Social distancing score card: Which Washington counties are doing the best?

The data collector Unacast gave Washington a “B” on social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, but the grades by county range from A to F.

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. Unacast created an interactive map scoring states and counties on their social distancing initiatives at the local level.

The company scored each state individually by their change in average mobility, based on distance traveled. Washington’s mobility was down by 36 percent, according to the analysis.

The top five counties for social distancing included Garfield, Ferry, King, Island and Kitsap, all of which received an A for their efforts.

The bottom five counties were Lincoln, Columbia, Whitman, Adams and Kittitas, all of which received an F.

Travel in Washington gradually declined starting March 1 and continues to decrease. Travel took a sharp drop by March 13, when 501 new cases of the coronavirus were reported, according to the table created by Unacast.

Travel increased by about 7 percent on March 15, but it’s been on steady decline since. As reported cases of coronavirus rise, travel decreases, according Unacast’s date table.

The United States as a whole received a B for social distancing initiatives, Unacast said. The top five areas were Washington, D.C., Alaska, Nevada, New Jersey and Rhode Island, all of which received As.

Unacast indicated the worst five states were Oregon (C), New Mexico (C), Idaho (D), Montana (D) and Wyoming (F).

This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 10:08 AM.