The Impact of COVID-19 on Supply Chain in UAE Food Sector

The COVID-19 outbreak has significantly impacted supply chains and has caused several supply chain disruptions in almost all industries worldwide. Moreover, increased transportation costs, labor shortages, and insufficient storage facilities have all led to food loss during the pandemic, and this disruption has affected the logistics in the food value chain. As a result, we examine the food supply chain, which is one of the key industries COVID-19 has detrimentally affected, impacting, indeed, on the entire business process from the supplier all the way to the customer. Retail businesses are thus facing supply issues, which affect consumer behavior by creating stress regarding the availability of food. This has a negative impact on the amount of food that is available as well as its quality, freshness, safety, access to markets, and affordability. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on the United Arab Emirates food distribution systems and how consumer behavior changed in reaction to interruptions in the food supply chain and the food security problem. Hypothesis testing was used in the study's quantitative methodology to assess consumer behavior, and participants who were consumers were given a descriptive questionnaire to ascertain whether the availability and security of food had been impacted. The study used JASP 0.17.2 software to develop a model of food consumption behavior and to reveal pertinent connections between each construct. Results show that consumer food stress and consumption behavior are directly impacted by food access, food quality and safety, and food pricing. Furthermore, food stress has an impact on how consumers behave when it comes to consumption. Food stress, however, is not significantly influenced by food supply.

Enhancing the feasibility of airport PPP projects with hybrid funding

In transport infrastructure concessions, the sources of revenue to the private partner (or concessionaire) may include (i) the infrastructure users (e.g., landing fees, in the case of airports), (ii) the government (e.g. through availability payments), and (iii) both users and government, which might be called a hybrid concession. An example of the latter is a highway concession where the concessionaire charges tolls to the road users but, because of relatively low revenues, the government agency complements the toll revenue with availability payments. Focusing on airports, this paper summarizes the cases where it may be justified for the government to complement users' revenues and describes a model developed for the financial assessment of airport concessions involving payments by both the government and airport users, through the collection of several charges. The methodology described in the paper is also used to review the flexibility in new or ongoing airport concessions to mitigate traffic risks, which have been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The methodology can also be applied to other forms of transport infrastructure. A practical application of the model is demonstrated in the paper, using publicly available information, as well as basic assumptions, to build case studies for the Larnaca and Paphos airports in Cyprus. The model can also be used to carry out sensitivity analyses of the impact of key input parameters on outputs such as the investor's return on equity and annual debt service cover ratio. © 2023 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V.

Can Domestic Food Production Provide Future Urban Populations with Food and Nutrition Security?—Insights from Bangladesh, Kenya and Uganda

Population growth and urbanization increasingly put pressure on our planet's availability of areas needed for food production. The dependencies on domestically produced food are increasingly judged favourable, following the consequences of the Ukrainian war, with escalating fuel and grain prices and less accessibilities to low-income groups. It is, however, unclear whether land is domestically available. Applying a food system approach, the main aim of this article is to investigate spatial foodsheds and theoretical self-sufficiency for food production needed to supply increasing future populations in a selection of cities, including estimates for Dhaka in Bangladesh, Nairobi in Kenya and Kampala in Uganda. The projected foodshed scenario areas for the years 2020 and 2050 are estimated for the production of three core products currently extensively produced and consumed in the three countries. They show that it is not possible to feed an ever-increasing urban population based on domestic production alone. International trade, new technological developments and new consumer demands for less area-intensive food production systems may give solutions to the immense challenge of feeding the world's population with nutritious food in 2050. However, to ensure fair and inclusive transition pathways for low-income groups: (1) affordability and accessibility of trade opportunities, technologies and products, (2) a common vision aiming for the SDGs, including SDG2: Zero hunger and SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities as well as (3) best practices in co-creation and cooperation with the most vulnerable urban and rural populations, are highly needed.

