Since the start of the pandemic, the tech company has used data from its hugely popular Google Maps app, as well as location data from smartphone users, to monitor how people around Australia reacted to lockdowns.

A new version of the report from Saturday showed that Wagga residents have only just started returning to retail shops, with visits up by two per cent in the past few days.

Wagga's retail and recreation venue visits had been below average for weeks after the mask requirement was announced on June 26.

Supermarket and pharmacy visits were down slightly from two weeks ago but still 18 per cent above average.

Workplace attendance had seen a sharp recovery earlier in July but was now seven per cent below the pre-pandemic baseline.

Business NSW Murray-Riverina regional manager Anthony McFarlane said the figures were broadly in line with what businesses had experienced.

"I certainly think the 18 per cent increase in supermarket and pharmacy visitation is probably reflective of buying behavior that has been affected by what has been happening in Sydney and the fear of an outbreak," he said.

"On the public transport side, one of the reasons could be fear of transmission of the virus.

"The slight decline in workplace visits could have been the confusion around the health order and whether employers had to enforce employees working from home or not, but that has since been clarified."

In mid-June, Google's community mobility report projected that people visiting Wagga's retail, recreation and work locations has declined sharply since mask rules and attendance limits were imposed.

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On June 26, the NSW government announced strict new protection measures for regional areas in a bid to keep coronavirus outbreaks in Greater Sydney under control.

Since around the time, Google's data suggested that Wagga residents have avoided public transport to a continually increasing degree before settling at about 54 per cent below average.

Residential addresses have remained about 2 to 7 per cent more popular for visits since the new restrictions were announced.

Wagga business chamber business manager Serena Hardwick said lower numbers of people in Wagga's CBD could have a big impact.

"Something we have spoken about is the importance of having a variety of businesses in the central activity district as having a seven per cent decrease in workplace attendance would mean less people there at lunchtime, for example, and that would impact businesses as well," she said.

"The drop in public transport probably illustrates the impact that restrictions have had. People are less likely to be going out for drinks and getting a taxi home.

"The pubs are saying that it's a lot slower and that even though people have intentions to go out and they are booking, they are less likely to turn up. I think people have become complacent with being at home."

Mr McFarlane said Wagga's movement habits also appear to have affected retail trade but it seemed to be faring better in Google's data than Albury, which had lost a lot of cross-border trade.

"CBD foot traffic has seen a dip in recent weeks and people are more cautious ... The boost in the COVID-19 business support grant has been a very timely measure as the reduction in visitation from Victoria and Sydney has certainly been affected," he said.

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