Noise measurements as a proxy to evaluating the response to recommendations in times of crisis: An update analysis of the transition to the second wave of the CoViD-19 pandemic in Central Stockholm, Swedena)

Abstract

Sweden stands out among the other European countries by the degree of restrictive measures taken towards handling the 2019 coronavirus outbreak, associated with the CoViD-19 pandemic. While several governments have imposed a nationwide total or partial lockdown to slow down the spread of the virus, the Swedish government has opted for a recommendation-based approach together with a few imposed restrictions. In a previous contribution by the authors, the impact of the Swedish strategy was observed through the monitored variation of the city noise levels during a period associated with the so-called “first wave” of the pandemic in Stockholm. A very strong impact of these recommendations was shown on the evolution of the noise levels in central Stockholm. This highlighted the potential of acoustic sensor networks both for enforcement of regulation and monitoring of the effectiveness of their implementation. The present contribution presents a follow-up to this urban noise monitoring in central Stockholm, Sweden, for the period leading to the so-called “second wave” of the pandemic in Europe. Both the evolution of adherence to the recommendations and the impact of the recurrence of cases combined with reinforced recommendations are observed through the evolution of the measured noise levels. While the measurements show a gradual lower level of compliance, in particular, past the summer break, these also show again a rapid response to the reinforced recommendations issued by the authorities in mid-fall of 2020. These observations thus confirm the potential associated with detailed urban noise monitoring, for instance here acting as a proxy to evaluating the response to recommendations or restrictions in times of crisis.