COVID-19 lockdowns

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions colloquially known as lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, cordons sanitaires and similar societal restrictions) have been implemented in numerous countries and territories around the world. These restrictions were established to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.^[1] By April 2020, about half of the world's population was under some form of lockdown, with more than 3.9 billion people in more than 90 countries or territories having been asked or ordered to stay at home by their governments.^[2] Although similar disease control measures have been used for hundreds of years, the scale seen in the 2020s is thought to be unprecedented.^[3]

Research and case studies have shown that lockdowns are effective at reducing the spread of COVID-19, therefore flattening the curve.^[4] The World Health Organization's recommendation on curfews and lockdowns is that they should be short-term measures to reorganize, regroup, rebalance resources, and protect health workers who are exhausted. To achieve a balance between restrictions and normal life, the WHO recommends a response to the pandemic that consists of strict personal hygiene, effective contact tracing, and isolating when ill.^[5]

Countries and territories around the world have enforced lockdowns of varying stringency. Some include total movement control while others have enforced restrictions based on time. In many cases, only essential businesses are allowed to remain open. Schools, universities and colleges have closed either on a nationwide or local basis in 63 countries, affecting approximately 47 percent of the world's student population.^[6][7]

Beginning with the first lockdown in China's Hubei province^[8] and nationwide in Italy in March, lockdowns continued to be implemented in many countries throughout 2020 and 2021. On 24 March 2020, the entire 1.3 billion population of India was ordered to stay at home during its lockdown, making it the largest of the pandemic.^[9] The world's longest continuous lockdown lasting 234 days took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2020, although as of October 2021, the city of Melbourne, Australia has spent the most cumulative days in lockdown at 267 days over separate periods.^[10] Although public health experts and economists generally supported lockdown restrictions, citing greater long-term costs for allowing the disease to spread uncontrollably, pandemic restrictions have had health,^[11] social, and economic impacts, and have been met with protests in some territories.

A few countries and territories did not use the strategy, including Japan, Belarus, Sweden, South Korea, Tanzania, two states in Brazil and certain United States states.

Efficacy[]

Several researchers, from modelling and demonstrated examples, have concluded that lockdowns are effective at reducing the spread of, and deaths caused by, COVID-19.^{[12][4][13][14][15][16][17]} Lockdowns are thought to be most effective at containing or preventing COVID-19 community transmission, healthcare costs and deaths when implemented earlier, with greater stringency, and when not lifted too early.^{[18][19][20][21][22]}

A study investigating the spread based on studies of the most common symptoms such as loss of taste and smell in France, Italy and the UK showed a marked decrease in new symptoms just a few days after the start of confinement on the countries (Italy and France) with the strongest lockdowns.^[23] Modelling on the United States pandemic suggested "the pandemic would have been almost completely suppressed from significantly taking off if the lockdown measures were implemented two weeks earlier" and that the second wave would have been less severe had the lockdown lasted another two weeks.^[18]

The stringent lockdown in Hubei in early 2020 proved effective at controlling the COVID-19 outbreak in China.^[16][24] The relatively high number of cases and deaths in Sweden, which has kept much of its society open during the pandemic, when compared to its neighbours with comparable demographics Norway, Denmark and Finland that did enforce lockdowns, is thought to be at least partly attributable to this difference in policy.^{[25][26][27][28][29]} Similarly, modelling on Australian data concluded that achieving zero community transmission through a strict lockdown lowers healthcare and economic costs compared to less stringent measures that allow transmission to continue, and warned that early relaxation of restrictions have greater costs.^[20][21] This "zero community transmission" approach was adopted in Australia, and a strict four month lockdown in the state of Victoria during an outbreak in Melbourne, combined with other measures, averted a wider outbreak in the country in 2020.^[30] New Zealand and Vietnam's successful containment measures throughout 2020 included targeted lockdowns.^[31][32]

The emergence of the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in 2021 has led some commentators to suggest that although lockdowns continue to reduce the spread of COVID-19, they have become less effective at containing it. Lockdowns in Australia and Vietnam in response to Delta outbreaks proved less effective at containment than previous lockdowns were against the spread of other variants.^[33][34][35]

Voluntary versus mandatory restrictions[]

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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.^[36] Similarly, a NBER study found stay-at-home orders increased staying at home by just 5–10%.^[37] Another study from Yale University found that most social distancing was voluntary, driven primarily by "media coverage of morbidity and mortality."^[38]

On the other hand, some studies have argued^[15][39] 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.^[40] One widely cited economic simulation asserting that shelter-in-place orders reduced total cases three-fold, however, held voluntary distancing constant.^[41] Another study found a 30% difference among border-counties where stay-at-home orders were imposed.^[42]

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.^[43] However, the findings of the study have been questioned due to its numerous limitations, including the small sample size of countries.^[44][45]

