3.1 Intervals Analysis

3.1.2 Comparative Analysis of Movement Data

The comparative analysis examines the data across the seven distinct intervals during 2020, highlighting mobility trends and their association with key government interventions. By analyzing the provided graphs and summary table, we can identify both temporal patterns and notable deviations in mobility during critical phases of the pandemic.

Comparative Visualisation of Movement Trends

The graph below illustrates the movement trends across all intervals, providing a visual summary of average movement levels and their fluctuations. Key observations include:

• Pre-Corona: As expected, movement levels were consistently high, reflecting normal urban activity prior to any restrictions.
• First Lockdown UK: Mobility experienced the sharpest decline, with certain areas showing reductions as high as 80%. Central London and transit hubs were particularly affected.
• Relaxing Restrictions: Movement levels began to recover a little, as restrictions were eased during the summer months.
• Three-Tier System & Second Lockdown UK: A renewed drop in mobility occurred, although the overall reduction was less severe than during the first lockdown, maybe due to increased adaptation to remote working and essential activities.
• Four-Tier in London: Emergency restrictions during December led to another sharp decline, with movement levels nearing those of the initial lockdown phase.

Figure 1: Movement trends across time intervals, showcasing the average activity levels and their changes over time.

Mean Movement Values Across Intervals

The following graph provides a detailed statistical view of mean movement levels across the seven intervals. This visualisation highlights the differences in activity during various phases, with significant contrasts observed between lockdowns and reopening phases:

• First Lockdown: The mean movement value dropped to its lowest point, with an average significantly below 0.5, indicating widespread reductions in activity.
• Relaxing Restrictions: Movement levels rose steadily, with mean values nearing pre-pandemic levels, particularly during the summer months.
• Four-Tier System: Although the mean movement levels decreased, they did not reach the lows of the first lockdown, reflecting increased resilience and adaptation by the public.

Figure 2: Mean movement values across intervals, highlighting mobility reductions during lockdowns and recovery during reopening phases.

Summary Statistics

The summary table below offers a comprehensive view of movement statistics, including minimum, median, mean, and maximum values for each interval. These metrics provide deeper insights into how movement distributions varied across London during different periods:

• Pre-Corona: The mean overall movement is almost two times the over averages with maximum movement value of 2.3.
• First Lockdown: Median and mean values dropped below 0.5, with some areas recording movement levels close to zero.
• Relaxing Restrictions: The median movement level recovered to around 0.7, while maximum values remained lower than pre-pandemic levels.
• Second Lockdown: Although reductions were observed, the median remained slightly higher than during the first lockdown.

Table 1: Summary of movement statistics for each interval, showcasing key metrics such as median and maximum activity levels.

These observations demonstrate the significant impact of COVID-19 policies on human mobility patterns. The contrasts between intervals highlight the effectiveness of lockdowns and the gradual recovery during reopening phases.