Following the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-
CoV-2) responsible for COVID-19 in December 2019 in Wuhan (China) and its spread to the
rest of the world, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic in March 2020.
Without effective treatment in the initial pandemic phase, social distancing and mandatory
quarantines were introduced as the only available preventative measure. In contrast to the
detrimental societal impacts, air quality improved in all countries in which strict lockdowns …

Following the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-44
CoV-2) responsible for COVID-19 in December 2019 in Wuhan (China) and its spread to the
45 rest of the world, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic in March
2020. 46 Without effective treatment in the initial pandemic phase, social distancing and
mandatory 47 quarantines were introduced as the only available preventative measure.
Despite the 48 socioeconomic impacts, air quality improved due to lower pollutant …