Government actions against the new coronavirus: evidence from the Brazilian states

Abstract Since the declaration of the global pandemic due to the new coronavirus (Sars-CoV-2) by the World Health Organization (WHO), on March 11, 2020, several measures have been taken by governments around the world regarding social distancing. In Brazil, state governments took the lead in decreeing measures to close schools, suspend public events, and restrict businesses. This article aims to analyze the differences between the Brazilian state governments regarding implementing non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to combat the coronavirus, based on the calculation of a government action index. Analysis of 367 decrees of 25 state executives was conducted in the first two months of the pandemic in the country. The preliminary results of this analysis suggest different levels of rigor in measures to confront COVID-19 by Brazilian governments. Some states stood out for their proactive adoption of stricter social distancing policies, even before confirming the first case of the disease.