How are southern states doing on social distancing? A new map has the answer
In the South, some states are following social distancing guidelines to a tee, while others could do better, a new analysis map shows.
Researchers at the University of Maryland have developed a model showing how well states are sticking to social distancing and shelter-in-place orders to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, according to The Hill.
Using data from cell phones, healthcare systems, government agencies and other sources, researchers assigned each state an “index score” based on how well its residents are following the rules. Further, the map analyzes variables that include the percentage of people staying at home, out-of-county trips, the distance of those trips and visits to work and non-work locations.
The results are aggregated daily to show the impact COVID-19 is having on mobility, society and public health, researchers said.
“Our goal is to not only produce new and compelling data, but to truly inform and support decision-makers with the best available data and interactive analysis tools,” said Lei Zheng, the professor and director of the Maryland Transportation Institute who is leading the project.
States can score up to 100, indicating perfect social distancing. The latest data available shows that on April 13, Florida led the Southern states with a score of 57. It was followed by Georgia, Texas and North Carolina, which each earned a social distancing score of 50.
Louisiana scored a 49 with South Carolina and Mississippi coming in at 41 and 44, respectively, the map shows.
The analysis proves that folks not only in the South, but across the U.S., have room for improvement when it comes to social distancing. However, it is important to note that certain communities, especially in the South and West, often have farther to travel to access essential businesses, such as grocery stores and doctor’s offices.
“Government agencies need to improve the effectiveness of physical distancing and stay-at-home orders by educating the general public, increasing enforcement, working with employers and communities, and supporting vulnerable populations who may encounter challenges in meeting social distancing requirements,” Zheng added.
Researchers note that stay-at-home compliance has been erratic across the board, writing that the “percentage of people staying home nationwide increased from 20 percent to 35 percent at the onset of COVID-19 in mid-March — but then stagnated at 35 percent for three weeks, despite skyrocketing new COVID-19 cases.”
In Georgia, for instance, the state had a social distancing score of 43 on April 1, according to the analysis. By April 8, its score improved to 50 and continued to trend upward, reaching a score of 78 less than a week later. It dipped back to 50 on April 13, however.
Nationally, the U.S. has an index score of 57 when its comes to physical distancing with just 36 percent of Americans staying at home, the map shows. New Jersey currently leads the country with a social distancing score of 76, followed by New York (75) and Massachusetts (71).
As of April 13, Arkansas scored a 35 — the worst in the nation.
Michael Pack, director of the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology and co-lead on the project, said the interactive map is only the first phase of their analysis. The project is the culmination of work by researchers at UMD’s A. James Clark School of Engineering and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, according to the university.
“We plan on rolling out new statistics, correlated data, information visualizations, and other tools to the platform daily to enable more insights and discoveries,” said Pack.
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 11:20 AM with the headline "How are southern states doing on social distancing? A new map has the answer."