses, and 42% in countries with partial closures. Nearly 20% lived in nations with recommended but not compulsory workplace shutdown.{{Cite journal |last1=Al-Jubari |first1=Ibrahim |last2=Mosbah |first2=Aissa |last3=Salem |first3=Suha Fouad |date=July 2022 |title=Employee Well-Being During COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Adaptability, Work-Family Conflict, and Organizational Response |url=http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/25482/1/FullText.pdf |journal=SAGE Open |language=en |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=215824402210961 |doi=10.1177/21582440221096142 |s2cid=251691776 |issn=2158-2440 |access-date=6 February 2024 |archive-date=7 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207221535/https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/25482/1/FullText.pdf |url-status=live }}

Major restrictions first began in China,{{cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1257717/china-lockdown-how-long-was-china-lockdown-timeframe-wuhan|title=China lockdown: How long was China on lockdown?|last=Langton|first=Kaisha|date=20 April 2020|website=Daily Express|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420224635/https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1257717/china-lockdown-how-long-was-china-lockdown-timeframe-wuhan|archive-date=20 April 2020|access-date=21 April 2020}} with other countries in East Asia like Vietnam soon implementing widespread containment measures. Much of Europe, North America and Africa took much longer to bring in tough measures. Restrictions on travel between and activity within nations were of varying stringency.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=A third of the global population is on coronavirus lockdown—here's our constantly updated list of countries and restrictions |url=https://www.ft.com/coronavirus-latest |work=Financial Times |access-date=26 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425215327/https://www.ft.com/coronavirus-latest |url-status=live}}

By mid April, nearly 300 million people, or about 90% of the population, were under some form of lockdown in the United States,{{#invoke:cite|news|title=About 90% of Americans have been ordered to stay at home. This map shows which cities and states are under lockdown |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/us-map-stay-at-home-orders-lockdowns-2020-3 |work=Business Insider |date=2 April 2020 |access-date=25 April 2020 |archive-date=13 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513130530/https://www.businessinsider.com/us-map-stay-at-home-orders-lockdowns-2020-3 |url-status=live}} with around 100 million in the Philippines and about 59 million in South Africa,{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Chutel |first1=Lynsey |last2=Dahir |first2=Abdi Latif |title=With Most Coronavirus Cases in Africa, South Africa Locks Down |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/world/africa/south-africa-coronavirus.html |access-date=2 April 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=27 March 2020 |archive-date=14 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514044518/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/world/africa/south-africa-coronavirus.html |url-status=live}} while around 1.3 billion were under lockdown in India, which was the largest of all lockdowns.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Nair |first1=Supriya |title=For a billion Indians, lockdown has not prevented tragedy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2020/mar/29/india-lockdown-tragedy-healthcare-coronavirus-starvation-mumbai |work=The Guardian |date=29 March 2020 |access-date=25 April 2020 |archive-date=9 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409090708/https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2020/mar/29/india-lockdown-tragedy-healthcare-coronavirus-starvation-mumbai |url-status=live}}{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Chaos and hunger amid India coronavirus lockdown |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/chaos-hunger-india-coronavirus-lockdown-200327094522268.html |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=27 March 2020 |access-date=25 April 2020 |archive-date=11 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511200354/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/chaos-hunger-india-coronavirus-lockdown-200327094522268.html |url-status=live}}

By the end of April, around 300 million people were under lockdown in various countries of Europe, including but not limited to Italy, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom; while around 200 million people were under lockdown in Latin America.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=What Share of the World Population Is Already on COVID-19 Lockdown? |url=https://www.statista.com/chart/21240/enforced-covid-19-lockdowns-by-people-affected-per-country/ |publisher=Statista |date=23 April 2020 |access-date=26 April 2020 |archive-date=1 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054949/https://www.statista.com/chart/21240/enforced-covid-19-lockdowns-by-people-affected-per-country/ |url-status=live}} In Germany, 35% of workers worked from home in addition to their regular on-site duties, while 26% worked from home exclusively.{{Cite journal |last1=Arntz |first1=Melanie |last2=Ben Yahmed |first2=Sarra |last3=Berlingieri |first3=Francesco |date=November 2020 |title=Working from Home and COVID-19: The Chances and Risks for Gender Gaps |journal=Intereconomics |language=en |volume=55 |issue=6 |pages=381–386 |doi=10.1007/s10272-020-0938-5 |issn=0020-5346 |pmc=7704591 |pmid=33281218}}

File:Coronavirus Check by Drive-Through.jpg in February 2020. South Korea did not implement any lockdown measures; its K-Quarantine strategy included rapidly developing mass testing capacity and infrastructure.]]{{Excerpt|COVID-19 lockdowns by country}}

{{commons category|COVID-19 curfews and lockdowns}}

• Cordon sanitaire (medicine)
• COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
• COVID-19 lockdown in China
• COVID-19 lockdown in India
• COVID-19 lockdowns in Italy
• Flattening the curve
• List of species named after the COVID-19 pandemic (including lockdowns)
• Malaysian movement control order
• National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Preventive action
• Stay-at-home order
• Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Support bubble

{{#invoke:COVID-19 pandemic|}}

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lockdowns

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Category:Country lockdowns

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