Digital Contact Tracing for COVID-19: Overview of Existing Systems and Framework for Future Innovation

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed innovation in infection control measures, including widespread deployment of digital contact tracing systems. However, these technologies were not well understood by the general public and were complex for the public health community to implement, hampering adoption. Objective(s): To provide an overview of existing digital contact tracing systems, creating a framework for understanding design elements that impact their effectiveness as public health tools and offering a rubric for decision-makers to evaluate different systems for selection and implementation. Method(s): Scientific literature and publicly available information from relevant health authorities and other stakeholders was reviewed. Information was synthesized to develop a conceptual framework explaining how key design elements impact effectiveness of digital contact tracing systems and highlighting opportunities for future improvement. Result(s): A range of digital contact tracing interventions were deployed by governments worldwide and several professional sports leagues. Key design elements of the systems include: (1) data architecture (i.e., centralized versus decentralized systems, impacting privacy guarantees and data availability);(2) proximity detection technology (e.g., type of device signaling);(3) alert logic and timing (e.g., time- and distance-based criteria affecting sensitivity and specificity of alerts;real-time proximity alerts and/or bidirectional contact tracing, determining scope of infection prevention);(4) population (eligibility and availability);and (5) the structural and public health context of intervention (e.g., availability and timeliness of testing). Several systems demonstrated effectiveness in preventing transmission during COVID-19, though numerous limitations have also been documented in the literature. Conclusion(s): Digital contact tracing systems have the potential to mitigate the economic and public health impact of future infectious disease outbreaks, reducing community transmission and detecting potential cases earlier in the disease course. Lessons learned from solutions deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic provide an opportunity to improve multiple aspects of these systems, enhancing preparedness for future outbreaks.Copyright © 2023

Impact of COVID-19 on wood-based products industry: An exploratory study in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and BiH

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the forest-products industry locally and globally, including the availability of raw materials, supply chain, production, and product sales. Therefore, it was essential to study the effect of COVID-19 in Central and Southeast European countries, including Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the forest-products industry plays a vital global role. An international group of wood scientists developed and implemented the web-based questionnaire that consisted of four parts: demographic questions, production changes, COVID data gathering, governmental response to COVID-19, and lessons learned. Participants were mainly from furniture production, joinery, and wood processing. Results indicate that more than 80% of respondents reported negative changes. The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected the supply chain, and the most significant changes were in the availability of solid wood (23%) and engineered wood products (21%). Among the most critical issues were increased prices of all materials, increased transportation costs, extended delivery times, limited quantities for all materials, and total disruption of supply chains.

RaktFlow - Blood Bank Management and Donation System

The Blood Bank mobile application is an effort of easing the process of receiving and donating blood. This application helps the users to seamlessly donate and receive the required blood and also gives the availability of oxygen and ambulance in nearby hospitals. It gives the user information related to the availability of blood types in different hospitals and blood banks. Taking in mind the COVID-19 pandemic situation, in which the requirement for blood and oxygens were reached an unmanageable level. Blood and Oxygen is an essential part of the healthcare system. Day by day, the requirement for blood and oxygen is increasing, but still, there is unavailability and shortage. This project aims to give people a single platform to resolve these issues. © 2023 IEEE.

IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON RISK PERCEPTION AND BEHAVIORS OF SMALL LIFE CYCLE EVENT ATTENDEES

This study investigated the behaviors of attendees of small social life cycle events during the COVID-19 pandemic, incorporating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) into the study framework. Adopting individuals' risk perception aspects based on the affect and availability heuristics as antecedents of variables of TPB, this study found that affect and availability heuristics influenced individuals' attitudes and perceived behavioral control when attending small social life cycle events during the pandemic. Findings of the study also revealed that individuals' attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and social norm influenced their behavioral intentions and, in turn, their behaviors. The group comparison analysis found the severity of the pandemic in the regions moderated attendees' behaviors partially. Theoretical and managerial implications were addressed, followed by limitations and future study suggestions. © Copyright 2023 Cognizant, LLC.

EMPLOYING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS AND MULTIPLE DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE FINANCIAL STATUS OF JORDANIAN COMPANIES

