COVID Border Accountability Project, a hand-coded global database of border closures introduced during 2020

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• International Relations
• Data Science

Background:

• Understanding the timing and nature of international travel and immigration policy changes is crucial for analyzing the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
• Border closures have significant socioeconomic consequences that require detailed data for accurate assessment.
• Existing data lacked a systematic, comprehensive timeline of country-level border policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the COVID Border Accountability Project (COBAP) dataset, a comprehensive record of international border policies during 2020.
• To provide a systematized, hand-coded dataset enabling detailed analysis of movement restrictions and their characteristics.
• To facilitate research on the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the socioeconomic impacts of global border policies.

Main Methods:

• Development of a hand-coded dataset (>1000 policies) detailing country-level restrictions on international movement in 2020.
• Trained research assistants systematically sourced, categorized, and verified policy details including dates, closure type (complete/partial), exceptions, banned countries, and border types (air/land/sea).
• Internal and external audits by public health experts ensured data accuracy; full policy texts were archived for verification and future data mining.

Main Results:

• The COBAP dataset offers a complete timeline of over 1000 international border policies implemented globally in 2020.
• Detailed categorization of policies includes start/end dates, closure severity, specific exceptions, and targeted countries/border types.
• An interactive, time-based map on the COBAP website enhances data accessibility for policymakers and the public.

Conclusions:

• The COBAP dataset provides an unprecedented resource for researchers studying the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on global travel and immigration.
• The structured data supports in-depth analysis of policy effectiveness, disease transmission dynamics, and socioeconomic consequences.
• The project's commitment to data verification and accessibility ensures its utility for diverse scientific and policy-making audiences.