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.^[19]

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.^[46] An April poll found that 93% of Americans voluntarily chose to only leave home when necessary, regardless of legal restrictions.^[47]

Reception[]

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A review of 348 articles concluded there was unanimous acknowledgement of the importance of non-pharmaceutical interventions in controlling the spread of COVID-19.^[4] However, current research also acknowledges high societal costs, though less than the costs of allowing the pandemic to spread without mitigation.^[11][4]

Related to epidemiology[]

The consensus of epidemiological evidence supports generalised non-pharmaceutical interventions to curb the spread of COVID-19.^{[4][48][49][50]}

During the early stages of the pandemic in Europe and the United States, statistical modelling which advised that restrictions were needed to prevent a large number of deaths were used as the basis for lockdowns.^[17] This includes an Imperial College projection, led by epidemiologist Neil Ferguson.^[51] Despite some criticisms, academics defended the Imperial projection as fundamentally sound, while admitting the code was "a buggy mess."^[52]

A notable opponent of lockdowns has included Sweden's state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, who has frequently criticised the strategy.^[53][54] 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.^[55][56] However, the Swedish government began considering enacting a lockdown in early 2021.^[57][58]

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.^[59]

A small 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.^[49][60][61] The declaration has also attracted controversy over its funding and the authenticity of its signatures.^[48][62]

Related to social impacts[]

Some commentators have suggested that states' use of emergency powers to curb freedom of assembly and movement are authoritarian and may result in long-term democratic backsliding. Centralization of power by political leadership in Hungary, Poland, China and Cambodia in response to the pandemic have been cited as examples.^[63][64][65]

Some researchers have noted that pandemic restrictions have come with mental health costs, compounded by those caused by the pandemic itself.^{[4][66][67][68][69]}

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 pandemic. Examples of online teaching tools are podcasts, videos, and virtual classrooms.^{[70][better source needed]}

UN Women warned in a April 2020 report that pandemic restrictions exacerbate gender inequalities and have led to an increase in domestic violence.^[71] Many women are being forced to ‘lockdown’ at home with their abusers at the same time that services to support survivors are being disrupted or made inaccessible.^[72] For instance, in France there was a spike in cases of about 30% since the lockdown in March 2020.^[71]

Related to economic impacts[]

Economists generally supported increased government funding for mitigation efforts, even at the cost of tolerating a very large economic contraction.^[73] They agreed that lockdowns should continue until the threat of resurgence has declined, even when considering only the economic impact.^[74] There was consensus, 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".^[75]

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 Dr 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".^[76][77][78]

Protests[]

There have also been a number of protests worldwide in opposition to lockdowns, including in the United Kingdom, the United States, 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.^[79][80]

Table of pandemic lockdowns[]

In the table pandemic lockdowns are defined as the shutdown of parts of the economy,^[507] due to non-pharmaceutical anti-pandemic measures and are 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 are considered to have caused the COVID-19 recession in 2020.^[508] 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 has resulted in the largest number of shutdowns/lockdowns worldwide at the same time in history.^{[citation needed]}. By 26 March, 1.7 billion people worldwide were under some form of lockdown,^[509] which increased to 3.9 billion people by the first week of April – more than half of the world's population.^[510][511]

Restrictions first began in China,^[512] with other countries in East Asia like Vietnam soon following it in implementing widespread containment measures. Much of Europe, North America and Africa took much longer to bring in tough measures. Lockdowns between and within nations are of varying stringency.^[513]

By mid April, nearly 300 million people, or about 90 per cent of the population, were under some form of lockdown in the United States,^[514] with around 100 million in the Philippines^[515] and about 59 million in South Africa,^[516] while around 1.3 billion were under lockdown in India, which was the largest of all lockdowns.^[517][518]

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.^[515]

Countries and territories with lockdowns[]

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Argentina[]

Australia[]

A number of Australian states, territories, and cities have implemented lockdowns in response to the pandemic. The country entered a general nationwide lockdown on 23 March 2020 during the first wave of the pandemic,^[534] which was lifted on 15 May.^[535]

The state of Victoria, particularly its capital city of Melbourne, the country's second most populous city with five million residents, entered an extended lockdown on 7 July 2020 in response to a rapidly growing community outbreak. Initial measures included the closure of all non-essential services, including retail entertainment venues and gyms. Restaurant and bar establishments were permitted to open in take-away and delivery capacities only. Schools and childcare facilities were also ordered to close. Face coverings were made mandatory as of 23 July 2020, with a fine of $200 AUD for non-compliance to those above 12 years of age, although formal exemptions could be acquired. Initially scheduled to last six weeks, restrictions were tightened further on 2 August after cases continued to grow, including a ban on travel further than a five kilometre radius from place of residence, a nighttime curfew of 8pm to 5am, a one-hour limit on outdoor exercise, a one-person per day limit on shopping for essentials, and public gatherings limited to a maximum of two people.^[536] Restrictions were progressively eased as the case rate declined, and were completely lifted on 28 October. With a total duration of 112 days, the Victorian lockdown was at the time the longest continuous period of COVID-19 lockdown globally as of October 2020.^[537] The lockdown resulted in the state recording zero active cases of COVID-19 in November 2020.

