Table 1.

Comparison of interventions taken by country

Country	Singapore		Taiwan		Hong Kong		South Korea
Population, mid-2019 (persons)	5,703,600		23,591,031		7,507,400		51,830,000
Human Development Index, 2018	0.935 (9th)		0.911 (21st)1		0.939 (4th)		0.906 (22nd)
Population Density, 2019 (persons per sq. km)	7866		651.7		6940		510.5
Elderly Proportion, 2019 (%)	10.2		14.9		17.5		15.5
GDP/Capita, 2018 (USD)	64,581.90		25,893		48,675.60		31,380.10
Doctor per 1000 population (2019)	2.5		1.7		1.9		2.2 (2017)
Pandemic Experience (Virus/Case/Mortality)&	SARS-CoV2 (2002–2003) Cases: 238 Deaths: 33 3rd hardest hit outside China Pandemic influenza A (H1N1–2009) (2009–2010) Cases: ~ 415,000 Deaths: ≥18		SARS-CoV (2002–2003) Cases: 664 Deaths: 73 2nd hardest hit outside China Pandemic influenza A (H1N1–2009) (2009–2010) Cases: 954 Deaths: 46		SARS-CoV (2002–2003) Cases: 1755 Deaths: 298 Hardest hit outside China Pandemic influenza A (H1N1–2009) (2009–2010) Cases: 36,534 Deaths: 80		SARS-CoV Cases: 3 Pandemic influenza A (H1N1–2009) (2009–2010) Cases: 750,000 Deaths: 252 MERS-CoV3 (2015) Cases: 186 Deaths: 36 Hardest hit outside Saudi Arabia
Global Health Security Index#	58.7		NA		NA		70.2
Joint External Evaluation% (Total Score: 240)	221		212		NA		217
COVID-19
Date of 1st imported case reported in examined country (No. of days since outbreak in Wuhan)	23-Jan-20	22	21-Jan-20	20	23-Jan-20	22	20-Jan-20	19
Date of 1st local case reported in examined country (No. of days since outbreak in Wuhan)	03-Feb-20	33	28-Jan-20	27	30-Jan-20	29	30-Jan-20	29
No. of days between 1st imported case and 1st restriction implemented	0		4		4		15
Details for first travel-related restriction against following epicenters:
Epicenters:	Description of travel restriction:
China (Wave 1)	Cessation of all inbound flights from Wuhan		1. Banned entry of Hubei residents, entry of chinese nationals to Kinmen, Matsu & Penghu Islands 2. Suspension of entry permits for Chinese nationals		Banned entry of Hubei residents		Banned entry of travellers who have been to Hubei within 14 days of arrival
South Korea (Wave 2)	1. Banned entry/transit of travellers coming from Daegu & Cheongdo 2. 14-day quarantine for inbound residents & long-term pass holders from these two areas		14-day quarantine for foreign travellers coming from South Korea		Banned entry of foreign travellers coming from South Korea		NA
Iran/Italy (Wave 3)	1. Banned entry of Iranian passport holders 2. Suspension of visas issued to Iranian passport holders3		14-day quarantine for travellers coming from Italy4		14-day quarantine for travellers coming from Iran, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy & Veneto in northern Italy		NA$
Europe (Wave 4)	Banned entry of travellers who have visited Italy4, France, Spain & Germany in the last 14 days		14-day quarantine for travellers coming from 27 countries of Europe’s Schengen border free travel zone, Britain, Ireland & Dubai (transits included)		14-day quarantine for travellers coming from Italy 2, parts of France, Spain & Germany & Japan		14-day quarantine for long-term stay foreign travellers coming from Europe
All countries (Wave 5)	14-day quarantine for inbound travellers		1. Banned entry of most travellers, except resident permit holders & diplomats 2. 14-day quarantine for inbound travellers		14-day quarantine for all travellers except those from mainland China, Taiwan & Macau		14-day quarantine for inbound travellers
Epicenters:	Date of implementation (No. of days first travel restrictions were implemented against following epicenter, since outbreak initiation in a. the respective epicentre5 and b. Wuhan5):
China	23-Jan-20	a. 22 b. 22	25-Jan-20	a. 24 b. 24	27-Jan-20	a. 26 b. 26	04-Feb-20	a. 34 b. 34
South Korea	26-Feb-20	a. 2 b. 56	25-Feb-20	a. 1 b. 55	25-Feb-20	a. 1 b. 55	NA	NA
Iran/Italy	03-Mar-20	a. 12/8 b. 62/75	28-Feb-20	a. 8/4 b. 58/73	29-Feb-20	a. 9/5 b. 59/73	NA	NA
Europe	16-Mar-20	a. 2 b.75	14-Mar-20	a. 0 b. 73	14-Mar-20	a. 0 b. 73	22-Mar-20	a. 8 b.81
All countries	21-Mar-20	b. 80	18-Mar-20	b. 77	19-Mar-20	b. 78	01-Apr-20	b. 91
Epicenters:	Between the first travel restriction imposed for the following epicenter and the first travel restriction for the next epicenter i.e. from start of previous wave till next wave: No. of cases reported6; Time period (days)
Outbreak initiation in Wuhan till first travel-related intervention by examined country (Before Wave 1 till Wave 1)	Imported: 0 Local: 0	22	Imported: 3 Local: 0	24	Imported: 8 Local: 0	26	Imported: 8 Local: 7	34
China – South Korea (Between Waves 1 and 2)	Imported: 24 Local: 67	34	Imported: 13 Local: 14	31	Imported: 10 Local: 63	29	NA	NA
South Korea – Iran/Italy (Between Waves 2 and 3)	Imported: 0 Local: 18	6	Imported: 0 Local: 2	3	Imported: 3 Local: 10	4	NA	NA
Iran/Italy – Europe (Between Waves 3 and 4)	Imported: 56 Local: 67	13	Imported: 7 Local: 11	15	Imported: 24 Local: 20	14	NA	NA
Europe – All countries (Between Waves 4 and 5)	Imported: 128 Local: 49	5	Imported: 27 Local: 0	4	Imported: 35 Local: 20	5	Imported: 418 Local: 569	10
All countries – 5 April 2020 (After Wave 5 till cut-off)	Imported: 344 Local: 556	15	Imported: 262 Local: 24	18	Imported: 426 Local: 272	17	Imported: 223 Local: 228	4
Total cases reported as of 5 April 2020 (%)	Imported: 552 (42.2) Local: 757 (57.8)		Imported: 312 (86.0) Local: 51 (14.0)		Imported: 506 (56.8) Local: 385 (43.2)		Imported: 741 (7.2) Local: 9496 (92.8)

¹As Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations, the government of Taiwan calculates its own HDI

²Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Soronavirus, SARS-CoV; Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, MERS-CoV

³Singapore followed up with a travel ban for incoming visitors with a travel history to Iran, northern Italy and the Republic of Korea in the past 14 days, on March 5, 2020

⁴Travel restriction applies to inbound arrivals from the entire Italy, not just northern Italy

⁵Outbreak initiation dates for the following epicentres: China (Wuhan), 31-Dec-2019; South Korea, 23-Feb-2020; Iran, 19-Feb-2020; Italy, 23-Feb-2020; Europe (excluding Italy), 13-Mar-2020; outbreak initiation date may refer to the date where the start of increased cases was reported/alert level was raised/epicenter was reported

⁶Cases recorded during each phase were tabulated for mere comparison of epidemic progression in each country, and should not be attributed to the restriction implemented at the start of the phase as cases mostly present themselves after an incubation period of up to 14 days

^& Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1–2009) figures accurate as of the following date for each country: Singapore (Unknown), Taiwan (31 July 2010), Hong Kong (19 May 2010), South Korea (August 2010)

^# As of 2019

^% Latest available information used; Singapore (2018), Taiwan (2016), South Korea (2017)

^$ While we did not find any travel ban or restriction implemented by South Korea against Italy/Iran, the government did raise the travel alert for 5 Italian provinces to “yellow” warning

*Table interpretation: countries studied are listed in columns while countries/regions listed in rows are the epicentres for which travel bans were implemented against. The first section of the table compares the socio-economic profile and pandemic experience of the countries. The second section on COVID-19 can be interpreted in following 3 sub-sections:

1) Description of the first travel restrictions implemented by the four countries of interest (columns) against the epicentres (rows);

2) Date in which the first travel restrictions (described in 1) were implemented by the four countries of interest (columns) against the epicentres (rows), and the corresponding number of days it occurred since outbreak initiated in the epicentre and Wuhan respectively;

3) Number of imported/local cases reported during each wave (defined as the period between implementation of first travel restriction against one epicentre and the next epicentre) and the number of days in each wave