“The closure of schools reduced mobility by 21.6%,” says Stefan Feuerriegel, professor of IT and management at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ), who led the study. “Our analysis confirms that closing schools is a measure that reduces the speed of circulation of the virus by reducing travel,” he adds.
The first factor in reducing movement was the ban on gatherings of more than five people, which reduced mobility by 24.9% according to the study – which was not peer reviewed. The second is the closure of bars, restaurants and other non-essential businesses, with a drop of 22.3%.
Controversial measure
The Swiss research team analyzed 1.5 billion movements, between February 10 and April 26, 2020, using data from Swiss mobile operators in order to assess the impact of measures against Covid-19 on mobility. The 26 Swiss cantons had each put in place restrictive measures before the federal government imposed partial confinement including the closure of schools on March 16.
All schools remained closed for about two months before gradually opening.
“If the schools are closed, we can hope for a big change in behavior,” says Stefan Feuerriegel, who says he is not surprised by the impact of schools. “Not only do the children stay at home, but it also sometimes means a change for the parents.”
Among the many measures taken around the world to limit the spread of the virus, the closure of schools has been one of the most controversial. Children are at low risk of developing severe forms of the disease, but little is known about their role in transmitting the virus.
–