Victoria entered its fourth lockdown on 28 May 2021^[538][539] in response to an outbreak of the Delta variant.^[540] Originally scheduled for seven days, the lockdown was extended to two weeks and lifted on 10 June.^[541] Another outbreak of the Delta variant saw Greater Sydney enter lockdown on 26 June 2021, scheduled to last until 16 July,^[542] but extended by two weeks on 14 July^[543] then until 28 August^[544] and the end of September 2021.^[545] Combined with snap lockdowns declared in Brisbane, Perth, and Darwin, more than 12 million people were in lockdown across Australia on 29 June 2021.^[546]

Brief "snap lockdowns" in response to new clusters, particularly of the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants, have been implemented at various times across the country.^{[547][548][549]}

Metropolitan Melbourne's 6th lockdown is over, but it is the city with the longest amount of time spent in lockdown in the world.^[550]

Snap lockdowns over time
Area	Date	Duration (days)	Ref
South Australia	19–22 November 2020	3	[551][552]
Greater Brisbane (QLD)	8–11 January 2021	3	[553][554]
Perth, Peel, and the South West (WA)	31 January–5 February 2021	6	[555][556]
Victoria	13–17 February 2021	4	[557]
Greater Brisbane (QLD)	29 March–1 April 2021	3	[558][559]
Perth and Peel (WA)	23–26 April 2021	3	[560][561]
Regional Victoria	28 May–3 June 2021	7
Metropolitan Melbourne (VIC)	28 May–10 June 2021	14 (originally 7)	[539]
Darwin (NT)	27 June–2 July 2021	5 (originally 2)	[562]
Perth and Peel (WA)	28 June–2 July 2021	4	[563]
Greater Brisbane (QLD)	29 June–3 July 2021	4	[564]
Alice Springs (NT)	30 June–3 July 2021	3	[565]
Victoria	16–27 July 2021	11 (originally 5)	[566][567]
Central West (NSW)	20–27 July 2021	7	[568]
South Australia	20–27 July 2021	7	[569][570]
South East Queensland (QLD)	31 July–8 August 2021	8 (originally 3)	[571][572]
Hunter (NSW)	5 August-11 October 2021[a]	67 (originally 7)	[573][574][575][576][577][578]
Upper Hunter (NSW)	5 August 2021 – 16 September 2021[b]	42 (originally 7)	[573][574][575][576][577][579]
Regional Victoria	5–10 August 2021	5 (originally 7)	[580][581]
Metropolitan Melbourne (VIC)	5 August 2021 – 21 October 2021	78[c](originally 7)	[580][582]
Armidale (NSW)	7 August–10 September 2021[d]	34 (originally 7)	[583][584][585][577]
Cairns and Yarrabah (QLD)	8–11 August 2021	3	[586][587]
Tamworth (NSW)	9 August–10 September 2021	32 (originally 7)	[588][575][585][577]
Byron Bay, Richmond Valley, Ballina, and Lismore (NSW)	9 August–10 September 2021	32 (originally 7)	[589][575][585][577]
Dubbo (NSW)	11 August-11 October 2021[e]	61 (originally 7)	[590][575][585][577][578]
Western New South Wales[f]	11 August-11 October 2021[g]	61 (originally 7)	[591][585][577][578]
Australian Capital Territory	12 August–15 October 2021	63 (originally 7)	[592][593][594][595]
Regional New South Wales[h]	14 August–10 September 2021[i]	28 (originally 7)	[596][585][577]
Orange (NSW)	14 August–24 September 2021[j]	41 (originally 7)	[596][585][577][597]
Darwin (NT)	16–19 August 2021	3	[598]
Katherine (NT)	16–20 August 2021	4 (originally 3)	[599]
Regional Victoria	21 August–9 September 2021	19	[600]
Yass Valley (NSW)	14–27 September 2021[k]	14	[165]
Ballarat (VIC)	15–22 September 2021	7	[601]
Albury and Lismore (NSW)	16–23 September 2021	7	[579]
Glen Innes (NSW)	17–24 September 2021	7	[602]
Hilltops (NSW)	17 September–1 October 2021[l]	14 (originally 7)	[602][603]
Greater Geelong and Surf Coast (VIC)	20–26 September 2021	7	[604]
Mitchell Shire (VIC)	20 September 2021 – 13 October 2021	23[m] (originally 7)	[604][605][606]
Cowra (NSW)	20 September-5 October 2021[n]	14 (originally 7)	[607][608]
Byron Bay, Kempsey and Tweed Heads (NSW)	21–28 September 2021[o]	7	[609]
Muswellbrook (NSW)	28 September–11 October 2021[p]	13 (originally 7)	[610][611]
Port Macquarie (NSW)	28 September–5 October 2021[q]	7	[610]
Latrobe Valley (VIC)	29 September–6 October 2021	7	[612][613]
Oberon (NSW)	29 September–11 October 2021[r]	12 (originally 7)	[614][615]
Snowy Monaro (NSW)	30 September–11 October 2021[s]	11 (originally 7)	[616][615]
Shepparton (VIC)	1–8 October 2021	7	[617][618]
Moorabool (VIC)	2–9 October 2021	7	[619][618]
Casino (NSW)	2-11 October 2021[t]	9	[620]
Lismore (NSW)	3–11 October 2021[u]	8	[621]
Gunnedah (NSW)	5–11 October 2021[v]	6	[622]
Taree, Forster & Tuncurry (NSW)	5–11 October 2021[w]	6	[611]
Mildura (VIC)	9–21 October 2021	12 (originally 7)	[618][623]
Southern Tasmania[x]	15–18 October 2021	3	[624]
Katherine (NT)	5–8 November 2021	3	[625]
Katherine (NT)	15–22 November 2021	7 (originally 3)	[626][627]
Tennant Creek (NT)	17–22 December 2021	3	[628]

