Manitobans (mostly) keep their distance: internet data tracking

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This article was published 20/04/2020 (2139 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Brian Pallister announced Monday the province’s state of emergency declaration has been extended until May 17, as new data suggests Manitobans have largely been heeding the social-distancing instructions of public health officials.

Internet search engine company Google has released its second batch of data tracking what Canadians have been up to — and where they’ve been going — amid pervasive lockdowns across the country due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The latest data tracks the movements of Manitobans from March 30 to April 11. The previous data released by Google charted movements in the province Feb. 16-March 29.

A request for comment from Google was not responded to by deadline Monday.

Trips for retail and recreation, which includes restaurants, cafés, shopping centres, museums and libraries, is down 42 per cent in Manitoba and 54 per cent nationally.

The shift in Manitoba came in lockstep with the announcement of the first provincial case of COVID-19 and the ensuing state of emergency. From March 12 to 14, Manitoba saw a 20 per cent drop in this category.

Meanwhile, visits to grocery stores and pharmacies are also down, having peaked at 41 per cent above the province’s baseline average March 13. That came on the heels of weeks of incremental increases.

On April 9, the day before Good Friday, visits to grocery stores and pharmacies hit a low of 63 per cent below the baseline average. In Manitoba, retail law keeps most shops shuttered Good Friday and Easter Sunday, which limits the number of days available for shoppers, further concentrating traffic.

By April 11, the trend line comes full circle, jumping back up and recording zero change from the baseline.

To compile these statistics, Google used location data —as well as its own repository of information — to track percentage changes in movement across the country. The baseline average was culled from January to early February 2020, before widespread social-distancing directives went into effect.

Manitoba has recorded the deepest and most sustained reduction of traffic at transit stops and stations. The shift came before the provincial government declared a state of emergency and dipped as low at 73 per cent from the baseline, finishing at a 55 per cent decrease April 11.

Parks, including dog parks and outdoor public spaces, experienced a more gradual decline in visits. The most recent data charts a 42 per cent decrease below baseline, although a few weekends show a temporary increase in park visits.

Workplaces have registered a 38 per cent drop from the January baseline, which coincides with an increase in layoffs and people working from home. However, it should be noted the “workplace” category overlaps with several others statistics have been compiled for.

The shift away from workplace visits began March 15, but weekends register a slight uptick in visits.

Manitoba’s mobility trends during this period are consistent with national trends and sticks to the middle of the pack among provinces.

michael.pereira@freepress.mb.ca

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca