Communities and Testing for Covid-19

Between November 18th and 25th, 2020, 348,810 out of 500,607 (69.7 percent) eligible residents of the South Tyrol region of Italy volunteered to take a Covid-19 rapid antigen test. We examine the community characteristics that are associated with higher testing rates. Our findings point to a number of key community determinants of people’s willingness to volunteer. Convenience was an important factor. Beyond that, socioeconomic status and religiosity were also both positively related to greater testing.