Safest States During the Coronavirus Pandemic

In the US from January 3, 2020 to June 10 2021 there have been 33,072,912 confirmed cases of COVID -19 reported by WHO. As COVID cases decline states are now reopening fully or with some restrictions. It is important to stay safe and remember COVID has not gone away. Hand washing and wearing masks such as in large crowds are recommended.

With around 43% of the population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of June 9, and vaccination being an essential component for full reopening of the economy, WalletHub today released updated rankings for the Safest States During COVID-19.

In order to find out the safest states during the COVID-19 pandemic, they compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across five key metrics. Their data set includes the rates of COVID-19 transmission, positive testing, hospitalizations and death, as well as the share of the eligible population getting vaccinated.

Highlights from Report

Note: Rankings are based on data available as of 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.

WalletHub Q&A

What does it mean for safety that the EEOC has confirmed employers can require vaccination in the workplace?

“The fact that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has confirmed employers can require vaccination in the workplace means that we should see even higher safety levels in the near future. Companies that require vaccination will help push more people to get protected, which will make daily COVID-19 cases and deaths drop even lower,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Some places, such as Houston Methodist Hospital, are already advertising that they mandate vaccination for all employees. Those companies view having a vaccination requirement as a competitive advantage, since consumers are more likely to visit places that make them feel safer.”

How will warmer weather affect people’s safety in relation to COVID-19?

“Warmer weather should have a positive impact on safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, as restaurants and events will offer socially-distanced outside seating, which is safer than gathering inside. Businesses and events can expand their capacity limits without compromising safety as a result,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “We should expect warmer weather, combined with accelerated vaccine distribution, to quicken the pace of reopening.”

What actions can residents take in order to increase the safety of their community and their state?

“The most important thing that residents can do to increase the safety of their community and state is to get vaccinated. While the vaccines being offered have a high efficacy, how well they are able to curb the pandemic also depends on the share of the population that chooses to get vaccinated,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Until we achieve widespread vaccination and get the pandemic under control, people should continue to wear masks in public and practice social distancing to achieve the highest level of safety possible.”

Is Alaska, the state with the lowest death rate, one of the states that is vaccinating most?

“Despite reporting no deaths in the past week, Alaska ranks as the 22nd lowest when it comes to the share of the population age 12 and over who have received at least one dose of the vaccine,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Increasing the number of people vaccinated is essential for getting control of the pandemic.”

To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:

https://wallethub.com/edu/safest-states-during-covid/86567