Google movement data shows Victorians behaved best during COVID lockdown
Turns out Melburnians responded to coronavirus advice better than all other big cities. Data tracking the use of public transport and work travel proves Victorians were far more responsible in staying at home and avoiding public places than the rest of Australia.
Victoria
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Victorians have stayed at home and avoided public places far more than counterparts in every other state and territory throughout the coronavirus pandemic, it can be revealed.
Despite being the only state suffering under a surging second wave of COVID-19, confidential movement data provided to Australian health authorities shows Victorians have been far more reserved in their movements than the rest of the nation - including in the weeks leading up to the latest jump in cases.
Highly detailed Google movements data shows that when all states were subjected to similar lockdown orders through April, Victorians stayed at home the most, with South Australians, West Australians and Queenslanders far more active.
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Since the progressive easing of restrictions in late April the gap has only widened as Victoria maintained comparatively more conservative measures - by the time cases were booming and hot spot suburbs had to be locked down again on July 1, Victorians were 15 per cent less active than Queenslanders and moving 40 per cent less than West Australians and South Australians.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told the Herald Sun the movement data underlined the danger of coronavirus transmission, which has been able to run rampant through sections of Melbourne even when their communities were social distancing more than other cities.
“It gave me the confidence that even as we were heading back towards normal we were at a level where we expected ongoing suppression of the numbers that we had,” Prof Sutton said.
“It was probably (still) more restricted in Victoria then in other jurisdictions, so I’m glad we didn’t have the settings that WA., South Australia or in the Northern Territory because they are back to baseline on a bunch of things.”
The data challenges comments and claims Victorians have been lax in their approach to the coronavirus crisis, including Premier Dan Andrews who said when announcing the lockdown on July 7: “Each of us know someone who has not been following the rules as well as they should have.”
The movement data, collected by Google from phones during the pandemic, has been provided to the Department of Health to help track people and guide lockdown decisions.
The Google mobility reports show that in the early days of stage three restrictions, Victorians obeyed lockdown measures and work attendance, shopping and recreation activities plummeting 80 per cent below normal in April.
The data also shows Melburnians are now responding to new lockdown laws and once again staying home — raising hopes of quickly driving cases back down.
However, people gradually returned to their activities well before each official stage of restriction easing, and retail and recreation activity was only 30 per cent lower than normal by May 7.
Through late May and June, workplace attendance was about 40 per cent below pre-pandemic numbers, with only 15 per cent less office activity on some days.
Despite outdoor gatherings still being restricted to just 10 people, sunny weather on the June 8 Queen’s Birthday public holiday meant 60 per cent more people visited parks than on a normal non-pandemic day.
The movement data is used to calculate the effect any adjustment in restrictions will have on the reproductive rate of coronavirus transmissions, with an aim to keep it below 1.
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EVEN FEWER PEOPLE IN MELBOURNE CBD
New pedestrian data from central Melbourne has revealed an even bigger decline in the number of people in the CBD since the start of the second lockdown.
Normally about 1 million people go into the city but on Monday the total count was down an average 81 per cent, causing more financial pain for businesses.
The number of commuters around Southern Cross Station had plummeted by 90 per cent compared to this time last year.
The council operates 62 sensors counting pedestrian movements at locations across the city.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the data showed that Melburnians were already responding to the second lockdown.
“The number of people moving around our city streets is significantly lower compared with the previous three weeks,” the Lord Mayor said.
“This indicates people are doing the right thing and staying at home where possible but we know this is going to have a major impact on local CBD businesses.’’
Cr Capp urged all Melburnians who can safely support local businesses to do so in whatever way.
“These businesses are so important to the fabric of our city and we need to do what we can to help them get through this incredibly difficult period.”
Pedestrian sensors on the Bourke St Mall showed that activity was down by 82 per cent compared to this time last year. Even compared to the previous three weeks, as restrictions eased, the numbers were down 40 per cent.
Other sites to recorded drops in numbers were: Faraday St- Lygon St in Carlton down 70 per cent compared to last year and down 44 per cent from the past three weeks; and Victoria Point at Docklands (-88 per cent) and (-24 per cent).
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