As the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to increase, governments around the world have enacted social distancing policies to limit the spread of the virus. While quarantine and isolation are measures used to prevent those who have COVID-19 or may have been exposed to the virus, social distancing is the practice of keeping physical distance between people and households to slow the spread of the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), social distancing includes staying at least six feet apart from others and avoiding groups and crowded areas. COVID-19 spreads mainly by droplets that leave the body when someone breaths, coughs, talks, or sneezes. The virus which causes the disease also survives on surfaces, so it may be contracted by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
While the virus has spread internationally, different countries have taken different approaches to social distancing. When COVID-19 was first beginning to spread in Wuhan, China, severe social distancing policies were put in place to prevent COVID-19 from spreading to other countries. Over 60 million people in the province of Hubei, where the city of Wuhan is located, were ordered to stay inside and that they could only leave to get food and receive medical attention. While the measures were strict, they succeeded in reducing the number of cases and limiting the spread of the virus. According to scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Medicine, China’s social distancing measures decreased the transmission rate from two new infections per existing case to 1.05 new infections per existing case.
Similar strict social distancing measures were put in place in Italy after the introduction of COVID-19 to the country in late January. By early March, the entire country was placed on lockdown similar to China’s policies. Italy has been severely impacted by the virus, with over 25,000 deaths recorded. However, on April 20 Italy reported the lowest number of deaths in a week as well as a decrease in the rate of transmission.
The virus arrived in the United States on January 15, and was likely spreading in the general community by mid-February. The United States is currently the global epicenter of COVID-19, with at least 843,000 cases and 41,000 deaths according to Johns Hopkins University. A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that of 1,226 American adults surveyed, 92% are practicing social distancing and 82% have sheltered in place. While these efforts are beneficial to slowing the spread of the virus, many states are opting to start lifting restrictions early. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis allowed towns to reopen beaches under social distancing provisions. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also stated that businesses such as gyms, hair salons, barbers, and nail salons can resume operations on April 24. With reopening businesses and lightening social distancing too soon, there is the risk that the number of cases will spike and hospital resources will not be able to provide for too many new COVID-19 patients at once.
In Hoboken, Mayor Bhalla has utilized social distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Hoboken. Social distancing policies were enacted in Hoboken on March 17. Bhalla’s measure’s included closures of bars and restaurants and a mandatory curfew in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 and allow emergency responders to prioritize COVID-19 patients. According to an update on April 15th, the social distancing policies in Hoboken are working, as Hoboken has the lowest number of COVID-19 cases of all municipalities in Hudson country over 50,000 people. Additionally, the number of City Hall hotline calls requesting COVID-19 testing have decreased from 52 calls on April 3 to 13 calls on April 14. According to Anish Jha, M.D. and Ph.D professor of global health at Harvard University, “Hoboken is our model” regarding social distancing.
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