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North Carolina Gets Failing Grades For Social Distancing

Following a trip to the local grocery, two people make their way along a railroad track with milk and groceries in Carrboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

North Carolina is receiving failing grades when it comes to social distancing. 

The study by Unacast grades states and countries on an A through F scale, and uses location data to measure social distancing adherence.

Social distancing involves taking measures to maintain a physical distance between people and reduce the number of times people come into close contact with each other.

North Carolina is one of nine states to receive an overall F grade, suggesting residents haven't been practicing social distancing as well as they should.

The grades are based on three metrics, including average mobility, reduction in non-essential visits, and a decrease in human encounters.

The News and Observer reports 39 counties received an F grade, including Guilford, Forsyth, and Rockingham, which ranked last overall.

The state's two most populated counties, Mecklenburg and Wake, both received a D.

Most of the states that received an F grade were located in the Southeast, with Georgia at the bottom of the list, behind South Carolina and North Carolina.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing. 

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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