Most Aggressive States Combatting COVID-19

This information was provided by WalletHub
Note: Rankings reflect data available as of 1 p.m. ET on April 6, 2020.*

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

14^th —State and local public health laboratories per capita
43^rd —Tested cases of COVID-19 per capita
42^nd —Public hospital system quality
27^th —Share of employment from small businesses
47^th —Population density
1^st —Share of workers with access to paid sick leave
50^th —Total public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) funding per capita
13^th —Public healthcare spending per capita

California Aggressiveness Over Time

March 17—23^rd most aggressive
April 7—18^th most aggressive

Q&A with WalletHub’s Jill Gonzalez and Odysseas Papadimitriou

Why is New York the most aggressive state against the coronavirus?

“New York is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., and we’re happy to see the state taking the aggressive actions needed to mitigate the spread. Some of the key reasons why New York is the most aggressive state against the coronavirus include the statewide shelter-in-place order and the fact that New York has restricted drugs related to COVID-19 treatment to prevent shortages,” said WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez. “New York is also one of the states taking protective measures against evictions and utility terminations.”

Why does Oklahoma rank as the least aggressive state against the coronavirus?

“Oklahoma has instituted far fewer state-level measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic than other states have. For example, the state has not closed bars or restaurants, a measure that most states took weeks ago,” said Gonzalez. “Oklahoma also has not activated the National Guard, which the majority of other states have done.”

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

“One of the most aggressive ways states have attempted to combat coronavirus is to declare stay-home and shelter-in-place orders for all residents,” Gonzalez explained. “But I don’t think we’ve seen the extent of the aggressive actions that states will take. My expectation is that states will continue tightening shelter-in-place rules, which are now so loose in a lot of cases that anyone can think of an excuse to meet one of the exceptions.”

Is the federal government doing enough for the economy?

“Current efforts are going to seem like throwing pennies in a well unless we take more drastic measures to enforce social distancing across the nation, flood the country with fast testing and get personal protective equipment not just to all medical professionals, but to all Americans,” said Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of WalletHub. “Until we solve the core problem, printing money to throw at the situation will only do so much.”