While the government has imposed stricter curbs to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus and many states have tightened restrictions on interstate travel, a new study has a rather contradicting result. The study found that domestic travel bans can increase the number of COVID-19 infections. Certain travel bans can not only cause severe troubles to the poor migrant population but also lead to an increase in Covid-19 cases counterintuitively.
Travel Ban Lead To An Increase In Infections
Travel bans are associated with an increase in the total number of infections in the country. The migrant workers many of whom might get infected with COVID-19, return to their homes and cause a surge in the cases. Becker Friedman Institute for Economics studied travel restrictions imposed in Mumbai during the first wave of Covid-19 last year and found that the migrant labourers led to an increase in cases nationwide.
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The Migrant Population Trapped In Travel Bans Lead To An Increase In Cases
The migrants then returned to districts in the Mumbai Metropolitan Area and were then consumed by restaurants and industries for work. After the bans were relaxed, there was a spike in cases in the phase 1 districts.
The national lockdown trapped millions of migrants inside big cities that were also coronavirus hotspots. With the travel bans, cases rose modestly at the destination.
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Longer Lockdowns & Restrictions Can Be Counterintuitive
Places with longer bans saw an increase in coronavirus, likely because the returning population was now infected, having been trapped in the hot spot longer. The evidence indicates that if the duration of a travel ban is short, we may end up imposing hardship on people while seeing more spread of infection. Longer lockdowns and restrictions are also associated with significant economic harm.
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The working paper at the University of Chicago published on the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics’ website uses data from travel restrictions imposed in Mumbai during the first wave of Covid-19 last year.