Movement to workplaces down 41%, retail falls 86% under lockdown: Report

Movement to workplaces, retail stores and transit stations declined significantly after the government imposed nationwide lockdown, a Google COVID-19 Community Mobility report showed.

Google said these community mobility reports aim to provide insights into what has changed in response to policies aimed at combating COVID-19.

The reports chart movement trends over time across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

According to the report, movement to workplaces from March 15 to April 26 fell by 41 per cent, while that at retail and recreation spots declined by 86 per cent in the said time frame.

Transit stations like subway, bus, and train stations saw movement declining by 66 per cent between March 15-April 26, the report added.

Mobility trends for locations such as public beaches, plazas, and public gardens registered a 68 per cent decline during the period, the report said.

For places of residence, movement trends showed a 22 per cent increase.

"These reports show how visits and length of stay at different places change compared to a baseline. We calculate these changes using the same kind of aggregated and anonymised data used to show popular times for places in Google Maps," it noted.