Most Aggressive States Against the Coronavirus – WalletHub Study

With states taking actions such as closing bars and restaurants or banning large gatherings to fight the spread of the coronavirus, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the Most Aggressive States Against the Coronavirus as well as accompanying videos.

To identify which states are taking the largest actions to combat coronavirus, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 35 key metrics. The 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. Below, you can see highlights from WalletHub’s report, along with a Q&A with WalletHub analysts.

Note: Rankings reflect data available as of 5 p.m. ET on March 16, 2020.

To view the full report and your state or the District’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-aggressive-states-against-coronavirus/72307/

Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would like to schedule a phone, Skype or in-studio interview with one of our analysts. Full data sets for specific states are also available upon request. In addition, feel free to embed this YouTube video summarizing the study on your website. You can also use or edit these raw files as you see fit.

Best,
Diana Polk
WalletHub Communications Manager
(202) 684-6386

Q&A with WalletHub

Why is Rhode Island the most aggressive state against the coronavirus?

“Some of the key reasons why Rhode Island is the most aggressive state against the coronavirus include the closure of schools, bars and restaurants in the state. Rhode Island has also restricted travel for state employees and is among the states that administered the most tests for COVID-19 per capita, among other actions,” said WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez. “Aggressiveness in combating the coronavirus is not all about recent actions, though. A lot of it is years in the making. For example, Rhode Island has the infrastructure to handle this type of pandemic in large part because of its relatively high funding for public health programs and its high number of healthcare facilities.”

Why is Wyoming the least aggressive state against the coronavirus?

“Wyoming has taken few drastic measures at the state level in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. It has administered relatively few COVID-19 tests per capita, for example. It has not closed schools, bars or restaurants, either,” said WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez.

What are some of the most aggressive measures states have taken in response to the pandemic?

“One of the most aggressive actions that states have taken thus far is to institute a curfew for residents. New Jersey, New York and Connecticut have done that so far, but other states are contemplating the move, as well,” said WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez. “Another drastic measure has been to call in the national guard, which at least 18 states have done.”

Will the House bill for Coronavirus relief passed Friday be sufficient?

“It is a good first step, if it gets through the Senate without significant changes or delays. It is a must that the final legislation includes free coronavirus testing for everyone and covers hospitalization costs for those affected, regardless of insurance coverage,” said WalletHub CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou. “Regardless, it looks like we’ll need more legislation after this to further support the economy and affected workers.”

More from WalletHub

• State Uninsured Rates
• City Uninsured Rates
• Best & Worst States for Health Care
• Best & Worst States for Doctors
• Best & Worst States for Nurses