Austria[]

In November 2021, Austria introduced lockdown measures, but only for unvaccinated people, in response to an increase in cases and low vaccination rate.^[629] The country introduced a lockdown for all citizens a few days later, making it the first European country to reintroduce such measures in the winter of 2021.^[630]

Bangladesh[]

On 22 March 2020, Bangladesh announced a ten-day lockdown, starting from 26 March. The lockdown in the country was extended several times to 30 May.

Cambodia[]

On 15 April 2021, Cambodia's government enacted a strict stay-at-home order across the entirety of Phnom Penh and Ta Khmau in response to the country's largest COVID-19 outbreak of the pandemic. Certain districts were declared as "red zones", banning people from leaving their homes except for medical emergencies.^{[631][632][633]} Sihanoukville also entered a lockdown on 24 April.^[634]

Canada[]

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On 25 January 2020, the first identified presumptive case in Canada was a 56-year-old male who had travelled to Wuhan, China, before returning to Toronto on 22 January.^[635] Canada issued a travel advisory against non-essential travel to China due to the outbreak, including a regional travel advisory to avoid all travel to the province of Hubei.

Federal health officials stated that the risk in Canada was low.

On 26 January 2020, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam tweeted, "There is no clear evidence that this virus is spread easily from person to person. The risk to Canadians remains low."^[636]

Three days later, on 29 January, Dr. Tam told Canadians that "It's going to be rare, but we are expecting cases."^[637][638]

On 1 February, the position of the prime minister and the administration remained that it would be discriminatory to exclude travellers from China, the source (and, at the time, still the epicentre) of the disease.^[639][640]

During March, Canadian provinces implemented lockdowns in response to COVID-19.

Ontario, the country's most populous province, had its first provincewide lockdown starting on 26 December 2020.^[641] The lockdown was strengthened with a stay-at-home order effective 14 January 2021,^[642] and reopened on a regional basis starting 10 February.^[643] As a result of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the province caused by SARS-CoV-2 variants, the government of Ontario once again announced a four-week provincewide shutdown effective 3 April.^[644] This shutdown was once again strengthened with another 28-day stay-at-home order starting 8 April, in order to quickly combat the urgent crisis in the province's hospital capacity being caused by the variants.^[645]

The city of Toronto, Ontario is considered to have the longest continuous COVID-19 lockdown of any major city in the world.^[646]

China[]

China was the first country to enforce the quarantine and lockdown of cities and later whole provinces in late January 2020. Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping said he personally authorized the unprecedented lockdown of Wuhan and other cities beginning on 23 January.^[647] Although such measures are a very old tool of epidemic control,^[648][3] their use at the scale of a large city such as Wuhan or the even larger scale of provinces was controversial among experts at the time, with questions about their effectiveness^{[649][650][651]} and their ethics.^{[3][652][653]} Some public health experts, while not always condemning the measure, raised the issue of the inevitable psychological toll such measures would have.^{[654][655][656]} An ex-World Health Organization (WHO) official who headed the organization's Western Pacific Region during the SARS outbreak said that "the containment of a city [hadn't] been done in the history of international public health policy".^[650] The WHO called the decision to quarantine Wuhan "new to science".^[657] By early April, all lockdowns had ended or relaxed to a certain degree as the cases started to dwindle and the outbreak had come under control.^[512][658]

