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 this week released its report on the Most Aggressive States Against the Coronavirus.

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.

Aggressiveness Against the Coronavirus in California (1=Best, 25=Avg.):

  • 14th – State and Local Public Health Laboratories per Capita
  • 10th – Tested Cases of COVID-19 per Capita
  • 42nd – Public Hospital System Quality
  • 27th – Share of Employment from Small Businesses
  • 47th – Population Density
  • 1st – Share of Workers with Access to Paid Sick Leave
  • 50th – Total Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Funding Per Capita
  • 13th – Public Healthcare Spending per Capita

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

Q&A with WalletHub

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

A: “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.”

Q: Why is Wyoming the least aggressive state against the coronavirus?

A: “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.

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

A: “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.”

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

A: “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.”

Image Sources

  • USA map: Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay