Behavioral and Policy Responses to COVID-19: Evidence from Google Mobility Data on State-Level Stay-at-Home Orders

Abstract

In early 2020, many states issued stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of COVID-19. I analyze Google Mobility data to consider the extent to which state-level stay-at-home orders induced people to stay at home. I find that much of the change in residential, retail and recreational, park, workplace, transit station, and, to a lesser extent, grocery and pharmacy activity preceded state-level stay-at- home orders.