More people worked from home during this year’s semi-lockdown than when the same shutdowns were ordered after the pandemic first hit last year, fresh Google data shows.  

The government shut schools, restaurants and all non-essential services in the middle of last month, on the same day 510 people tested positive for the virus.  

Just days after the government’s announcement that remote learning and teleworking would have to resume, Google’s data shows visits to workplaces dropped nearly 80 per cent compared to pre-pandemic figures.  

This figure was notably higher than in March 2020 when a similar shutdown was in place. Back then, the drop was of nearly 50 per cent.

As many returned to their offices later in the year, the difference narrowed to just over 20 per cent.

Many spent most of their time out visiting open spaces in March

On the other hand, despite the closure of non-essential businesses, the drop in visits to retail outlets and recreational spots was of just 40 per cent last month, compared to nearly 75 per cent in the first weeks of the pandemic.  

But with all places of entertainment shut, it seems many spent most of their time out in March visiting open spaces like beaches, parks and public gardens.

Visits to these spots in the days after the measures came into force increased by nearly 40 per cent when compared to the activity recorded before the pandemic hit.  

The snapshot of life during the quasi-lockdown, imposed amid rocketing daily tallies, emerged from the latest mobility data report issued by Google. Two similar reports on movement in Malta during the pandemic have already been published by the tech giant. 

The report uses data that Google collects through its applications such as Google Maps, specifically from users who have opted into location history. 

The data, which represents a sample of users, is aggregated and anonymised and made public for a short while only. 

The baseline – or pre-COVID-19 times – is the median value for the corresponding day of the week during the five-week period between January 3 and February 6, 2020.