Impact of vehicle traffic restrictions on the number of infections / deaths from COVID-19: Case study Loja-Ecuador

COVID-19 has prompted many nations to implement mobility restrictions and socialdistancing as measures to prevent the spread of the disease. In Ecuador, given the need togradually reactivate the economy, epidemiological traffic lights were implemented, whichallowed establishing restrictions by colors from red, yellow to green, based on the number ofinfections, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19. In this scenario, this study aimed toanalyze the impact of vehicle traffic restrictions and infections and deaths from COVID-19 incantons with yellow color. For this, the data of vehicular traffic from four roads entering thecity of Loja and the state statistics of infections and deaths from COVID-19 were used. Theanalysis was carried out during the months of June to August 2020. As a result, a positiverelationship was found between the average weekly traffic and the number of infections andweekly deaths, obtaining three predictive equations. This research allows us to understand thepositive impact that mobility restrictions have on the number of infections and deaths fromCOVID-19 in the process of relieving mobility restrictions and will also allow predictingvalues ​​in this or future pandemics in this canton or in which have similar characteristics.

• Main Author: García Ramírez , Yasmany Damián (author)
• Other Authors: Segarra Morales, María Soledad (author), Cobos Ramón, Marlon Augusto (author)
• Format: article
• Language: spa
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: tránsito promedio semanal, número de contagiados, número de fallecimientos, CoViD-19, Ecuador.; average weekly traffic, number of infected, number of deaths, CoViD-19, Ecuador.
• Online Access: http://revistas.ulvr.edu.ec/index.php/yachana/article/view/729