NJ has done a lot to curb the spread of coronavirus, from closing schools to setting a recommended state curfew. A new report from WalletHub named New Jersey the 7th most aggressive state in terms of fighting coronavirus.
This report meant to find out which states are taking the biggest sweeping actions to combat the spread. It compared all 50 states across 35 metrics. These included tested cases of COVID-19 per capita, state legislation for those without health insurance, travel restrictions, food insecurity and share of employment from small businesses.
The metrics created a score interval. New Jersey and the six states that ranked ahead—Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, New York, Washington and Massachusetts—all have an interval of greater than or equal to 60. New Jersey also ranked 6th in Prevention & Containment, 24th in Economic Impact and 28th in Risk Factors & Infrastructure. New Jersey also alarmingly ranked 49th in Public Hospital System Quality, ranking above only DC.
Rhode Island topped the list as the overall most aggressive state. “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.
If you’re thinking, “NJ did a lot of those things, too,” remember one important distinction: “Aggressiveness in combating the coronavirus is not all about recent actions, though,” says Gonzalez. “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.”
See the full methodology here.