A Few Good Masks : Evidence from Mask Manufacturing in Rwanda during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Did increases in mask supply slow the spread of COVID-19 Rwanda licensed and incentivized textile manufacturers to produce high-quality masks at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper exploits spatial variation in exposure to mask manufacturing through textile trade networks within an event-study design using receipt-level tax data. Licensing domestic mask manufacturers conservatively reduced mask prices by 8.8% and reduced monthly growth in COVID-19 infections (proxied by demand for anti-fever medicine) by 12%. The dynamics of the results suggest that increased mask quality explains reduced infections, in a context where there was strict enforcement of mask mandates and informal markets for masks.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Byrne, Kieran, Kondylis, Florence, Loeser, John, Mukama, Denis
Format:	Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2022-04
Subjects:	COVID-19, PANDEMIC. INDUSTRY, CORONAVIRUS, MASK MANUFACTURING, MASK QUALITY STUDY, MASK ACCESS STUDY, STRICT MASK ENFORCEMENT DATA, TEXTILE INDUSTRY RESPONSE TO COVID-19, MASK EFFECTIVENESS,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099716204042210015/IDU05c9e060d0a9560467108de80f629ad1a8e0f http://hdl.handle.net/10986/37278
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