With businesses shuttered, schools likely closed for the rest of the year, and access to recreational spaces increasingly curtailed, Santa Clara County residents have been sheltered in place for just more of two weeks.
As County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said Tuesday, staying home will continue to be necessary for some time to come. That, despite early indications that it is helping slow the rising number of novel coronavirus infections.
To put some data behind the anecdotes, Unacast, a company that aggregates cell phone data, mapped out how much reduction there has been in cell phone mobility in recent weeks.
According to the company’s data, Santa Clara is getting high marks for reducing movement. Average mobility down 61% over the last month, according to their data.
Other Bay Area Counties, which have also been under stay-at-home orders, are performing well. San Francisco down 65% and San Mateo County down 63%. The data shows, however, that not all of California is doing its part. Mobility actually rose across several Central Valley and Sierras counties.
To address a significant question about privacy, Unacast said that its data is anonymous and not identifiable to individual devices or users.
“[The data is] designed to provide high-quality insights to public agencies, healthcare organizations, local governments and businesses to enable them to learn and act in the best interest of at-risk populations and the general public,” the company’s site says.