Millions of mobile phone devices recently showed data, specifically the changing behavior across America this month as people started going up in response to the relaxing of stay-at-home directives. Almost all smart phone devices of every version leaves a virtual footprint. In fact, it is easy to view the behavior of any mobile user by checking on locations. 

As indicated in a Reuters analysis, Americans went back to gas stations, restaurants, and parks first. In the majority of the US, however, people continued staying away from religious institutions, fitness centers and bars, which, based on the analysis of what Reuters described as "anonymized smartphone data" from SafeGraph

Incidentally, grade school and high school visits, as well as visits to colleges dropped at almost 80 percent compared to the percentage in early March.

Nevertheless, specialty food and grocery shops, where visits rose by 17 percent amid the "peak panic buying," also in the middle of March, had another, although smaller, bump this month as the restrictions for stay-at-home orders started to lift.

Across the nation, the analysis showed, foot traffic middle of this month at pubs and bars was 60 percent lower compared to the percentage in early March prior to the taking place of the stay-at-home directives.

Nevertheless in Alabama, bar visits increased by 11-percent "above pre-lockdown levels" after establishments like breweries, restaurants, and bars were permitted to restart operations on May 11.

Millions of People Tired of Quarantine Went Out to Eat

In Texas, where, on May 1, the restrictions on restaurants, malls, movie theaters, and retail stores were loosened by Governor Greg Abbott, millions of people who are said to be tired of quarantine reportedly went out to eat.

However, a considerable part of the population remained careful about eating at restaurants. Foot traffic to restaurants, reports indicate dropped at 20 percent middle of this month from "early March levels," a bounce from its biggest 54-percent drop.

In Washington D.C., where residents need to wait until June 8 before the stay-at-home rule gets lifted, recorded foot traffic to restaurants at a 66-percent decline. 

However, visits to nature parks middle of this month increased by 21 percent in Wisconsin, where more than 30 forests and state parks reopened early this month.

Trends Across the City

Citywide, the data indicated the manner nuances in government policies and lifestyle can result in behavior bucking national trends.

In San Francisco, for instance, where ride-sharing apps dominate the streets, gas station visits stayed 22 percent below levels in early March.

The data also showed that "foot traffic to bars" started to recover in Brooklyn and Houston earlier than the other parts of the country after several spots started to offer takeout service, responding to the relaxed liquor orders.

Meanwhile in New York City, where limitations on the number of clients allowed to enter establishments, specifically grocery shops resulted in long lines, "foot traffic to food and grocery shops" stayed at 44-percent which was lower than in early March.

Visits to religious establishments, according to the data, recovered a bit in St. Louis, after religious services were allowed to resume by Missouri Governor Mike Parson on May 4.

SafeGraph gathers the so-called "anonymized location data" from mobile gadgets and matches it with footprints to buildings to gauge traffic.

Lastly, Reuters compared food traffic which SafeGraph observed from early March until the middle of May, making adjustments for the fluctuating number of mobile gadgets for SafeGraph recorded daily.

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