South Carolina gets an F in social distancing, data show. These counties are the worst
South Carolina is among the worst places in the country for social distancing, new findings show.
The state was one of nine states to get an F grade in the latest rankings from Unacast, a company that analyzes cellphone data. A previous version of the story was based on data from Tuesday, not Wednesday’s results.
The latest results were released as new coronavirus cases were reported in South Carolina and other states. To help reduce the spread of the disease, health officials recommend social distancing, which involves avoiding crowds and staying 6 feet or more from other people.
Some South Carolina counties were graded higher than others, results show. Here’s a breakdown from Unacast.
County receiving B grade: Allendale
Counties receiving C grades: Abbeville, Barnwell, Calhoun, Edgefield, Fairfield, Marlboro, McCormick, Saluda
Counties receiving D grades: Bamberg, Charleston, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Dillon, Hampton, Jasper, Laurens, Lee, Marion, Orangeburg, Union, Williamsburg
Counties receiving F grades: Aiken, Anderson, Beaufort, Berkeley, Cherokee, Darlington, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, Greenwood, Horry, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lexington, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Richland, Spartanburg, Sumter, York
Overall, Allendale County, which had 10 coronavirus cases and one death as of Wednesday, got the best grade. Georgetown County, with 40 cases and two deaths, was at the bottom of the list, findings show.
After shuttering some businesses due to concerns about COVID-19, Gov. Henry McMaster this month gradually started to reopen the state, The State reported. Salons, gyms and in-person dining options are still off limits, even as state leaders face calls to lift restrictions.
How did South Carolina earn its scores?
To come up with its findings, Unacast says it examined cellphone data in all states from before and during the age of COVID-19.
The company scored states based on reducing non-essential trips and average distance traveled, according to the results that were updated Wednesday. In these categories, the Palmetto State received F grades, findings show.
The scores are a change from March 26, when South Carolina earned a B, and several of its counties received A grades, The State reported.
Unacast says some people have pointed out that social distancing measures can look different in rural areas, so it started to weigh location data to determine the likelihood that someone would get the disease. South Carolina failed to decrease encounters, results show.
Overall, the top state was Nevada, which earned a B grade, and the worst was Georgia, according to Unacast. Other states that received Fs were Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
The country as a whole ranked below average in social distancing, getting a D.
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 2:32 PM.
