GOOGLE is using location data gathered from phones to help public health officials understand how people’s movements have changed in response to the global coronavirus pandemic.

The reports use data from people who have opted in to storing their location history with Google to help illustrate the degree to which people are adhering to government instructions.

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The Covid-19 Community Mobility Report dated October 16, 2020, looks at data between Friday, September 4, and Friday, October 16.

The data shows there has been a 28 per cent increase in the number of people visiting parks.

There has also been a 15 per cent rise in the number of people visiting residential properties compared to the baseline.

Visits to workplaces has seen a drop of 41 per cent compared to the baseline and there are also less people using public transport (a 49 per cent drop compared to the baseline).

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The number of people visiting retail and recreation - which comprises of restaurants, cafes and shopping centres - has also dropped by eight per cent.