Denmark[]

Fiji[]

On 19 March 2020, Fiji confirmed its first case in Lautoka. In response, the Government of Fiji ordered the lockdown of the city on 20 March with closures of all schools and non-essential services all over the country.^[667] On 3 April 2020, Fiji's capital, Suva, went into lockdown after confirming two new cases. More than 300,000 residents were confined to their homes and all non-essential services in the city was closed for two weeks.^[668]

On 19 April 2021, Nadi and Lautoka went into lockdown after recording its first community transmission in one year.^[669] As cases continues to escalate in its second wave, the government has ruled out any possibility of a nationwide lockdown but would focus on targeted lockdowns of communities instead.^[670]

France[]

From 17 March 2020,^[671] all people in France were required to complete and carry an exemption form to leave their homes and can be fined for non-essential journeys.^[671] Essential journeys include shopping for food, travelling to and from work, accessing healthcare, and exercising within 1 km of the home for up to 1 hour. Police around the country had set up road blocks to check people who were out and about had good reason and that their exemption declarations were in order. These measures were lifted on 11 May 2020, with remaining restrictions on travel further than 100 km away from one's residence. The latter restrictions were lifted on 2 June 2020.

On 28 October, president Emmanuel Macron announced a second lockdown until at least 1 December 2020. During this second lockdown, schools remain open and more industries can keep operating (construction, public services...). Like the first lockdown, citizens need to sign their certificates to can go around within 1 km up to hour per day.^[672] Fines are 135 euros the 1st time, 200 euros for 2 times within 15 days and 3750 euros and 6 months jail sentence for 3 times within 30 days.^[673]

Ghana[]

India[]

Indonesia[]

Large-scale social restrictions[]

Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement[]

Iran[]

There were night/day curfews put periodically in place in yellow and orange coded regions.^[708]

Ireland[]

On 12 March, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced the closure of all schools, colleges and childcare facilities in Ireland until the end of August.^[709][710] On 27 March, Varadkar announced a national stay-at-home order for at least two weeks; the public were ordered to stay at home in all circumstances. All non-essential shops and services, including all pubs, bars, hotels and nightclubs closed and all public and private gatherings of any number of people was banned.^[711][712] The Garda Síochána (Irish police) were given power to enforce the measures, which were repeatedly extended until 18 May.^[713]

A roadmap to easing restrictions in Ireland that includes five stages was adopted by the government on 1 May 2020 and subsequently published online.^[714][715] On 5 June, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced a series of changes to the government's roadmap of easing COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland, which he summed up as: "Stay Local".^[716] The fourth and final phase of easing COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland was initially scheduled to take place on 20 July, but was repeatedly postponed until 31 August at the earliest.^[717][718]

On 7 August, Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced a regional lockdown and a series of measures for counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly following significant increases of COVID-19 cases in the three counties, which came into effect from midnight and will remain in place for two weeks.^{[719][720][721]} On 21 August, localised restrictions in Laois and Offaly were lifted, but was extended for another two weeks in Kildare.^[722] Restrictions in Kildare were lifted by the government with immediate effect on 31 August.^[723]

On 15 September, the Government of Ireland announced a medium-term plan for living with COVID-19 that includes five levels of restrictions, with the entire country at Level 2 and specific restrictions in Dublin.^[724][725]

All non-essential businesses and services closed and all public and private gatherings of any number of people was banned again on 21 October following the Government's announcement to move the entire country to Level 5 lockdown restrictions for six weeks until 1 December.^{[726][727][728]} On 27 November, the Government of Ireland agreed to ease restrictions from 1 December.^{[729][730][731]}

A third wave of COVID-19 arrived in Ireland on 21 December.^{[732][733][734]} The Government of Ireland acted swiftly and on 22 December, Level 5 lockdown restrictions (subject to a number of adjustments) were announced, which came into effect from 24 December (Christmas Eve) until 12 January 2021 at the earliest.^{[735][736][737]}

All non-essential businesses and services closed and all public and private gatherings of any number of people was banned again on 31 December (New Year's Eve) following the Government's announcement to move the entire country to full Level 5 lockdown restrictions from 30 December until 31 January 2021 at the earliest, in an attempt to get a third surge in cases of COVID-19 under control.^{[738][739][740]} On 26 January, the Government extended the Level 5 lockdown restrictions until 5 March.^{[741][742][743]} On 23 February, the Government extended the Level 5 lockdown restrictions for another six weeks until 5 April (Easter Monday) at the earliest, while its new revised Living with COVID-19 plan was published.^{[744][745][746]}

