CoronaNet: A dyadic dataset of government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Governments everywhere have implemented a broad range of policies that have been highly influential in shaping the COVID-19 pandemic. We present an initial public release of a large hand-coded dataset of over 10,000 separate policy announcements made in response to the pandemic across more than 190 countries. The dataset will be updated daily, with a 5-day lag for validity checking. We currently document policies across numerous dimensions, including the type of policy implemented; national vs. sub-national enforcement; the specific group targeted by the policy; and the time frame within which the policy is implemented. We further analyze the dataset using a Bayesian measurement model which shows the quick acceleration of high-cost policies across countries beginning in mid-March and continuing to the present. While some relatively low-cost policies like task forces and health monitoring began early, countries generally adopted harsher measures within a narrow time window, suggesting strong policy diffusion effects.