Thread by @nytimes

More people in the U.S. are starting to move around, as state stay-at-home orders are eased.

About 25 million more people left their homes on an average day last week than during the preceding 6 weeks, a New York Times analysis of cellphone data found. nyti.ms/3fRTvf1

In nearly every part of the U.S., the share of people staying home dropped. The surge in movement came despite concerns among public health experts about the possibility of additional waves in new coronavirus infections and deaths as a result. nyti.ms/3fRTvf1

Before the coronavirus outbreak, 20.7% of the U.S. population, or about 68 million people, was staying home on a given day. nyti.ms/3fRTvf1

As the coronavirus spread and states put stay-at-home orders in place in mid-March, people in the U.S. started staying home. nyti.ms/3fRTvf1

Last week, the share of people in the U.S. staying home was 36.1%, on average, or about 119 million people.

That’s a drop of 7.7 percentage points from the average during the peak period for sheltering in place. nyti.ms/3fRTvf1

At its peak, about 144 million people in the U.S. stayed home from March 20, when states began telling people to stay home, to April 30, when many states eased those restrictions. nyti.ms/3fRTvf1

It’s too early to know whether people moving more in the U.S. will lead to new waves of coronavirus infection. But social distancing has proven one of the most effective means to curb the spread of the virus.

Here’s where state stay-at-home orders stand. nyti.ms/2Z33ZSy

The share of people staying home varied by state, with some states seeing more significant drops in sheltering.

See how your state compares. nyti.ms/3fRTvf1