On 30 March, the Government announced a phased easing of restrictions from Monday 12 April.^{[747][748][749]} On 29 April, the Government announced a reopening plan for the country throughout May and June from 10 May.^[750] On 28 May, the Government announced a further reopening plan for the country throughout June, July and August from 2 June,^[751] with a further reopening planned announced on 31 August that would see all remaining COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland eased by 22 October.^[752]

After a sudden rise in COVID-19 figures, on 19 October, the Government published a revised plan for the easing of restrictions on 22 October, with nightclubs allowed to reopen, however the continued use of masks, vaccine certificates and social distancing measures would remain in place until at least February 2022.^[753] On 3 December, the Government reintroduced a series of measures that would commence from 7 December to 9 January amid concerns of the Omicron variant, with nightclubs to close, indoor cultural and sporting events to operate at 50% capacity and a maximum of four households allowed to meet indoors.^[754]

Italy[]

On 9 March 2020, the government of Italy under Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte imposed a national quarantine, restricting the movement of the population except for necessity, work, and health circumstances, in response to the growing pandemic of COVID-19 in the country. Additional lockdown restrictions mandated the temporary closure of non-essential shops and businesses. This followed a restriction announced on the previous day which affected sixteen million people in the whole region of Lombardy and in fourteen largely-neighbouring provinces in Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Piedmont and Marche, and prior to that a smaller-scale lockdown of ten municipalities in the province of Lodi and one in the province of Padua that had begun in late February. The restrictions were loosened in May 2020.

The lockdown measures, despite being widely approved by the public opinion,^[755] were also described as the largest suppression of constitutional rights in the history of the republic.^[756] Nevertheless, Article 16 of the Constitution states that travel restrictions may be established for reasons of health or security.^[757]

Malaysia[]

Malaysia introduced the nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18 March 2020, which was initially announced to last to 14 April but was extended several times. The MCO prohibited mass gatherings, movement within the country, and most industries and all education institutions were ordered to close. Extended Movement Control Orders (EMCO) were implemented in areas where suspected superspreading events or widespread transmission had occurred. Royal Malaysian Police were mobilized to enforce restrictions.^[758][759] These restrictions were later eased under the "Conditional MCO" (CMCO), which maintained some restrictions on assembly and movement but allowed some sectors to reopen^[760] which was later further relaxed to the "Recovery MCO" (RMCO) nationwide.^[761] Localized CMCOs restrictions were introduced in the states of Sabah and Selangor were later introduced in response to outbreaks in those states.^[762] The MCO was reinstated nationwide in January 2021.^[763]

Myanmar[]

In September 2020, Myanmar introduced a strict stay-at-home order and cordon sanitaire for the entirety of the country's largest city Yangon amid a major local outbreak. All non-essential businesses were ordered to close. The city's 4 million residents were given less than 24 hours notice before the lockdown came into effect.^[764][765]

Myanmar's State Administration Council announced a nationwide lockdown in July 2021 in response to an increase in cases and deaths.^[766]

Namibia[]

Beginning 27 March, a 21-day lockdown of the regions of Erongo and Khomas was announced.^[767] On 14 April the lockdown was extended to 4 May. It now officially applied to all regions, although the stay-at-home order was already enforced countrywide. Only essential businesses remained open. Schools were closed, parliamentary sessions suspended, and generally all gatherings of more than 10 people were prohibited.^[768] Formal and informal bars were closed and the sale of alcohol prohibited. This "stage 1" of the lockdown was in force until 4 May 2020. From then on, regulations are to be gradually eased.^[769]

Nepal[]

Netherlands[]

There is a lockdown in the Netherlands from 19 December 2021 to (at least) 14 January 2022.^[784]

See also COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands

New Zealand[]

On 23 March 2020, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern raised New Zealand's COVID-19 alert level^[785] to three and announced the closure of all schools beginning on that day, and two days later moved to four at 11:59 p.m. on 25 March 2020 – a nationwide lockdown. While all sporting matches and events as well as non-essential services such as pools, bars, cafes, restaurants, playgrounds closed, essential services such as supermarkets, petrol stations, and health services remained open.^{[786][787][788]}

The alert level was moved back down to Level 3 at 11:59 pm on 27 April, and moved to Level 2 at 11:59 pm on 13 May, lifting the rest of the lockdown restrictions while maintaining physical distancing.^[789] On 8 June, Prime Minister Ardern announced that New Zealand would be entering into Alert Level 1 at midnight on 9 June, lifting restrictions on daily life, business activities, mass gatherings and public transportation. However, the country's borders would remain closed to most international travel.^[790]

Following a new outbreak consisting of four cases of community transmission in Auckland on 11 August, the Government placed the Auckland Region on a Level 3 lockdown from 12:00 am on 12 August while the rest of the country move to Level 2 at the same time.^{[791][792][793]} On 30 August, Prime Minister Ardern announced that Auckland would enter into "Alert Level 2.5" from 11:59pm on that night while the rest of the country would remain on Level 2. Under Level 2.5, all social gatherings including birthday parties will be limited to ten people; masks will be mandatory for all Aucklanders using public transportation; and aged care facilities will be operating under strict conditions. The only public gatherings allowed in Auckland are funerals and tangihanga, which will be limited to 50 people.^[794][795]

A new community case of COVID-19 in New Zealand was reported on 17 August 2021, after many months without one. In response, the Government took the country to a full nationwide Alert Level 4 lockdown beginning the following day. One week later, that lockdown remained in place as community case numbers for this community outbreak of the Delta variant reached 148.

