Comparing Municipal COVID-19 Response in Inland vs. Coastal Communities in Maine
Document Type
Event
Abstract
COVID-19 is an ongoing problem across the world that has required a direct response from all scales of governments. While a national approach is imperative, state and local governments are pivotal in dispersing critical information by tailoring their responses to address local problems. In this research, we looked at the differences between Maine inland and coastal communities in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the digital communication response of 50 coastal and 50 inland municipalities, ranging in size from 26 to 25,515 residents, and we interviewed 20 municipalities about their COVID-19 responses. We found that coastal and larger municipalities demonstrated greater digital communications regarding COVID-19 compared to inland and smaller municipalities. However, interviews suggest that many municipalities, regardless of location or size,were able to provide residents with additional resources during the pandemic by forming partnerships within their towns. Our results underscore the importance of municipal governments, in answering questions and resolving issues regarding current pandemic conditions. Thus, through this research, we aim to identify ways to enhance the capacity of municipalities to communicate and provide services during crises.
Comparing Municipal COVID-19 Response in Inland vs. Coastal Communities in Maine
COVID-19 is an ongoing problem across the world that has required a direct response from all scales of governments. While a national approach is imperative, state and local governments are pivotal in dispersing critical information by tailoring their responses to address local problems. In this research, we looked at the differences between Maine inland and coastal communities in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the digital communication response of 50 coastal and 50 inland municipalities, ranging in size from 26 to 25,515 residents, and we interviewed 20 municipalities about their COVID-19 responses. We found that coastal and larger municipalities demonstrated greater digital communications regarding COVID-19 compared to inland and smaller municipalities. However, interviews suggest that many municipalities, regardless of location or size,were able to provide residents with additional resources during the pandemic by forming partnerships within their towns. Our results underscore the importance of municipal governments, in answering questions and resolving issues regarding current pandemic conditions. Thus, through this research, we aim to identify ways to enhance the capacity of municipalities to communicate and provide services during crises.
