Toronto -- The COVID pandemic has had dramatic implications for the mobility and proximity of all Canadians says a new report led by researchers from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy working in tandem with partners from the ISI Foundation and from the Data for Good program at Cuebiq.
In report, the authors Gabriel Cavalli, a Rotman PhD student, Brennan Lake, Senior Director of Research Partnerships & Data for Good at Cuebiq, Anita M. McGahan, University Professor and the George E. Connell Chair in Organizations & Society at the Rotman School, and Emanuele Pepe of the ISI Foundation, set out to answer several key questions, including: How did Canadians react to the restrictions on mobility that were implemented in March, 2020, and subsequently to contain the spread of COVID? How did Canadians respond to the lifting of restrictions? Has mobility recovered to pre-pandemic levels? How did the proximity of Canadians to one another change with restrictions on mobility? Has contact recovered to pre-pandemic levels with the lifting of restrictions?
The purpose of the report, published by the Munk School’s Innovation Policy Lab, is to describe changes in behavior for the Canadian public, policymakers, and leaders focused on the immediate and lasting impact of COVID social-distancing restrictions on Canadian life.
Using anonymized cell phone data, the researchers were able to determine estimates of mobility and proximity of Canadians by province, territory, census division, and major city since the first COVID-19 restrictions took effect.
The results? Canadians’ mobility has largely recovered to pre-restriction levels in many areas, and people are primarily traveling locally within and between co-located cities, with a significant decline in air travel. However, Canadians’ proximity has not recovered to pre-restriction levels. Although Canadians may be more mobile than early in the pandemic, they largely continue to avoid interacting with others, with results varying somewhat by location.
Much more research is needed to understand these changes in Canadian society. What is clear even at this early stage is that the pandemic has had nuanced and significant impact on the ways in which Canadians interact. The entire report can be read online.
The Rotman School of Management is part of the University of Toronto, a global centre of research and teaching excellence at the heart of Canada’s commercial capital. Rotman is a catalyst for transformative learning, insights and public engagement, bringing together diverse views and initiatives around a defining purpose: to create value for business and society. For more information, visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca.
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For more information:
Ken McGuffin
Manager, Media Relations
Rotman School of Management
University of Toronto
E-mail mcguffin@rotman.utoronto.ca