Life is slowly returning to normal in Oxfordshire, data suggests, despite the coronavirus restrictions still in place.

Current curbs will remain a while longer, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced that the end of all coronavirus restrictions in England – which the Government's roadmap outlined would be June 21 at the earliest – would be delayed by up to four weeks.

Google uses location data from phones and other personal devices to track trends in people's movement in different parts of their daily lives.

It compares footfall in five areas outside of the home – retail and recreation, supermarkets and pharmacies, parks, public transport and workplaces – to a five week-baseline period recorded before the Covid-19 crisis.

In Oxfordshire, average activity across these categories was 5% above normal levels in the week to June 6.

This was up significantly from 46% below in the week beginning January 4, when the UK was plunged into its third national lockdown.

Across the UK, average activity peaked at 9% above the baseline between May 31 and June 6 – a higher level than any other week since the UK entered its first lockdown in March 2020.

While many activities and venues such as large-scale events and nightclubs still have several weeks before they can return, many other parts of the economy have reopened.

After months of lockdown, the first coronavirus restrictions were eased in April when non-essential retail and outdoor hospitality resumed.

This was followed by pubs and restaurants welcoming customers indoors in May, along with many indoor entertainment and cultural venues, such as museums, theatres and cinemas – though all are operating at a reduced capacity.

Google data for the week ending June 6 in Oxfordshire shows:

Activity in retail and recreation establishments was 9% below normal levels. In supermarkets and grocery stores, it was 5% above usual. Activity was 92% above pre-pandemic measurements in parks and public spaces. It was 25% below the baseline on public transport. And activity in workplaces was 39% below normal

The Prime Minister pushed back the end of England’s coronavirus restrictions to July 19 due to concerns over the rapidly spreading Delta variant first identified in India.

Experts feared going ahead with step four on June 21 as planned could lead to hospital admissions on the scale of the first wave of Covid-19, heaping unsustainable pressure on the health service.

Limits on numbers for sports events, pubs and cinemas will therefore remain in place, nightclubs will stay shuttered and people will be asked to continue working from home where possible.