Aim/Purpose This paper aims to empirically quantify the financial distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on companies listed on Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). The paper also aims to identify the most important predictors of financial distress pre- and mid-pandemic. Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge toll, not only on human lives but also on many businesses. This provided the impetus to assess the impact of the pandemic on the financial status of Jordanian companies. Methodology The initial sample comprised 165 companies, which was cleansed and reduced to 84 companies as per data availability. Financial data pertaining to the 84 companies were collected over a two-year period, 2019 and 2020, to empirically quantify the impact of the pandemic on companies in the dataset. Two approaches were employed. The first approach involved using Multiple Discriminant Analysis (MDA) based on Altman's (1968) model to obtain the Z-score of each company over the investigation period. The second approach involved developing models using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) with 15 standard financial ratios to find out the most important variables in predicting financial distress and create an accurate Financial Distress Prediction (FDP) model. Contribution This research contributes by providing a better understanding of how financial distress predictors perform during dynamic and risky times. The research confirmed that in spite of the negative impact of COVID-19 on the financial health of companies, the main predictors of financial distress remained relatively steadfast. This indicates that standard financial distress predictors can be regarded as being impervious to extraneous financial and/or health calamities. Findings Results using MDA indicated that more than 63% of companies in the dataset have a lower Z-score in 2020 when compared to 2019. There was also an 8% increase in distressed companies in 2020, and around 6% of companies came to be no longer healthy. As for the models built using ANNs, results show that the most important variable in predicting financial distress is the Return on Capital. The predictive accuracy for the 2019 and 2020 models measured using the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) graph was 87.5% and 97.6%, respectively. Recommendations Decision makers and top management are encouraged to focus on the identified for Practitioners highly liquid ratios to make thoughtful decisions and initiate preemptive actions to avoid organizational failure. Recommendations This research can be considered a stepping stone to investigating the impact of for Researchers COVID-19 on the financial status of companies. Researchers are recommended to replicate the methods used in this research across various business sectors to understand the financial dynamics of companies during uncertain times. Impact on Society Stakeholders in Jordanian-listed companies should concentrate on the list of most important predictors of financial distress as presented in this study. Future Research Future research may focus on expanding the scope of this study by including other geographical locations to check for the generalisability of the results. Future research may also include post-COVID-19 data to check for changes in results. © 2023 Informing Science Institute. All rights reserved.

Impacts of COVID-19 on U.S. seafood availability. (Special Issue: COVID-19 impacts on selected commodities.)

Seafood is the food group with the highest share traded, and the U.S. is the world's largest seafood importer, importing 79% of the seafood consumed. Hence, a study examining the impacts of the measures to contain COVID-19 on U.S. seafood imports will not only show how U.S. seafood availability has been affected, but will also give strong indications of how resiliently the global seafood markets have worked through the pandemic. We find that U.S. imports of seafood actually increased in 2020 and 2021, suggesting supply chains were able to adapt to potential disruptions. Moreover, for the 14 largest product forms imported to the U.S., there are no strong price movements. Given that there is a global market for most species groups, this adaption also suggests that the markets have worked quite well beyond the U.S. Hence, while there have undoubtedly been market shocks associated with the COVID-19 measures such as the reduction in demand from the restaurant sector and the increased sales in the retail sector, opportunities seem to balance out challenges, and the supply chains for seafood to the U.S. have been highly resilient.

Herders Mobility, Food Security and Covid-19 Pandemic Challenges during Lockdown in Nigeria

Climate change is one of the cores of the herders' movement in Nigeria. Some other variable is the classification of the Fulanis as indigenous peoples that have no specific abode of their own;they roam around looking for water and foliage for their animals. During the dry season, they move towards the southern part of Nigeria where they would find foliage and water for their animals because of their status under international law. A notion that in a bid to look for food for their animals, these herders sometimes feed their animals with grown corn, cassava, millet, sweet potato and even yam of the sedentary farmers. One of the geneses of food insecurity in many communities of the southern part of Nigeria. Food availability, affordability and accessibility in the country was compromised in 2020 due to these challenges by the urban dwellers which was compromised due to the activities of mobile herders. With general lockdown in Nigeria, many farmers were unable to go to farm while the Fulanis who were hardly affected by lockdown had their field-days in feeding their animals on crops planted by small scale farmers, the only source of food security in the country. The core of this paper is to interrogate Fulanis mobility as indigenous peoples based on relevant international law and its impact on small-scale farmers' sources of income and food availability for the teeming population of Nigeria. We contextualised this based on the COVID-19 pandemic that restricts the movement of people between March and December 2020. We conclude that the rights of the indigenous peoples at the domestic level need further interrogation to create an atmosphere of peaceful co-existence through aversion of herders-farmers clashes that envelope southern Nigeria.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Questioning and Transgender, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Gender Questioning Adult Alcohol Use Outcomes Associated with State Alcohol-Related Laws During the Coronavirus Pandemic in the United States.

