Inter-American Development Bank (2021). Transmission Risk Assessment Checklist. IDB Open Data. https://doi.org/10.60966/1pph-zx26

1. English

What is the Transmission Risk Assessment Checklist?

A macro-enabled Excel tool that helps tourism operators evaluate COVID-19 transmission risk in specific areas of their establishment.

How does this checklist support COVID-19 prevention in tourism?

It enables self-assessment of biosafety risks, helping identify high-risk zones and prioritize mitigation actions.

Is this tool part of a broader strategy?

Yes. It complements a 10-document series developed by the IDB and ICTE, which includes general and sector-specific recommendations, guidance on protocol management, and other tools.

What type of data is included in the Transmission Risk Assessment Checklist?

The checklist is delivered as a macro-enabled Excel file (.xlsm) containing structured inputs for evaluating COVID-19 transmission risk across different zones of a tourism facility. It likely includes scoring logic, conditional formatting, and embedded macros to guide risk classification.

Is the checklist data machine-readable or API-accessible?

The file is not part of an active datastore and does not expose an API endpoint. Analysts must download and manually extract data from the Excel file. Macros may need to be enabled in Excel to access full functionality.

Can I integrate this checklist into a broader risk modeling framework?

Yes. The checklist provides a structured framework for assessing transmission risk, which can be adapted or integrated into larger epidemiological or operational risk models. However, analysts should validate assumptions and scoring logic before integration.

Are there variables or indicators I can use for comparative analysis?

The checklist itself does not include time-series or cross-sectional data across establishments. It is designed for individual facility-level assessment. For comparative analysis, you would need to aggregate results across multiple completed checklists or combine with external tourism or health datasets.

Does the dataset include metadata or variable descriptions?

Yes. The accompanying PDF metadata sheet outlines the purpose, coverage, and authorship of the checklist. However, variable-level descriptions are embedded in the Excel file interface and may require manual extraction.

Is the checklist customizable for different tourism subsectors?

While the checklist is general-purpose, it complements subsector-specific recommendations (e.g., accommodations, restaurants, beaches) found in documents R02.1–R02.5. Analysts can adapt the checklist logic to match the operational realities of each subsector.

What geographic and temporal coverage does the dataset support?

• Geographic: Latin America and the Caribbean
• Temporal: September 2021 (snapshot based on biosafety protocol evaluation at that time)

Can I use this dataset to evaluate policy effectiveness?

Indirectly. The checklist helps identify risk areas, but it does not track outcomes or interventions. To evaluate policy effectiveness, analysts would need to link checklist results with epidemiological data or operational changes over time.

Are there limitations I should be aware of?

• The checklist is qualitative and semi-quantitative, not designed for statistical inference.
• It reflects conditions and protocols as of 2021; analysts should assess relevance for current use.
• Macros may limit compatibility with non-Excel environments.

What are the core components of an infectious disease transmission risk assessment?

In this dataset, the core components are occupancy level, environment type, respiratory protection, and exposure time. The tool then links those factors to practical controls such as ventilation improvement, mask use, and capacity management.

What is the infectious disease risk assessment template for workplaces?

This dataset provides a structured self-assessment template, but it is tailored to tourism establishments and tourist spaces rather than all workplaces. It guides the user to assess each area by subsector, physical space, occupancy, ventilation, mask use, and contact duration.

What is the impact of indoor air quality and ventilation on transmission risk levels?

Ventilation is one of the most important variables in the checklist. Indoor spaces with cross ventilation or mechanical ventilation of at least 5 air changes per hour are treated as lower risk than badly ventilated indoor spaces, and poor ventilation is repeatedly flagged as a reason risk rises from low to medium or high.

How does one calculate a transmission risk score for office environments?

This dataset does not provide a numerical score for office environments. Instead, it uses a qualitative matrix that combines occupancy, environment type, mask use, and exposure time to classify risk and generate recommendations.

What is the difference between qualitative vs quantitative transmission risk assessment methods?

The main assessment in this dataset is qualitative because it classifies spaces using descriptive categories such as low or high occupancy, indoor or outdoor, mask use, and exposure time. It also includes one quantitative element in the separate capacity calculation tool, which estimates maximum occupancy from area size and safety distance.

What are the key differences for safety planning between droplet vs airborne transmission risk factors?

The checklist distinguishes these indirectly. Outdoor settings with missing masks are tied more to droplet risk, while indoor settings with poor ventilation are tied more to aerosol or airborne risk, especially when occupancy and exposure time increase.

What is the small business owner guide to conducting a virus transmission risk audit?

This dataset can support that process for small tourism businesses. A user selects the area being assessed, describes occupancy, ventilation, mask use, and exposure time, then reviews the recommended actions such as reducing capacity, improving ventilation, or strengthening mask rules.

What is the checklist for assessing infectious disease transmission risk in the workplace?

This dataset functions as a checklist for tourism workplaces and visitor spaces. It asks the user to assess the area based on occupancy level, environment type, mask protection, and exposure time, then links those conditions to mitigation measures.