Effects of the COVID-related stay-at-home order on hospitality sales and automobile traffic counts: evidence from the State of Maine, USA

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of the COVID-related Stay-at-Home order on hospitality sales and automobile traffic counts in the State of Maine, USA. Empirical results show that the Stay-at-Home order did not have a statistically significant impact on either measure of state economic activity. Instead, households adjusted their behavior as a result of COVID-19 in advance of the Stay-at-Home order. This is an important public policy issue given the large health and economic impacts of the pandemic, and widespread use of Stay-at-Home orders. Even beyond the COVID pandemic, however, the extent to which people respond to government restrictions is important for policy development and implementation.