Purpose: We assessed how COVID-19-related alcohol sales policies influenced alcohol use behaviors during the pandemic for U.S. adults of diverse sexual (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, questioning [LGBQ]) and gender identities (transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, and gender questioning [T/NB/GQ]). Methods: Time-specific, state-level, restaurant, bar, and off-premise alcohol policy data were collected from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism-sponsored Alcohol Policy Information System and merged with the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey data. Treatments included bar, restaurant, and delivery alcohol sales policies. Outcomes included past 30-day drinking frequency, quantity, and heavy episodic drinking (HED). We fitted negative binomial regression models for all outcomes, clustered standard errors by state and used sample weights. We also controlled for seasonality, state Alcohol Policy Scale scores, pre-/postpandemic time period, and included demographic control variables in our cross-sectional analyses. Results: The sample included 10,505 adults identifying as LGBQ and 809 as T/NB/GQ from 32 states. Restaurant and bar closures were associated with less alcohol use for LGBQ respondents. Outdoor-only policies at bars were also associated with significantly less quantity of use and HED for T/NB/GQ adults in the sample. Off-premise home delivery was associated with greater quantity of use for LGBQ respondents and less frequency for T/NB/GQ respondents. Conclusion: The COVID-19-related alcohol sales policy changes offer an opportunity to better understand alcohol policy and availability's influence on drinking behaviors among sexual and gender-diverse populations in the United States.

Enhancing the feasibility of airport PPP projects with hybrid funding

In transport infrastructure concessions, the sources of revenue to the private partner (or concessionaire) may include (i) the infrastructure users (e.g., landing fees, in the case of airports), (ii) the government (e.g. through availability payments), and (iii) both users and government, which might be called a hybrid concession. An example of the latter is a highway concession where the concessionaire charges tolls to the road users but, because of relatively low revenues, the government agency complements the toll revenue with availability payments. Focusing on airports, this paper summarizes the cases where it may be justified for the government to complement users' revenues and describes a model developed for the financial assessment of airport concessions involving payments by both the government and airport users, through the collection of several charges. The methodology described in the paper is also used to review the flexibility in new or ongoing airport concessions to mitigate traffic risks, which have been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The methodology can also be applied to other forms of transport infrastructure. A practical application of the model is demonstrated in the paper, using publicly available information, as well as basic assumptions, to build case studies for the Larnaca and Paphos airports in Cyprus. The model can also be used to carry out sensitivity analyses of the impact of key input parameters on outputs such as the investor's return on equity and annual debt service cover ratio. © 2023 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V.

A brief overview of the issues faced by Harmful Algal Blooms along Johor straits

Urbanization of coastal areas worldwide has increased due to an increase in the global population. The production of sustainable aquaculture is greatly impacted by a surge of this urbanization. In certain countries, particularly for individuals with more limited space in metropolitan areas, such as along Johor's coastal area, aquaculture might well be a good strategy to maintain food availability (continuous production plus high-quality meals). Consequently, the adoption of aquaculture along the Johor's coastal area has lead to Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB). This paper examines the evolution of the aquaculture industry of Malaysian Johor coastal areas in relation to HABs. In addition to HABs, the aforementioned metropolitan regions confront diverse economic and geographical obstacles when attempting to increase their aquaculture production sustainably. Those problems are therefore addressed using a variety of operations as well as surveillance techniques in this brief overview. Lockdowns and border prohibitions caused by the continuous COVID-19 infection have had a global impact. These logistical difficulties in the seafood industry have increased dependency on imported supplies. It is suggested that international decision- making, supervision, and knowledge exchange can successfully solve the challenges urbanized areas have in ensuring sustainable food security through the evolution within the aquaculture sector.

