Study shows that Aussies are staying home and following the social distancing rules

Google phone-tracking reports reveal how Australians are avoiding going out for work and pleasure.

In a world that seems to be struggling with grasping the ideology of quarantine, it looks like Australians are doing it right! The News Corp Australia Network recently revealed how Aussies are handling the COVID-19 outbreak, and it looks like they can be a great example of what to do.

THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK IN AUSTRALIA

So far, Australia has 5,908 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with the death toll standing close to 50.

WHAT THE STATISTICS SAY

The reports were compiled based on anonymous location data taken from smartphones to track movements and trips taken from February 16 to March 29. Based on Google phone-tracking reports, statistics show that Aussies have reduced work trips by up to one-third, with a reduction of more than 50 per cent in public transport.

The citizens are preferring to work from home and only going out to get essentials from the supermarket – still maintaining as much distance from each other as they can. Trips to parks are avoided by the Aussies as well, with combined visits to pharmacies dropping down by up to 20 per cent as well.

THE STATISTICS ON LEISURE AND NON-ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES

So far, trips to restaurants, entertainment venues, and retail stores (the ones that are still open) have dropped by 45 per cent. The visits to beaches. parks and similar venues have been reduced by more than 35 per cent.

PANIC BUYING

So far, Aussies don’t seem to be hoarding groceries and medical supplies in amounts that are unreasonable, allowing the stores to hold enough for just about everyone.

STATES THAT ARE DOING IT IDEALLY

The study shows that, with movements lower than the national average, Victoria and Tasmania have been following social distancing better than any other state in Australia. Let’s dive into their numbers.

Victorians have dropped trips to cafes, restaurants, and food joints (something they are well-known to have a passion for) by more than 50 per cent. Work trips are down by as much as 37 per cent, resulting in a whopping 68 per cent reduction in public transportation in the state. Tasmanians, on the other hand, showed a reduction of 70 per cent when it came to visits to gardens, entertainment venues, and leisure venues such as parks and beaches. Supermarket trips are down by as much as 30 per cent of what it used to be.

Just like 22 other countries, the Australian Department of Home Affairs has started to track data in order to get an analytical perspective of the situation. So far, not only is it working well, but it has also shown that Australians are following the rules set by the government to protect them. The numbers mentioned in this survey will fall sharply in the upcoming days – but so far, it’s good to see that Aussies are doing all they can to beat this pandemic, one calculated essential trip at a time!