This paper investigates the impact of state-level Certificate-of-Need (CON) laws on COVID and non-COVID deaths in the United States during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. CON laws limit the expansion and acquisition of new medical services, such as new hospital beds. The coronavirus pandemic created a...

The onset of Hurricane Laura during the COVID-19 pandemic provides a natural experiment to estimate the effect of reduced social distancing on the spread of COVID-19. To this end, we first provide evidence of hurricane-induced mobility. Then using hospital-level data on confirmed and suspected...