Are mobility and COVID-19 related? A dynamic analysis for Portuguese districts

Abstract

Abstract In this research work we propose to assess the dynamic correlation between different mobility indices, measured on a daily basis, and the new cases of COVID-19 in the different Portuguese districts. The analysis is based on global correlation measures, which capture the linear and non-linear relationships in time series, in a robust and dynamic way. The results show that mobility in retail and recreation, grocery and pharmacy and public transports are more significant in the spread of COVID-19 than mobility in parks, workplaces or residence. It should also be noted that this relationship is lower in districts with lower population density, which leads to the need for differentiated confinement policies in order to minimize the impacts of a terrible economic and social crisis.