Mobility In Times Of COVID-19: A breakdown of Arab countries

The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected populations all around the world. Many countries have enforced nationwide lockdown, curfews, and sterilization campaigns. But have they been working? 

Video footage posted on traditional news outlets or on various social media platforms send mixed messages regarding people's compliance with social distancing during this period. But Google figured out a way to quantify people's commitment to quarantines.

Titled COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports, the Google report aims at providing "insights into what has changed in response to work from home, shelter in place, and other policies aimed at flattening the curve of this pandemic."

The reports are based on aggregated, anonymized data gathered from mobile phones to map people's movement trends over a period of time. The data was collected from 131 countries worldwide, including some in the Arab region.

Google's data records changes in footfall to retail and recreation spots (e.g. cinemas, restaurants, museums), grocery markets and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential areas.

For its benchmark average, Google used location data from the beginning of the year (Jan. 3 - Feb. 6); it then compared those numbers to data gathered in the period after that. 

Only data from users who have turned on the "Location History" setting on their phones were used to produce the reports; the feature is currently turned off by default. 

Different Arab countries have imposed varying lockdown measures, impacting people's mobility trends in the area. From a wide lens, most people in Arab countries have restricted their movements, spending more time in their homes during this period. Residents in Jordan have witnessed the highest increase in time spent in residential areas when juxtaposed with its Arab neighbors; commutes to the workplace have witnessed the sharpest decline in the aforementioned country as well. 

Where do Arab residents stand in terms of mobility in times of COVID-19? Here's a breakdown: 

*All numbers are based on data pulled on April 9.

Mobility trends to places like restaurants, cafés, shopping centers, theme parks, museums, libraries, and movie theaters declined 45 percent in Bahrain, where the number of COVID-19 infections exceeds 820. 

These types of activities have witnessed the highest decline in footfall since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. People in the Gulf country have also reduced their commuting to parks (40 percent), transit stations (38 percent), workplaces (25 percent), and grocery markets and pharmacies (22 percent). 

Over the period examined, people in Bahrain have increased their time spent in residential areas by 16 percent. 

Footfall in Egypt to retail and recreation centers declined 50 percent, where the number of COVID-19 infections stands at 1,560. Similar to Bahrain, mobility to spaces like malls, cinemas, and restaurants have witnessed the sharpest decline. 

People in the North African country have also reduced their commuting to parks (40 percent), transit stations (52 percent), workplaces (35 percent), and grocery markets and pharmacies (24 percent). 

Over the period examined, people in Egypt have increased their time spent in residential areas by 15 percent. 

Movement of people in Iraq, just like the aforementioned Arab countries, has also declined drastically. Mobility trends to restaurants, cafés, cinemas and the like have dropped 64 percent, a much higher percentage than Egypt and Bahrain, as the number of COVID-19 infections reach, and exceed, 1,200. 

People in Iraq have also limited their movements to parks (48 percent), transit stations (61 percent), workplaces (55 percent), and grocery markets and pharmacies (42 percent). 

Over the period examined, people in Iraq have increased their time spent in residential areas by 21 percent. 

Jordan is one of the first Arab countries to impose especially strict lockdown measures on its residents. The recent Google report actually proves just how successful the country's measures have been during the pandemic. 

Mobility trends in Jordan, just like the aforementioned Arab countries, have declined drastically. The footprint to restaurants, cafés, cinemas and the like has dropped 74 percent, a much higher percentage than its Arab counterparts. The number of coronavirus cases in the country hovers around 350, which is among the lowest in the Arab region. 

People in Jordan have also limited their movements to parks (59 percent), transit stations (89 percent), workplaces (73 percent), and grocery markets and pharmacies (52 percent). 

Over the period examined, people in Jordan have increased their time spent in residential areas by 27 percent. 

Mobility in Kuwait seems to have been slashed by only half the population under examination in nearly all aspects of life, despite the fact that authorities have imposed fines on violators of curfew regulations. People's mobility to retail and recreation centers has dropped 56 percent, as the number of infections reaches 855 in the country. 

People in the Gulf nation have also limited their movements to parks (48 percent), transit stations (49 percent), workplaces (42 percent), and grocery markets and pharmacies (30 percent). 

