WalletHub, the personal finance website that releases a wide range of rankings, has released a new comparison, this one ranking the states that are most and least aggressively fighting COVID-19.
North Carolina ranked 30th.
According to the World Health Organization, the primary way that coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads is through close interaction with other people, Wallet Hub reported. If people come into contact with droplets exhaled or coughed out by infected people, they are at risk of getting the virus. In response, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that Americans use “social distancing.” This includes canceling large events and staying at least two meters away from others when possible, among other measures to limit close contact.
Wallet Hub said any states have taken the CDC’s advice and have legally enforced social distancing, to the point of banning large gatherings and mandating that restaurants and bars close in some cases. Other states have focused on laws ensuring greater funding for combating the pandemic or guaranteeing that treatment is covered by insurance. Some states have even taken hygiene into their own hands – for example, New York is manufacturing its own hand sanitizer to deal with shortages.
In order to determine the states that are most and least aggressive in their efforts to limit exposure to coronavirus, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 35 unique metrics. Our data set ranges from tested cases of COVID-19 per capita and state legislation on the pandemic to the uninsured population and share of the workforce in affected industries. Read on for the ranking and a complete description of our methodology
State with the Most Aggressive Measures in Limiting Virus Exposure
Overall Rank | State | Score Interval | ‘Prevention & Containment’ Rank | ‘Risk Factors & Infrastructure’ Rank | ‘Economic Impact’ Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rhode Island | >=60 | 1 | 22 | 43 |
2 | Connecticut | >=60 | 2 | 8 | 18 |
3 | Maryland | >=60 | 3 | 18 | 2 |
4 | New York | >=60 | 4 | 40 | 5 |
5 | Washington | >=60 | 5 | 9 | 14 |
6 | Massachusetts | >=60 | 9 | 10 | 3 |
7 | New Jersey | >=60 | 6 | 28 | 24 |
8 | Minnesota | 55 – 60 | 17 | 1 | 4 |
9 | Vermont | 55 – 60 | 7 | 7 | 44 |
10 | District of Columbia | 55 – 60 | 8 | 33 | 26 |
11 | New Hampshire | 50 – 55 | 12 | 5 | 25 |
12 | Ohio | 50 – 55 | 11 | 34 | 23 |
13 | Wisconsin | 50 – 55 | 13 | 12 | 27 |
14 | New Mexico | 50 – 55 | 10 | 46 | 38 |
15 | Utah | 50 – 55 | 24 | 4 | 15 |
16 | South Dakota | 45 – 50 | 20 | 20 | 30 |
17 | Illinois | 45 – 50 | 19 | 17 | 39 |
18 | Delaware | 45 – 50 | 28 | 11 | 12 |
19 | Alaska | 45 – 50 | 14 | 15 | 49 |
20 | North Dakota | 45 – 50 | 27 | 3 | 31 |
21 | Pennsylvania | 45 – 50 | 22 | 25 | 33 |
22 | Louisiana | 45 – 50 | 16 | 44 | 36 |
23 | California | 45 – 50 | 18 | 32 | 40 |
24 | Virginia | 45 – 50 | 30 | 13 | 11 |
25 | Arkansas | 45 – 50 | 23 | 49 | 13 |
26 | Montana | 45 – 50 | 15 | 23 | 50 |
27 | Michigan | 45 – 50 | 31 | 29 | 10 |
28 | Oregon | 45 – 50 | 21 | 27 | 46 |
29 | Arizona | 40 – 45 | 32 | 43 | 6 |
30 | North Carolina | 40 – 45 | 29 | 39 | 16 |
31 | Alabama | 40 – 45 | 35 | 50 | 1 |
31 | West Virginia | 40 – 45 | 25 | 48 | 20 |
33 | Maine | 40 – 45 | 26 | 26 | 42 |
34 | Iowa | 40 – 45 | 38 | 6 | 9 |
35 | Colorado | 40 – 45 | 37 | 2 | 41 |
36 | Nebraska | 40 – 45 | 43 | 14 | 8 |
37 | Florida | 35 – 40 | 33 | 41 | 45 |
38 | Idaho | 35 – 40 | 40 | 16 | 37 |
39 | Georgia | 35 – 40 | 46 | 30 | 7 |
40 | Kentucky | 35 – 40 | 39 | 45 | 32 |
41 | South Carolina | 35 – 40 | 42 | 36 | 22 |
42 | Indiana | 35 – 40 | 45 | 24 | 21 |
43 | Tennessee | 35 – 40 | 41 | 42 | 35 |
44 | Kansas | 35 – 40 | 50 | 19 | 17 |
45 | Hawaii | 35 – 40 | 36 | 35 | 47 |
46 | Missouri | 35 – 40 | 47 | 38 | 29 |
47 | Oklahoma | 35 – 40 | 44 | 47 | 34 |
48 | Nevada | 30 – 35 | 34 | 37 | 51 |
49 | Texas | 30 – 35 | 51 | 31 | 19 |
50 | Mississippi | 30 – 35 | 48 | 51 | 28 |
51 | Wyoming | 30 – 35 | 49 | 21 | 48 |
Note: Rankings are based on data available as of 5 p.m. EST on Monday March 16.