WORKPLACES in Braintree were quieter during the first week without Covid restrictions than in the previous seven days, figures reveal.

The Government's work from home guidance came to an end last month on so-called "Freedom Day".

But Braintree's average activity in workplaces was still 27 per cent below normal levels.

This was down slightly from 25 per cent below during the previous week, when the Government’s instruction to work from home where possible was in place.

Business leaders say the emergence of hybrid working models – encouraging a mix of home and on-site working – could be behind a slight fall in activity in workplaces.

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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.

Across England, average workplace activity also fell slightly from 24 per cent below normal levels to 26 per cent under.