Table 1 Explanatory and response variables of the study

Explanatory variables

 (a) Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics

  prop_over65

Elderly rate, i.e., proportion of people aged over 65 years

0.02

0.32

0.16

Hong Kong 2016 Population By-census [21]

  gender_ratio

No. of males per 100 females, excluding foreign domestic helpers (FDHs)

58.49

329.17

93.14

  prop_preprim_edu

Proportion of population with no/pre-primary education

0.01

0.27

0.10

  prop_higher_edu

Higher-education rate, i.e., proportion of population with post-secondary education

0.06

0.65

0.20

  med_income

Median monthly income from main employment, excluding FDHs (HK$)

7,730

68,000

16,250

  med_area_home

Median floor area of accommodation per person (m²)

4.50

56.84

16.90

  ave_household_size

Average domestic household size (person)

1.4

4.7

2.9

  prop_household_3gen

Proportion of three-generation households (with couple, at least one of their parents, and their unmarried children)

0.00

0.83

0.03

 (b) Density and connectivity characteristics

  den_population

Population density (person/Km²)

25.81

168,667

18,402

Hong Kong 2016 Population By-census

  den_bldg

Building density (Km²/Km²)

0.00

0.84

0.17

Hong Kong 1:5000 Digital Topographic Map [22]

  floor_area_pp

Average floor area per person (m²)

20.58

5,595.59

63.01

Hong Kong 1:1000 Digital Topographic Map [22]

  den_road

Road density (Km/Km²)

0.58

40.72

10.78

Hong Kong 1:1000 Geo-Reference Database [22]

  den_public_trans

Density of public transport stations (station/Km²)

0.00

271.81

16.43

Hong Kong Transport Department [23]

 (c) Land use characteristics: proportion of land use out of TPU area, except for the land use mix index

  prop_private_resid

Private residential

0.00

0.53

0.05

Hong Kong Planning Department [24]

  prop_public resid

Public residential

0.00

0.61

0.001

  prop_rural_set

Rural settlement

0.00

0.37

0.004

  prop_business

Commercial/business and office

0.00

0.40

0.004

  prop_industrial

Industrial land

0.00

0.44

0.001

  prop_gov_insti_faci

Government, institutional and community facilities

0.00

0.67

0.04

  prop_open_recreation

Open space and recreation

0.00

0.40

0.03

  prop_transport

Roads and transport facilities

0.00

0.52

0.12

  prop_utilities

Utilities

0.00

0.21

0.01

  prop_vacant _construt

Vacant land/construction in progress

0.00

0.60

0.01

  prop_agricultural

Agricultural land

0.00

0.60

0.004

  prop_woodland

Woodland

0.00

0.67

0.11

  prop_shrubland

Shrubland

0.00

0.45

0.07

  prop_grassland

Grassland

0.00

0.50

0.02

  LU_entropy

Entropy-based land use mix index

0.27

0.80

0.56

 (d) Density and per-capita accessibility of POIs

  POI_den_sports

Density, recreation/sports (POIs/Km²)

1.11

12,222

160.27

Hong Kong 1:5000 Digital Topographic Map

  POI_den_edu

Density, school/college (POIs/Km²)

0.40

5424

96.41

  POI_den_telecom_elec

Density, telecommunication/electric supply (POIs/Km²)

0.00

14,343

113.46

  POI_den_transport

Density, transport (POIs/Km²)

2.95

11,921

267.41

  POI_den_mall_mkt

Density, commercial center/market (POIs/Km²)

0.19

2,942

49.36

  POI_pp_sports

Per-capita accessibility, recreation/sports (POIs/person)

0.62

431.71

16.41

  POI_pp_edu

Per-capita accessibility, school/college (POIs/person)

0.36

281.06

9.32

  POI_pp_telecom_elec

Per-capita accessibility, telecommunication/ electric supply (POIs/person)

0.01

743.25

11.44

  POI_pp_transport

Per-capita accessibility, transport (POIs/person)

0.91

637.60

26.85

  POI_pp_mall_mkt

Per-capita accessibility, commercial center/market (POIs/person)

0.16

152.46

5.12

  (e) Response variables

  rate_local12

Local confirmed case rate, wave 1&2: by May 31^st, 2020 (‰ out of total population)^a

0.00

1.69

0.02

Hong Kong Information Services Department [16]

  rate_imported12

Imported confirmed case rate, wave 1&2: by May 31^st, 2020 (‰)

0.00

1.39

0.04

  rate_local3

Local confirmed case rate, wave 3: Jun 1^st –Oct 31^st, 2020 (‰)

0.00

4.72

0.29

  rate_local4

Local confirmed case rate, wave 4: Nov1^st, 2020 –Feb 18^th, 2021 (‰)

0.00

6.29

0.49

  ave_waiting_period

Average waiting period of all local cases (days)

0.00

12.5

4.63

  med_waiting_period

Median waiting period of all local cases (days)

0.00

12.6

4.00