Data: County residents are moving around more

The number of people staying at home in Humboldt County has been steadily declining, according to data from major tech companies.

Humboldt County residents are spending time at home 3% more than they did during the start of 2020, which has been hovering over 10% for most of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Google’s COVID-19 community mobility report for Sunday. People requesting driving directions is also back on the rise by 23% compared to a Jan. 13, 2020 baseline, according to Apple data for Wednesday.

Trips to local parks were up 51%, visits to grocery stores and pharmacies were down 5%, and excursions to retail and recreation spots were down 14% compared to a 2020 baseline, according to the Google data.

Google data following the first two weeks of the pandemic recorded 10% fewer trips to parks, 23% fewer trips to grocery stores and pharmacies, and 48% fewer trips to retail and recreation locations.

The number of county residents Facebook recorded staying home for a continuous 24-hour period has been over 20% since the pandemic began with highs in their 30s during the holidays, but that number dipped below 20% as of March 1 at 19.89%.

Data is also showing that the risk of COVID-19 spread is dropping even though people are staying at home less.

Smart thermometer company Kinsa rates Humboldt County as low risk for COVID-19 spread and shows cases are low and falling.

The state Department of Public Health’s COVID assessment tool shows that the “spread of COVID-19 is likely decreasing” and the average number of people an infected person will pass the disease onto has dropped below one across the state, including Humboldt County.

The declining risk has coincided with an increase in the number of people getting vaccinated; 7.68% of the county, or 10,435 people, have been fully vaccinated and 8.04% of the county, or 10,933 people, have been partially vaccinated, for a total of 15.72% of county residents having received at least one vaccination, according to county data as of noon Wednesday.

The number of county residents Facebook recorded staying home for a continuous 24-hour period has been over 20% since the pandemic began with highs in their 30s during the holidays, but that number dipped below 20% as of March 1 at 19.89%.

SCREENSHOT A graph from Apple shows how direction requests to its company have changed from Jan. 13, 2020, through Wednesday in Humboldt County. There was an increase in requests starting in spring that steadily declined beginning in fall and through the winter, however, requests are on the uptick again.