GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — One year after Wisconsin’s “Safer at Home” order went into effect, and with the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, more Wisconsinites are staying closer to home than they were before the pandemic, according to one study.
According to the website QuoteWizard, 16.4% more people in the Badger State avoided trips in January 2021 compared to January 2020. As of early 2021, nearly 1.4 million Wisconsin residents were staying close to home, compared to nearly 1.2 million in early 2020.
The study looked at U.S. Department of Transportation statistics on trips by distance.
According to QuoteWizard, national trips per capita decreased sharply in April 2020, while rebounding in May and June. As coronavirus cases surged in the summer months, some states reinstated pandemic precautions, correlating with fewer trips the rest of the year.
In Wisconsin, the “Safer at Home” order was first issued on March 24, 2020. It was extended to May 26, but on May 13, the state Supreme Court struck it down. Wisconsin has had no stay-home order since.
QuoteWizard also said its study showed a correlation between states where people stayed close to home the most and states with the lowest per capita rate of virus cases.