Over the period examined, people in Kuwait have increased their time spent in residential areas by 23 percent.

Lebanon is one of the countries in the Arab region that closed its borders early into the pandemic to restrict the spread of the novel coronavirus among residents. It has imposed curfews on restaurants, supermarkets, and businesses. More recently, authorities imposed further measures to limit the number of people commuting per day by allocating certain days for odd-number license plates and other days for even-number license plates. 

So would you be surprised to learn that mobility trends to retail and recreation centers plummeted 73 percent in the stated period? 

Like its Arab counterparts, other areas have witnessed a sharp decline as well. People in Lebanon have limited their movements to parks (59 percent), transit stations (84 percent), workplaces (41 percent), and grocery markets and pharmacies (48 percent). 

Over the period examined, people in Lebanon have increased their time spent in residential areas by 15 percent. The number of coronavirus cases in Lebanon has topped 570.

People in Oman seem more concerned about transit stations than any other place, reducing their footprint to such places more so than retail centers, for example. 

Mobility in Oman has also witnessed a drop during the coronavirus lockdown. People's footprint to retail and recreation centers has dropped 52 percent, as the number of cases passes the 450-mark.

People in the Gulf country have also limited their movements to parks (41 percent), transit stations (64 percent), workplaces (34 percent), and grocery markets and pharmacies (35 percent). 

Over the period examined, people in Oman have increased their time spent in residential areas by 17 percent. 

Movement in Qatar has decayed in recent weeks, as the number of coronavirus cases exceeds 2,200 in the country. 

Mobility to retail and recreation centers in the Gulf nation has dwindled 51 percent during this period. 

People in the Gulf country have also limited their movements to parks (34 percent), transit stations (52 percent), workplaces (31 percent), and grocery markets and pharmacies (25 percent). 

Over the period examined, people in Qatar have increased their time spent in residential areas by 22 percent, which isn't so bad, relatively speaking. 

Saudi Arabia followed in the footsteps of many other countries in closing down mosques to restrict large gatherings of people amid the coronavirus outbreak. It even suspended Umrah, the non-mandatory pilgrimage, and entry into the country just a few weeks back. The country, which is home to Islam's holiest site, is also contemplating the cancelation of the annual pilgrimage, better known as Hajj. 

It has even imposed strict curfews for residents in the country, closed certain borders, and stopped movement all through the night. Has it worked? 

According to Google's report, it seems to be working for the most part. Movement in Saudi Arabia has dropped, as the number of coronavirus cases exceeds the 2,900-mark. 

Mobility to retail and recreation centers in the Gulf nation has decreased 54 percent during this period. People have also limited their movements to parks (49 percent), transit stations (75 percent), workplaces (45 percent), and grocery markets and pharmacies (24 percent). 

Over the period examined, people in Saudi Arabia have increased their time spent in residential areas by 23 percent.

People in the UAE seem to be complying with the regulations imposed by authorities a bit more committedly than people in other Arab countries. This is particularly true when we're talking about workplaces, where employees and employers have been spending more time working at home than at the office. 

Movement in the UAE has dropped in all aspects under examination in the report, as the number of coronavirus cases surpasses the 2,600-mark.

Mobility to retail and recreation centers in the Gulf nation has dropped 55 percent during this period. People have also limited their movements to parks (53 percent), transit stations (69 percent), workplaces (45 percent), and grocery markets and pharmacies (26 percent). 

Over the period examined, people in the UAE have increased their time spent in residential areas by 26 percent.

Mobility trends in Yemen haven't really dropped and there are no reported cases of coronavirus in the country as of yet. It's unclear whether this is accurate or due to a lack of testing in the nation. 

Still, people's movements seem to be operating as normal, declining only slightly since the start of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Mobility to retail and recreation centers in Yemen has only dropped 8 percent, the lowest decline in the Arab region. 

People in Yemen haven't limited their mobility to other spaces like parks (declined 9 percent only), transit stations (9 percent drop), workplaces (5 percent drop), and grocery markets and pharmacies (1 percent drop).  

Over the period examined, people in Yemen have increased their time spent in residential areas by just 5 percent.