Nigeria[]

Nigeria announced a lockdown in early 2020 that lasted for two weeks, beginning on 30 March and ending on 12 April. The lockdown in Nigeria was a very short one.

Pakistan[]

In March 2020, Pakistan announced a lockdown that lasted until May. The lockdown in the country was also one of the shortest.

Philippines[]

Russia[]

Singapore[]

South Africa[]

Thailand[]

United Kingdom[]

United States[]

Stay-at-home orders in the United States have come from several states and a large number of local jurisdictions, sometimes leading to conflicts between different levels of government and a patchwork of inconsistent dates and rules.^{[852][853][854]}

On 15 March 2020, Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vázquez Garced signed an executive order to order all citizens to stay home starting at 9 p.m. with exceptions in limited circumstances between 5 a.m. and 9 pm. Governmental operations and non-essential businesses were to be closed until 30 March.^[855]

The first order within the states was simultaneously imposed by health authorities in heart of the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties and the cities of San Francisco and Berkeley) effective 17 March 2020, affecting nearly 6.7 million people.^[856] Other cities and counties across the state followed suit over the next two days, until Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, issued a state-wide order effective 19 March 2020.^[857]

On 20 March 2020, New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state-wide stay-at-home order with a mandate that 100% of non-essential workforce to be conducted as working from home effective 22 March.^[858] Illinois governor J. B. Pritzker followed that lead on the same day with a state-wide order which would go into effect on 21 March at 5 pm.^[859] Ned Lamont, the governor of Connecticut, signed an executive order called "Stay Safe, Stay At Home" to take effect state-wide on 23 March at 8 p.m.

On 20 March 2020, Navajo Nation announced that it had broadened the stay-at-home order to cover the entire reservation, the largest in the country.^[860]

On 21 March 2020, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy announced a state-wide stay-at-home order effective at 9 p.m. on the same day.^[861]

On 22 March 2020, Ohio governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health director Amy Acton issued a state-wide stay-at-home order effective 23 March.^[862] In the afternoon, the Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards announced a state-wide stay-at-home order in a press conference.^[863] Delaware governor John Carney followed suit with a stay-at-home order for his state.^[864]

On 23 March 2020, several state governors announced their state-wide stay-at-home order:

• Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker ordered non-essential businesses to close in-person operations effective 24 March until 7 April and directed the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to issue a stay-at-home advisory.^[865]
• Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer announced her state-wide executive order to stay-at-home at 11:00 am for all non-essential businesses effective 24 March until 28 May.^[866]
• Indiana governor Eric Holcomb announced state-wide stay-at-home order effective 25 March until 7 April.^[867]
• West Virginia governor Jim Justice ordered non-essential businesses to be closed immediately, and stay-at-home order effective at 8 pm.^[868]
• After growing calls from local officials on Sunday, Oregon governor Kate Brown issued a stay-at-home order on Monday effective immediately with class C misdemeanor charges for violators.^[869]
• New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a state-wide stay-at-home order that requires 100% of non-essential business workforce to work from home effective 24 March until 10 April.^[870]
• Washington governor Jay Inslee signed a state-wide stay-at-home proclamation and ordered to close non-essential businesses effective 25 March for two weeks.^[871]
• Hawaii governor David Ige issued a state-wide stay-at-home order effective 25 March which was similar to the orders that were previously issued for Maui and Honolulu counties.^[872][873]

On 23 March 2020, Yakama Nation announced its "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order.^[874]

On 24 March 2020, Wisconsin governor Tony Evers issued a state-wide stay-at-home order to close all non-essential businesses and ordered no gatherings of any size effective 25 March until 24 April.^[875] Vermont governor Phil Scott signed a stay-at-home order and directed closure of in-person operations of non-essential businesses effective 25 March until 15 April.^[876]

On 25 March, Idaho governor Brad Little and Minnesota governor Tim Walz issued stay-at-home orders for their respective states.^[877][878] Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued a stay at home order effective on Thursday the 26th at 6 a.m. through 11 April 2020.^[879]

