Social distancing scorecard: Which California counties rate the best - and worst?
California received a grade of D for its social distancing efforts during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the data collecting company Unacast.
But some of the state’s counties did better than others, according to Unacast.
Social distancing is currently the most effective way to slow the spread of coronavirus, according to the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Friday, the U.S. has more than 1.1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, which is the most of any country, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
California has over 50,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Friday, according to the Los Angeles Times. Over 2,000 people have died from coronavirus in the state, the LA Times reported.
Using data from millions of mobile phones and their daily interactions with each other, Unacast scored each state by their change in average mobility — based on distance traveled, changes in non-essential visits and the difference in the number of human encounters. Unacast compiled the data in an interactive map, detailing each state’s and county’s social distancing initiatives.
California has been under strict stay-at-home orders since mid-March, NBC News reported. Individual counties in the state will ease stay-at-home restrictions on their own timelines, but statewide school closures could extend through July or August, according to the LA Times.
But not everyone is adhering to the rules. On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom closed state and local beaches in Orange County after multiple people from across the region visited, potentially spreading coronavirus in their home communities, according to The New York Times.
Through Thursday, California had a 25% to 40% decrease in average mobility based on the distance people traveled for a grade of D, and non-essential visits decreased by about 55% to 60%, also for a D.
The five counties in California that did the best at decreasing their average mobility were Mono (B-), Marin (C+), San Francisco (C+), Humboldt (C) and Plumas (C).
The five worst counties in California were Sacramento, Sutter, Solano, Riverside and Placer — all of which received an F. Alpine County was not given a grade by Unacast.
The U.S. as a whole was given a D for its social distancing initiatives, Unacast says. Nevada was the state with the highest score,receiving a B-. The worst 10 states all received Fs, with Georgia at the bottom of the list. .
This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Social distancing scorecard: Which California counties rate the best - and worst?."