Kent State professor says there's little evidence curfews help

A public health expert says there is little evidence that curfews such as Ohio's are a useful tool in stemming the spread of COVID-19. Kent State University epidemiologist Tara C. Smith, a professor at the school's College of Public Health, recently told Vox.com that she has seen no evidence curfews are helpful. "I've not seen a single public health person recommend this as an intervention. I'm mystified at their popularity," Smith said. Other scientists made similar comments to Vox. Ohio has imposed a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew statewide, ordering people to stay home during those hours and closing most businesses at 10 p.m. There are exceptions, such as allowing people to drive to work and obtain drugs or groceries. Curfews also have been imposed in other states. The Sanduky Register, citing Smith's comments, asked Gov. Mike DeWine at Monday's press conference why he favored the curfew. DeWine replied that personal contacts are driving the epidemic. "We never said the curfew is the end-all, be-all," he said. Dr. Andrew Thomas of OSU Wexner Medical Center said a curfew reduces personal interactions and doesn't impact people's jobs as much as other proposed measures. "I think it's certainly worth a shot," Thomas said. Smith, after watching the responses, told the Register she was disappointed in the answers. "Yes, we need to reduce gatherings, but does a curfew do that? I don't think we know that it does. Do people just go out earlier, or move gatherings from bars/restaurants back to house parties?" she said. "I think the public sees through the curfew and it makes it more difficult to get them to adhere to public health measures that are more evidence-based, including targeted closures. I know those are unpopular but we have more evidence that they work," Smith said. She said she is referring to proposals such as closing restaurants and giving them government payments so that they don't go out of business. "The lingering issue of course is how to compensate those who would be out of work from such business closures, which is why we need effective leadership both in the state and also at the federal level to pass additional aid and make such closures less of a hardship," Smith said. Lack of action by Congress to provide financial help for businesses and workers apparently limits what DeWine can do, Smith said. "I do suspect it has made it more difficult this fall without the spring stimulus payment and the curfews are meant to bridge the gap between what is possible and what would be optimal. I just don't think they actually do that," she said.