Government Measures and Economic Activity During the Covid-19 Outbreak: Some Preliminary Short-Term Evidence From Europe

Abstract

The present contribution is aimed at offering evidence of the impact of antiCOVID government actions on trade. Using monthly Eurostat data, it investigates the relationship between the turnover of sales and the adoption of governmental measures. Explanatory variables encompass three indexes measuring the government response, namely, a stringency, a health containment and an economic support index. A consumer confidence index is used as control variable. It has been estimated through a generalised least squares model with heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation. The results outline that the percentage change of the index of deflated turnover of retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco is positively correlated with consumer confidence and negatively correlated with restrictive governmental measures. It is also determined that the percentage change of the index of deflated turnover of retail sale via internet is positively correlated with stringency governmental measures, this confirms the growing importance of internet as channel for trade.

The impact of information and communication technologies on psychological well-being among elderly people: A case study of a university of the third age in southern Italy

“…Socialization can be obtained in many ways: during class or on guided tours or during cultural activities, for example. Unfortunately, in recent times where meeting in person can become problematic, because of individuals' physical limitations, or restrictions imposed by national governments to contain the spread of a pandemic (see, for example, Giammanco and Gitto, 2021), who have evaluated the impact of containment policies), ICTs constitute a valid solution to continue guaranteeing social activities and relationships between people who would otherwise remain isolated 3 .…”