Public visits to restaurants and shopping centres in Qatar fall by 51% as social distancing measures kick in

Tribune News NetworkDohaNew data released by Google shows declines in the number of people visiting public places such as grocery stores and parks in Qatar, as restrictions aimed at reducing the transmission of coronavirus take hold.Google’s community mobility reports, aimed at public health officials but accessible by everyone, could help authorities determine if social distancing introduced is being implemented effectively.According to its Qatar report, mobility trends for places like restaurants, cafes, shopping centres, theme parks, museums, libraries, and movie theaters showed a decline of 51 percent.Grocery and pharmacy visits by the public declined by 25 percent, while that to parks fell by 34 percent.Visits to transit stations decreased by 52 percent while that to workplaces declined by 31 percent. The only area in which there is an increase in mobility is residential. As people are urged to stay at home, residential mobility trend in Qatar jumped by 22 percent.