A new study found that people in states and cities that implemented social distancing guidelines stayed away from office, retail and other types of commercial buildings after the order. But in states and local municipalities that didn't have such mandates, people continued to come into the office, risking catching the coronavirus during a global health pandemic.

Analyzing cloud-based data from the nearly 2,000 buildings it services nationwide, Openpath, a Culver City-based proptech company specializing in office access and workplace security, tracked the occupancy rate of those buildings before and after city and state officials mandated a social distancing or shelter-in-place policy.

The study is possibly the first of its kind that tracks the affect of social distancing guidelines.

The data from late February through the end of March found that social distancing and shelter-in-place orders have been an effective way to get people away from the office and other types of buildings, Openpath President James Segil told Bisnow.

Segil said his clients are owners of office buildings, retail buildings, houses of worship and industrial properties across 45 states and Washington, D.C. Though Openpath services multifamily properties, that asset class was removed. Some states were not represented individually in the data due to lack of sufficient data but are represented in the combined national data.

In California, building occupancy levels dropped in the weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom began issuing social distancing guidelines and cautioning people to avoid large gatherings in early March.

After Newsom ordered the cancellation of nonessential gatherings the week of March 12, the overall occupancy rate in Openpath's client buildings dropped from 84% during the week to 33% the following week.

Newsom issued the shelter-in-place order on March 19, and the next week, office occupancy rate dropped to 20%, according to the data.

It was the same story in New York.

The week before New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged people to work from home on March 9, Openpath showed a building occupancy rate of 98%. During the week of the order, building occupancy fell to 66% and then the following week, decreased to 22%.