On 1 April, Florida governor Ron DeSantis issued a stay-at-home order effective Friday, 3 April 2020 until the end of the month. ^[880]On 2 April, Georgia governor Brian Kemp issued a stay-at-home order effective Friday, 3 April 2020, until Monday, 13 April 2020.^[881] It overrules any local stay-at-home restrictions previously in place, and instructs residents to stay at home unless they're conducting "essential services," meaning either traveling to and from jobs or other exceptions, including buying groceries; purchasing medical equipment; going out to exercise; and visiting medical facilities.^[882] The same day, Dr. Anthony Fauci publicly questioned why all states were not under stay-at-home orders.^[883][884]

In late May 2020, citywide curfews were enacted in San Francisco and several surrounding cities; San Jose; Minneapolis; Atlanta; Chicago; Cleveland; Columbus; Denver; Jacksonville, FL; Los Angeles; Memphis, TN; Omaha, Nebraska; Lincoln, Nebraska; Pittsburgh, Philadelphia; Portland; Salt Lake City; San Antonio; Buffalo, New York; Rochester, NY; Syracuse; New York City; Milwaukee; Seattle; Cincinnati; Indianapolis, Indiana; Fayetteville; Raleigh, North Carolina; Charleston, SC; Sacramento, CA; Columbia, SC; and Asheville, NC due to protests^[885] regarding the murder of George Floyd. Countywide curfews were enacted for Los Angeles County, California and Alameda County, California as well. Arizona enacted a state-wide curfew. These curfews are imposed as complemented to stay-at-home order that imposed by state or local authorities.

On 2 November 2020, Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker issued a night-time stay-at-home advisory and business curfew effective 6 November 2020.^[886]

Vietnam[]

Nationwide isolation[]

Da Nang[]

Ho Chi Minh city and southern provinces[]

Countries and territories without lockdowns[]

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (February 2021)

Most countries and territories affected with COVID-19 introduced and enforced some form of lockdown. However, only a few exceptions included Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, which rapidly and consistently implemented highly organized mass testing, contact tracing, public messaging and selective quarantining to identify and isolate outbreaks.^[908][909] South Korea's K-Quarantine system was praised in international media for its effectiveness.^{[910][911][912]} Authorities in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, advised businesses to close and the population to stay at home, but did not have legal authority to enforce a lockdown or penalise non-compliance. Compliance with advice was nevertheless high.^[913][914]

In the European Union, the only nation not following this strategy is Sweden.^[915] Led by its state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell measures in Sweden included the closing of universities and high schools and asking older and at-risk residents to avoid social contact, while keeping restaurants, primary schools and kindergartens open and not mandating face masks.^[916][917] However, in early 2021, new laws permitting lockdown were enacted and Prime Minister Stefan Löfven warned that a lockdown was being considered.^[57][58] As of November 2021, a national lockdown has not been announced. However certain regions of Sweden have declared their own lockdowns to help slow the rate of infection. The region of Uppsala reported 908 cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period compared to a national average of 772 in early April 2021. This caused the Health Chief of the region, Mikael Köhler, to ask individuals within the region to "act as if they were in a personal lockdown."^[918]

Some of the few countries that did not enact lockdowns during 2020 were forced to later in the pandemic. In Malawi, a proposed lockdown by the government was delayed by the High Court throughout 2020,^[919] until a state of emergency was declared and the country entered a lockdown in January 2021 in response to a worsening outbreak.^[920] Although Cambodia restricted movement within the country during a period in 2020,^[921] it introduced its first major restrictions, including a curfew and later a stay-at-home order in the capital Phnom Penh, during its largest outbreak to date in early 2021.^{[922][923][924][633]} East Timor also enacted its first lockdown of its capital Dili in March 2021^[925] and Turkey entered its first nationwide lockdown in April 2021.^[926][927]

Two states in Brazil and several others in the United States did not introduce any lockdown-type measures (commonly known as "stay-at-home orders").^[928][929]

Countries and territories without lockdowns
Countries and territories		Ref
Belarus		[930]
Brazil	Roraima	[931][932]
	Rondônia
Burundi		[933]
Iceland		[citation needed]
Japan		[912]
Nicaragua		[934]
South Korea		[909]
Sweden
Taiwan		[908]
Tanzania		[935]
United States	Arkansas	[928][929]
	Iowa
	Nebraska
	North Dakota
	South Dakota
	Wyoming
Uruguay		[936]

See also[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to COVID-19 curfews and lockdowns.

• Cordon sanitaire (medicine)
• Stay-at-home order
• COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
• COVID-19 lockdown in China
• COVID-19 lockdown in India
• COVID-19 lockdown in Italy
• Malaysian movement control order
• National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic
• New normal
• Normalization of deviance – one reason for disobedience of prevention measures
• Preventive action

Notes[]

References[]