Australia can use population level mobility data to fight COVID-19

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, stay‐at‐home orders, or the lack thereof, have divided governments and the political sphere worldwide. United States media has reported that US populations decreased their movement before stay‐at‐home orders.1 We studied mobility data from major cities worldwide, including in Australia, and saw the same pattern consistently replicated.
Apple mobility data2 were used as a measure of social mobility and were assumed to correlate with social distancing observance. We extracted available data for 22 cities across nine regions from all six populated continents in a systematic manner to gain a broad cross‐section. These data were then mapped against local government action taken from official websites.