Illinois Residents Spending 13.6 Percent More Time At Home As Pandemic Continues

From The Center Square:

Illinois residents spent 13.6 percent more time at home from May 8 to June 12 than they did before COVID-19 measures were put in place, according to a 24/7 Wall St. analysis that is based on Google mobility data.

The state also saw other significant changes involving the geographic movement of people, the study found. Over the same time period, trips to workplaces declined 38.1 percent, while retail and recreational visits dropped 28.3 percent, according to 24/7 Wall St.

In addition, visits to grocery stores and pharmacies in Illinois decreased 3.3 percent. At the same time, trips to parks were up 45.1 percent, and public transit use was down 38.9 percent, according to the analysis.

The five-week period ending on June 12 was compared in the study to the five-week period from Jan. 3 to Feb. 6, before social distancing, stay-at-home orders or other restrictions came into effect. Nationwide, Americans stayed home 12.1 percent more during the May-June period than they did prior to states issuing restrictions in response to the coronavirus.

The biggest mobility change involved Americans’ use of public transportation, the study found. Nationwide, people using subways, buses and trains dropped 36 percent during the May-June period, according to 24/7 Wall St., as people were discouraged from using public transit due to health concerns.

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