School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Level 2, Samuels Building, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Feb 20;22(1):161. doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07155-2.
In response to the continuing threat of importing novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many countries have implemented some form of border restriction. A repercussion of these restrictions has been that some travellers have found themselves stranded abroad unable to return to their country of residence, and in need for government support. Our analysis explores the COVID-19-related information and support options provided by 11 countries to their citizens stranded overseas due to travel restrictions. We also examined the quality (i.e., readability, accessibility, and useability) of the information that was available from selected governments' web-based resources.
Between June 18 to June 30, 2021, COVID-19-related webpages from 11 countries (Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Canada, United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), France, Spain, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand) were reviewed and content relating to information and support for citizens stuck overseas analysed. Government assistance-related data from each webpage was extracted and coded for the following themes: travel arrangements, health and wellbeing, finance and accommodation, information needs, and sources. Readability was examined using the Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and the Flesch Kincaid readability tests; content 'accessibility' was measured using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1; and content 'usability' assessed using the usability heuristics for website design tool.
Ninety-eight webpages from 34 websites were evaluated. No country assessed covered all themes analysed. Most provided information and some level of support regarding repatriation options; border control and re-entry measures; medical assistance; and traveller registration. Only three countries provided information or support for emergency housing while abroad, and six provided some form of mental health support for their citizens. Our analysis of the quality of COVID-19-related information available on a subset of four countries' websites found poor readability and multiple accessibility and usability issues.
This study uniquely analyses government support for citizens stuck abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. With large variance in the information and services available across the countries analysed, our results highlight gaps, inconsistencies, and potential inequities in support available, and raise issues pertinent to the quality, accessibility, and usability of information. This study will assist policymakers plan and communicate comprehensive support packages for citizens stuck abroad due to the COVID-19 situation and design future efforts to prepare for global public health emergencies.
为应对新型冠状病毒病（COVID-19）持续输入的威胁，许多国家实施了某种形式的边境限制。这些限制的一个后果是，一些旅行者发现自己滞留在国外，无法返回居住国，需要政府的支持。我们的分析探讨了 11 个国家为因旅行限制而滞留在海外的公民提供的与 COVID-19 相关的信息和支持选项。我们还检查了从选定政府的基于网络的资源中获得的信息的质量（即可读性、可访问性和可用性）。
2021 年 6 月 18 日至 6 月 30 日，审查了 11 个国家（澳大利亚、新西兰、斐济、加拿大、美利坚合众国（美国）、联合王国（英国）、法国、西班牙、日本、新加坡和泰国）与 COVID-19 相关的网页，并分析了与滞留在海外的公民的信息和支持相关的内容。从每个网页提取并编码了与政府援助相关的数据，主题包括旅行安排、健康和福利、财务和住宿、信息需求和来源。使用简化的胡言乱语测量法（SMOG）和弗莱什金纳查德可读性测试检查了可读性；使用 Web 内容可访问性指南（WCAG）版本 2.1 测量了内容的“可访问性”；并使用网站设计工具的可用性启发式评估了内容的“可用性”。
评估了来自 34 个网站的 98 个网页。没有一个评估的国家涵盖了分析的所有主题。大多数国家提供了关于遣返选择、边境管制和重新入境措施、医疗援助和旅行者登记的信息和某种程度的支持。只有三个国家提供了在国外紧急住宿的信息或支持，六个国家为其公民提供了某种形式的心理健康支持。我们对四个国家部分网站提供的 COVID-19 相关信息质量的分析发现，可读性较差，存在多个可访问性和可用性问题。
本研究独特地分析了在 COVID-19 大流行期间政府对滞留在国外的公民的支持。在所分析的国家中，信息和服务的差异很大，我们的结果突出了支持方面的差距、不一致和潜在的不公平，以及与信息质量、可访问性和可用性相关的问题。本研究将有助于政策制定者为因 COVID-19 情况滞留在国外的公民规划和传达全面的支持方案，并为为全球突发公共卫生事件做准备而设计未来的努力。
