MSP praises islanders for taking advice seriously
A HIGHLANDS and Islands MSP has praised Shetlanders for apparently heeding government edicts to stay home in order to “protect the NHS” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Green MSP John Finnie says that data published by Google shows the “overwhelming majority” of islanders are taking the advice seriously, with visits to non-food shops down 85 per cent and workplaces 60 per cent less busy.
The data is somewhat old, dated at 29 March, and Google says there is “not enough data” for a complete analysis of Shetland, but the results are consistent with Orkney, which shares similar caveats.
Finnie said: “The current situation is putting people under an enormous amount of pressure and changing the way we all live our lives.
“As this data shows people on the Shetland Islands have made significant changes to their daily routines; and they deserve an enormous amount of credit for that. Only by following the official guidance to stay at home can we protect the NHS and save lives.”
The reports chart movement trends over time by geography, across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.
The Google data can be viewed here.
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