Looking to inform decision making during a pandemic, COVID-Local has created a policy mapping tool and database for communities, giving them a way to measure the effects of their COVID-19-related actions against specific policies.
COVID Analysis and Mapping of Policies is meant to identify effective COVID-19 policies — be they social distancing, masks or stay at home orders — and help people see the impact they have. While meant for local leaders, it scrutinizes policies applied at local, state, and national levels throughout the world.
“Throughout this global health crisis, local leaders have had to make tough decisions to protect public safety,” Tim Burton, Executive Director of the Montana League of Cities and Towns, said. “The data provided in COVID-Local’s new policy mapping tool clearly shows the impact of these decisions, which can help leaders assess future policymaking.”
That data is collected and coded by a research team at Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Science and Security and Talus Analytics. When given to the tool, it then provides an illustrative map and charts showcasing how various policies have affected case counts over time.