This GovRM-COVID19 Guide provides an overview of the main principles under which the collection of data and codification is conducted. These principles apply to all countries analyzed; further issues and guidance related to specific countries may be found in the reports of each respective country.
1. If measures are found to have been implemented, and no legislative source is found, only then are the following non-legislative sources searched: press releases, briefings, etc., of official (governmental) institutions, and, if still nothing is found, then journal articles or other media from reputable sources.
2. Where ‘0’ (zero) is coded, no measures have been found.
3. If measures apply for a portion of each day or to different parts of the country, the most restrictive implemented is coded. For example, if there is a complete restriction of freedom of individual movement (level 3 in intensity) from 22.00 to 05.00 each day or in specific geographic areas, and, at the same time, there are partial restrictions (level 2 intensity) for the rest of the hours of each day or for other geographic areas, level 3 (the most restrictive) is coded.
4. In cases in which a country has legislation that distinguishes areas according to their epidemiological situation (e.g., green, yellow, red), and provides for different intensity of measures for each category (either from no measure to measure, or from partial to complete restrictions, for example), the most restrictive measures implemented are coded. For example, if, in terms of freedom of individual movement, level 2 in intensity is provisioned for yellow areas and level 3 in intensity for red, but areas are only categorized in the green and yellow categories (no areas in the red category), level 2 in intensity is coded. If and when some areas become categorized as red, level 3 in intensity is coded.
5. Exceptions for each code, such as the exclusion of Olympic athletes from the coding related to sports facilities, meaning that total closure (3) is coded even if, with everything closed, they are still allowed to practice, appear in the “Details” section of the Codebook of the Observatory.