COVID-19 data visualisations

As part of the Science Media Centre’s COVID-19 response, we commissioned freelance geographer Chris McDowall to create visualisations of key COVID-19 data.

Our cities go into lockdown

In these videos, Chris McDowall used information provided by Data Ventures – the commercial arm of Stats NZ – to show how our three main centres moved in early stages of lockdown. The animations use cell phone tower data which roughly shows where people (and their phones) were moving in the weeks leading up to Easter 2020.

Chris joined the SMC for an online media briefing to explain what the animations show.