Travel restrictions are effective in countries with low numbers of Covid-19 cases, or that have strong travel links with nations experiencing high rates of the viral infection, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health journal.
The study also suggests that travel restrictions may have been most effective during the early stages of the pandemic, and the measures are unlikely to be effective when the virus is already spreading rapidly within a country.
“We recognise that these measures carry a high economic and social cost, so it is important that governments use travel restrictions in a targeted way,” said Professor Mark Jit from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who led the study.
“Before introducing restrictions, they should take into account local infection figures, epidemic growth rates, and the volume of travellers arriving from countries heavily-affected by the virus,” Jit explained.
The researchers used detailed flight data…