The knock-on effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the supply and availability of generic medicines in Ethiopia: mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic posed a major impact on the availability and affordability of essential medicines. This study aimed to assess the knock-on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply availability of non-communicable chronic disease (NCD) medicines and paracetamol products in Ethiopia. METHODS: A mixed methods study was conducted to assess the supply and availability of twenty-four NCD drugs and four paracetamol products listed on the national essential medicines list for hospitals. Data were collected from twenty-six hospitals located in seven zones of Oromia region in the southwestern part of Ethiopia. We extracted data on drug availability, cost and stock out for these drugs between May 2019 and December 2020. The quantitative data were entered into Microsoft Excel and exported to statistical package software for social science (SPSS) version 22 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA) software for analysis. RESULTS: The overall mean availability of selected basket medicines was 63.4% (range 16.7% to 80.3%) during the pre-COVID-19 time. It was 46.3% (range 2.8% to 88.7) during the pandemic. There was a relative increase in the availability of two paracetamol products [paracetamol 500 mg tablet (67.5% versus 88.7%) and suppository (74.5% versus 88%)] during the pandemic. The average monthly orders fill rates for the selected products range from 43 to 85%. Pre-COVID-19, the average order fill rate was greater or equal to 70%. However, immediately after the COVID-19 case notification, the percentage of order(s) filled correctly in items and quantities began decreasing. Political instability, shortage of trained human resources, currency inflation, and limited drug financing were considered as the major challenges to medicine supply. CONCLUSION: The overall stock out situation in the study area has worsened during COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19 time. None of the surveyed chronic disease basket medicines met the ideal availability benchmark of 80% in health facilities. However, availability of paracetamol 500 mg tablet surprisingly improved during the pandemic. A range of policy frameworks and options targeting inevitable outbreaks should exist to enable governments to ensure that medicines for chronic diseases are consistently available and affordable.

Covid-19, HLA, and race common link: A novel hypothesis.

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) accountable for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) prompted a catastrophic pandemic striking millions of people with diverse presentations, from asymptomatic to severe, potentially lethal disease requiring unprecedented levels of specialized care and extraordinary resources that have overwhelmed healthcare systems around the world. In this detailed communication we postulating a novel hypothesis, based on the viral replication and transplantation immunology. This based on reviewing published journal articles and text book chapters to account for variable mortality and degrees of morbidity among various race and origins. Homo sapiens evolution over millions of years, for that the matter the origin of any biologic form of life form initiated by microorganisms. The entire body of a human has several millions of bacterial and viral genomes incorporated over millions of years. Perhaps the answer or a clue lies how compatible a foreign genomic sequence fits into three billion copies of human genome.

Analyzing factors affecting charter flight service demand: A case of Taiwan

Global charter flight demand remined relatively stable over the last decades, and international charter flight is an integrated product of the aviation and tourism industries. To better understand charter flight tourism in Asia, this study analyses key reasons affected Taiwan's charter flight demand from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore during the period 2009‒2018, with a consideration of aviation- and tourism-related variables. Empirical results show that the reduction in scheduled flight aircraft size stimulated new charter flight demand to Taiwan, offsetting the negative effects caused by scheduled seat increment to a certain degree. This study contributes to literature by exploring the impact of scheduled flight service availability on charter flight demand, and further enriches our understanding of the impact of scheduled flight services on international tourist arrivals in terms of aircraft size. Importantly, it has implications for policymakers and stakeholders involved in charter business, assisting them in facilitating aviation and tourism recovery during the post-COVID-19 era.

Sustainability of Heritage Villages through Eco-Tourism Investment (Case Study: Al-Khabra Village, Saudi Arabia)

This study explores the reasons for the failure to sustain the rehabilitation of Al-Khabra as a heritage village for tourism. Despite the rehabilitation activities since 2007 and the comprehensive plans for the development, protection, and operation of the village, tourism activities are limited due to the restricted availability of qualified buildings, infrastructure, and services. This has made the investment in the village economically unviable. This study aims to propose sustainability strategies for heritage villages by investing in eco-tourism. This study used a qualitative descriptive approach by analyzing the rehabilitation experience through available reports and studies, field observations, and interviews. A holistic and environmental approach was proposed based on the integration of cultural and environmental elements to promote eco-tourism in the village. This study recommends the development of national policies that regulate the preservation of local resources and biodiversity within an integrated framework that enhances the unique environmental advantages of the village and encourages investment in it.

Disparities in spatial accessibility of primary care in Louisiana: From physical to virtual accessibility.

Telehealth has been widely employed and has transformed how healthcare is delivered in the United States as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. While telehealth is utilized and encouraged to reduce the cost and travel burden for access to healthcare, there are debates on whether telehealth can promote equity in healthcare services by narrowing the gap among diverse groups. Using the Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) and Two-Step Virtual Catchment Area (2SVCA) methods, this study compares the disparities of physical and virtual access to primary care physicians (PCPs) in Louisiana. Both physical and virtual access to PCPs exhibit similar spatial patterns with higher scores concentrated in urban areas, followed by low-density and rural areas. However, the two accessibility measures diverge where broadband availability and affordability come to play an important role. Residents in rural areas experience additive disadvantage of even more limited telehealth accessibility than physical accessibility due to lack of broadband service provision. Areas with greater Black population proportions tend to have better physical accessibility, but such an advantage is eradicated for telehealth accessibility because of lower broadband subscription rates in these neighborhoods. Both physical and virtual accessibility scores decline in neighborhoods with higher Area Deprivation Index (ADI) values, and the disparity is further widened for in virtual accessibility compared to than physical accessibility. The study also examines how factors such as urbanicity, Black population proportion, and ADI interact in their effects on disparities of the two accessibility measures.

