Moves cut ills by 70%

The Big Apple shut down everything from museums to movie theaters, but the city’s pandemic lockdown reduced the spread of coronavirus by 70%, according to a new study.

School closures and stay-at-home measures reduced contact rates across the city and contributed to a 70% reduction in the spread of COVID-19 in the five boroughs from March through June, according to a study by Columbia University ’s Mailman School of Public Health and the city Health Department.

Widespread use of face coverings contributed an additional 7% reduction, and reduction of almost 20% among those aged 65 and older during the first month that face coverings were mandated in public places.

“Improving effective use of face coverings, especially among younger people, would significantly mitigate the risk of a resurgence in COVID-19 infections during re-opening,” said senior author Jeffrey Shaman, professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia Mailman School.

“It’s crucial that we find ways to boost consistent and correct mask use in settings where social distancing is not possible,” he said.

Restrictions remained in place until June, when the city began gradually reopening businesses.

The new study is in line with previous studies estimating that lockdowns reduced COVID-19 transmission by 45% in Italy, 77% in France and 58% in Wuhan, China, where the virus is believed to have originated.