Visitors rushed to Georgia as businesses reopened, says University of Maryland study
Visitors from surrounding states rushed to Georgia after the state lifted restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus, according to an analysis of cell phone location information.
After Georgia partially reopened on April 24, out-of-state trips to the state from across the nation rose by 13%, or 62,441 trips a day, according to researchers at the University of Maryland.
Most visitors came from nearby states of Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, and North Carolina, where some restrictions were still in place.
Georgia was one of the first places in the US to allow nonessential businesses to reopen, with nail salons, massage therapists, bowling alleys and gyms allowed to open on April 24. They were followed on April 27 by limited dine-in service for restaurants, movie theaters and other entertainment venues. By May 4, some shopping malls had also reopened.
In the week after Georgia reopened, a daily average 546,159 people traveled to the state from other states, an increase of 13%, according to researchers at the University of Maryland’s Maryland Transportation Institute with Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Laboratory.
The researchers track the Social Distancing Index (SDI), “a metric that quantifies compliance with guidelines intended to contain the spread of COVID-19.”
Between April 23 and May 1, the SDI decreased by 12 points across the country.
“Our data suggests that the partial reopening orders in some states have prompted a sharp increase in mobility behavior and decreasing social distancing across the nation,” Lei Zhang, the institute’s director and the lead researcher said.
The findings could be worrisome for public health experts who have warned that lifting restrictions too soon would contribute to increased cases of coronavirus.
Asked about the University of Maryland’s analysis during a during a CNN town hall on Thursday, White House coronavirus task force official Dr. Deborah Birx said: “Well, I think it also puts themselves at risk, those who chose to come into an area where we know that there is still circulating virus.”
She added that she’s been asking governors to make available data about cases, hospitalizations and where testing is available so people can make informed decisions and protect themselves.
