Travel restrictions during pandemics: considerations and consequences

Cross-border travel bans have long been controversial in public health. While travel bans may help contain disease spread, there are also concerns that they may limit the availability of health workers where needed, and that they may encourage xenophobia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, travel bans were implemented widely by many countries (U.S. included), in an effort to contain the virus and control its spread. But how effective were they in suppressing the spread? Is it fair to look at the effectiveness of these bans without considering if they do more harm than good?

Dr. William J. Bicknell endowed this lectureship to support excellence, rigor, imagination and risk-taking in the teaching and practice of public health through annual lectures.