Data shows Americans moving around at near pre-pandemic rates
This is part of our Coronavirus Update series in which Harvard specialists in epidemiology, infectious disease, economics, politics, and other disciplines offer insights into what the latest developments in the COVID-19 outbreak may bring. The coronavirus lockdown is a thing of the past for most Americans, according to a Harvard epidemiologist who said anonymized mobility data from personal cellphones shows that movement across America has returned to near pre-pandemic levels. Caroline Buckee, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said the data, collected as part of the COVID-19 Mobility Data Network, of which she is among the leaders, shows that Americans began moving more several weeks ago. “Mobility data suggest people are moving around in nearly normal ways, although that … varies by region,” Buckee said. “And that started several weeks ago. It foreshadows the uptick in cases that we’re seeing in many parts of the...