Understanding the association between neighbourhood socioeconomic status and grocery store alcohol sales following market liberalization in Ontario, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: In 2015, Ontario partially deregulated alcohol sales by allowing grocery stores to sell alcohol. The purpose of this study was to evaluate (1) whether neighbourhood-level socioeconomic status (SES) impacted the likelihood that a grocery store began selling alcohol, and (2) whether increases in alcohol retail availability following deregulation differed between neighbourhoods based on SES. METHODS: This was a repeated cross-sectional analysis of 1062 grocery stores in 17,096 neighbourhoods in urban Ontario. The association between neighbourhood-level SES and whether a grocery store began selling alcohol was modeled using mixed effect logistic regression. The annual change in drive-distance from a neighbourhood to the closest off-premise alcohol outlet between 2015 and 2020 was modeled using mixed effect linear regression. An interaction between time and SES was included to evaluate whether this change differed between neighbourhoods based on SES. RESULTS: Grocery stores in neighbourhoods in the lowest SES quintile were 39% less likely to start selling alcohol than grocery stores in neighbourhoods in the highest SES quintile (odds ratio (OR): 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.39-0.94). As grocery store sales expanded, the distance to the closest off-premise alcohol outlet decreased by 51.8 m annually (95% CI: 48.8-54.9, p < 0.01). A significant interaction between year and SES was observed whereby this trend was more pronounced in high- versus low-SES neighbourhoods. CONCLUSION: The expansion of grocery store alcohol sales increased alcohol availability, but this increase was proportionately larger in high- versus low-SES neighbourhoods. This reduced historic disparities in alcohol availability between low- and high-SES neighbourhoods.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: En 2015, l'Ontario a partiellement déréglementé les ventes d'alcool en autorisant les épiceries à en vendre. Notre étude visait à évaluer : 1) si le statut socioéconomique (SSE) du quartier avait un effet sur la probabilité qu'une épicerie commence à vendre de l'alcool et 2) si les augmentations de l'accessibilité de l'alcool au détail après la déréglementation différaient d'un quartier à l'autre selon le SSE. MéTHODE: Il s'agissait d'une analyse transversale répétée de 1 062 épiceries dans 17 096 quartiers urbains de l'Ontario. L'association entre le SSE du quartier et le fait qu'une épicerie commence ou non à vendre de l'alcool a été modélisée par régression logistique à effets mixtes. Le changement annuel de la distance de conduite entre un quartier et le point de vente d'alcool hors site le plus proche entre 2015 et 2020 a été modélisé par régression linéaire à effets mixtes. Une interaction entre le temps et le SSE a été incluse pour évaluer si le changement différait d'un quartier à l'autre selon le SSE. RéSULTATS: Les épiceries des quartiers du quintile SSE le plus défavorisé ont été de 39 points de pourcentage moins susceptibles de commencer à vendre de l'alcool que les épiceries des quartiers du quintile SSE le plus favorisé (rapport de cotes [RC] : 0,61, intervalle de confiance de 95 % [(IC] : 0,39-0,94). Avec l'expansion des ventes des épiceries, la distance jusqu'au point de vente d'alcool hors site le plus proche a diminué de 51,8 mètres par année (IC de 95 % : 48,8-54,9, p < 0,01). Une interaction significative entre l'année et le SSE a été observée : cette tendance était plus prononcée dans les quartiers de SSE élevé que dans les quartiers de faible SSE. CONCLUSION: L'expansion des ventes d'alcool des épiceries a fait augmenter l'accessibilité de l'alcool, mais cette augmentation a été proportionnellement plus grande dans les quartiers de SSE élevé que dans les quartiers de faible SSE. Cela a réduit les disparités historiques d'accessibilité de l'alcool entre les quartiers de SSE élevé et de faible SSE.