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Background The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic warranted a myriad of government-ordered business closures across the USA in efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus. This study aims to discover the implications of government-enforced health policies of reopening public businesses amidst the pandemic and its effect on county-level infection rates. Methods Eighty-three US counties (n = 83) that reported at least 20 000 cases as of 4 November 2020 were selected for this study. The dates when businesses (restaurants, bars, retail, gyms, salons/barbers and public schools) partially and fully reopened, as well as infection rates on the 1st and 14th days following each businesses’ reopening, were recorded. Regression analysis was conducted to deduce potential associations between the 14-day change in infection rate and mask usage frequency, median household income, population density and social distancing. Results On average, infection rates rose significantly as businesses reopened. The average 14-day change in infection rate was higher for fully reopened businesses (infection rate = +0.100) compared to partially reopened businesses (infection rate = +0.0454). The P-value of the two distributions was 0.001692, indicating statistical significance (P < 0.01). Conclusion This research provides insight into the transmission of COVID-19 and promotes evidence-driven policymaking for disease prevention and community health.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disparities among vulnerable populations are a paramount concern that extends to COVID-19 vaccine administration. We aim to better characterize the scope of vaccine inequity in California by comparing the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) of California counties and respective vaccination rates, modeling the growth rate and anticipated maximum proportion of individuals vaccinated by SVI group. Methods: Overall SVI, its four themes, and 9228 data points of daily vaccination numbers across all 58 California counties were used to model, overall and by theme, growth velocity of proportion of population vaccinated and the expected maximum proportion of individuals (at least 1 dose of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson/Janssen) that will be vaccinated for each theme. Results: Overall high vulnerability counties in California have lower vaccine coverage velocity compared to low and moderate vulnerability counties. The largest disparity in coverage velocity between low and highly vulnerable counties was observed in Theme 3 (minority status & language). However, our model showed that highly vulnerable counties based on Theme 3 are expected to eventually achieve a higher proportion of vaccinated individuals compared to low vulnerable counterparts if current trajectories continue. Counties in the overall low vulnerability category are estimated to achieve a higher proportion of vaccinated individuals when compared to high and moderate vulnerable counties, assuming current trajectories. The largest disparity in asymptotic proportion vaccinated between high and low vulnerable counties was observed in Theme 2 (household composition & disability). Conclusion: This study provides insight into the problem of COVID-19 vaccine disparity across California which can be used to help promote equity during the current pandemic as well as guide the allocation of future vaccines such as COVID-19 booster shots.

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IntroductionCOVID-19 vaccine inequities have been widespread across California, the United States, and globally. As COVID-19 vaccine inequities have not been fully understood in the youth population, it is vital to determine possible factors that drive inequities to enable actionable change that promotes vaccine equity among vulnerable minor populations.MethodsThe present study used the social vulnerability index (SVI) and daily vaccination numbers within the age groups of 12–17, 5–11, and under 5 years old across all 58 California counties to model the growth velocity and the anticipated maximum proportion of population vaccinated.ResultsOverall, highly vulnerable counties, when compared to low and moderately vulnerable counties, experienced a lower vaccination rate in the 12–17 and 5–11 year-old age groups. For age groups 5–11 and under 5 years old, highly vulnerable counties are expected to achieve a lower overall total proportion of residents vaccinated. In highly vulnerable counties in terms of socioeconomic status and household composition and disability, the 12–17 and 5–11 year-old age groups experienced lower vaccination rates. Additionally, in the 12–17 age group, high vulnerability counties are expected to achieve a higher proportion of residents vaccinated compared to less vulnerable counterparts.DiscussionThese findings elucidate shortcomings in vaccine uptake in certain pediatric populations across California and may help guide health policies and future allocation of vaccines, with special emphasis placed on vulnerable populations, especially with respect to socioeconomic status and household composition and disability.