Table 1 Brief descriptions of selected public health and social measures (PHSM) captured in the Health Intervention Tracking for COVID-19 (HIT-COVID) database.

Restrictions of travel and movement

Border closures

Control of population movement into the administrative unit

Limiting movement within administrative unit borders

Closures of towns, cities, and roads, effectively limiting movement within an administrative unit

Household confinement

Restricting individuals to their place of residence, including curfews, except when fulfilling essential needs

Social and physical distancing measures

Closures of public institutions and public areas

Closures of schools, offices, transportation, and public spaces such as parks

Closures of non-public institutions and areas

Closures of office, leisure, entertainment, religious venues, restaurants, retail stores, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities

Limiting gatherings

Limits on the size of social gatherings

Surveillance and response measures

Symptom screening at borders

Implementation of symptom screening upon arrival at an administrative unit

Testing individuals

Testing individuals based on pre-specified symptom criteria for the presence of SARS-CoV-2

Testing individuals irrespective of symptoms

Contact tracing

Tracing and monitoring contacts of identified cases

Quarantine and home-isolation

Separating and restricting movements of individuals who may have been exposed (quarantine) or have symptoms and/or confirmed infection (isolation)

Other measures

Military and police deployment

Deployment of military and/or police to enforce COVID-19 related rules and restrictions

State of emergency

State of emergency declarations which endow governments with additional powers to enforce policies

Mandated face mask use

Requirements for the general population to wear a facemask in public