These states are apparently the best at social distancing


If executive orders don't work, how about a little friendly competition between states to see who's the best at social distancing?
Unacast, a technology company, analyzed GPS location data from millions of smartphones across the country to track average distances before and after the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States and subsequently doled out grades to each state and county based on how big the decline has been, The Star Tribune reports.
The good news is that while some states are doing better than others, the majority appear to be doing their part. Several states received an A grade after showing greater than 40 percent declines in average distance traveled by and very few achieved lower than a B. The states that have stood out, in addition to Washington, D.C., which leads the pack with a 60 percent decrease, are Alaska, Nevada, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. New York, the state dealing with the worst of the crisis right now, also received an A.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Not every state earned strong marks, though. Wyoming was hit with a failing grade, while Montana and Idaho received Ds. Of course, those states are more sparsely populated so traveling greater distances is required more often. Read more at The Star Tribune and see more of Unacast's data here.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
'From his election as pope in 2013, Francis sought to reform'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Israel blames 'failures' for killing of medics
speed read 14 Gaza medics and 1 U.N. employee were killed by IDF special forces
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans