Économie et statistiques N° 116/2020 Physical distancing worked to combat the spread of COVID-19 using Google Mobility data

Physical distancing has worked to combat the spread of COVID-19, yet not everyone agrees and mandatory lockdown measures differ substantially across countries. To what degree does distancing work? This article presents the case for physical distancing in 95 countries around the world using Google mobility data, which show individuals’ time spent in various types of places during the pandemic.