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📊 Coronavirus U.S. State Trajectories
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📊 Coronavirus U.S. State Trajectories

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Well that happened quick, didn’t it? The U.S. has now overtaken China for the most confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, and there is no sign of America’s trajectory from slowing down. This is what you get when 62 million people vote for a complete clown with no leadership skills in times of need. As usual, America’s problems have been left up to the people and individual states to clean up the federal government’s mess. It took Congress almost two weeks to pass a $2 trillion relief package that’s littered with treats for large corporations, while every American will receive just $1,200. We truly live in a fucked up world. Below is what every state is doing. A quick note about the data: The data is sourced from CoronaDataScraper.com, which is relying on individual state and federal data. Naturally, some figures won’t capture the entire situation. Enjoy. ✊

Today I was given a huge assist by Pia Deshpande, a senior at Columbia University, who helped out on this mammoth task with excellent research and data analysis. Thank you Pia 🙏. And also a quick thanks to friend and former colleague Ali Ingersoll for the shout out on Twitter. Greatly appreciated, it doesn’t go unnoticed!

Okay, let’s get to it. As you can see from the below log scale chart, the number of cases in the U.S. will soon be off the chart, literally.

Credit: Pablo Gutiérrez 👇

Where are the biggest hotbeds in the U.S. right now? Look to New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Seattle, New Orleans, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Credit: Pablo Gutiérrez 👇

New York’s 39,000 cases were too many to include in the next chart, so they get their own chart which can be found in the state’s section below. Expect many of the states in the chart immediately below to follow New York in the coming days and weeks.

Number of confirmed cases in states with more than 1,000

As for the rest, many have yet to be hit too hard. But there’s still some worrying signs in states such as Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, Ohio and Tennessee.

Number of confirmed cases in states with less than 1,000


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Alaska

Alaska's largest public sector union, the Alaska State Employees Association, filed a court order Wednesday that would allow most state employees to work from home, claiming that messaging from governor Mike Dunleavy had been “inconsistent” so far. Alaska now has 56 cases, with nearly half located in its largest city, Anchorage. The state announced its first death from the virus Wednesday morning.

Cases: 56

Deaths: 1


Alabama

Governor Kay Ivey last week authorized the Alabama National Guard to activate “up to 100 guardsmen, should the need arise” to combat the coronavirus. Ivey also ordered the shutdown of all Alabama beaches, dine-in facilities, schools, childcare centers and liquor stores until April 6th.

Cases: 531

Deaths: 1


Arkansas

Governor Asa Hutchinson asked lawmakers to attend a special session of the General Assembly Thursday after two people died from coronavirus in the state. Hutchinson has shut down schools until April 17, ordered all traditional funerals to be delayed or changed, and mandated salons, barber shops, and massage parlors be temporarily closed. The governor stated that he wanted to avoid a shelter-in-place order in any part of the state.

Cases: 349

Deaths: 2


American Samoa

American Samoa now requires non-US passport holders to spend at least 14 days in Hawaii before entering to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. Currently, the territory's health department tells residents that they’re at ‘Code Blue’, meaning schools are closed, bars and restaurants are limited to a 10 person occupancy, large gatherings are banned and people are “encouraged” to practice social distancing. The territory has yet to report an official case.

Cases: 0

Deaths: 0


Arizona

Arizona continues to mandate businesses and schools close and restaurants offer only dine-out options. The Navajo Nation, which has the highest number of cases per capita, is the only jurisdiction to institute a stay-at-home order. Cases in Arizona continue to rise, and now stand at 508.

Cases: 508

Deaths: 8


California

California was the first state to institute a shelter-in-place order on March 19. The number of positive cases in California continues to grow, though at a slower rate than in New York. Overnight, California's cases increased by almost a third and now has more than 4,000 positive cases.

Cases: 4,040

Deaths: 82


Colorado

Governor Jared Polis enacted a stay-at-home order Wednesday to be put into effect the following morning. Colorado police have also been following specific advice from the governor which includes making fewer arrests but issue more summonses.

Cases: 1,430

Deaths: 19


Connecticut

Governor Ned Lamont requested a presidential disaster declaration for Connecticut as the state deals with its proximity to the U.S. epicenter in New York City. Wealthy New Yorkers frequently have alternate residences to get away from the noise and bustle of the city, and those are being used now to get away from the pandemic. Time will tell whether Connecticut will become the next state with an outbreak.

Cases: 1,012

Deaths: 21


D.C.

According to smart phone data collected by Unacast, D.C. has done the best of any U.S. state or territory at social distancing, with a 61 percent decrease in average distance traveled. Under the federal relief plan, which mayor Muriel Bowser has condemned, territories would receive $700 million less than states. Currently, D.C. has more cases than 19 states.

Cases: 267

Deaths: 3


Deleware

Delaware has had a stay-at-home order in effect since Tuesday morning, and its presidential primary was moved to June 2. It’s unclear at this point whether the primary will go ahead.

Cases: 143

Deaths: 1


Florida

Florida's stay-at-home order will come into effect this Friday morning. The majority of coronavirus cases in Florida are clustered in the southern tip, near Miami. Schools remain closed, and only essential businesses operate with a physical workforce present.

Cases: 2,484

Deaths: 29


Georgia

A shelter-in-place order remains in effect since it was enacted on Monday. The state has begun constructing mobile homes for individuals who need to be quarantined but cannot return or stay in their own homes.

Cases: 1,642

Deaths: 56


Guam

Latest news out of Guam is that an U.S. Navy aircraft carrier is being quarantined there after reports of crew members contracting the virus. All 5,000 crew onboard will now undergo testing.

Cases: 45

Deaths: 1


Hawaii

Governor David Ige put in place a mandatory two-week quarantine for anyone returning to Hawaii, including permanent residents returning from trips. A U.S. family who flew to Hawaii earlier this week were attacked by a local man who accused them of trying to spread the coronavirus. Governor Ige has asked Americans to postpone their trips to the island.

Cases: 106

Deaths: 0


Iowa

Governor Kim Reynolds has recommended schools close for a month. Restaurants and bars offer takeout services, and banned gatherings of 10 or more. No shelter-in-place order is in effect. In fact, Brooks Jackson, Dean of University of Iowa's medical college, said that such an order would be disruptive and could hinder the work of hospitals trying to provide care.

Cases: 179

Deaths: 1


Idaho

Governor Brad Little signed an emergency declaration before any cases were confirmed in Idaho. The governor also ordered residents to stay home on Wednesday, and is anticipated to remain in effect until mid-April, but may be extended like many other states.

Cases: 191

Deaths: 3


Illinois

Police are beginning to enforce governor J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order issued last week. On Thursday, Pritzker announced the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund to support nonprofits and community foundations as the economy continues to halt. Cases in Illinois increased by more than a third overnight.

Cases: 2,542

Deaths: 26


Indiana

A shelter-in-place order went into effect on March 24 and is expected to continue until April 6. Bars and restaurants continue to only offer takeout services. Schools will be closed until May 1.

Cases: 657

Deaths: 17


Kansas

Governor Laura Kelly has closed schools for the year, making Kansas the first state to do so. Social distancing is encouraged and large gatherings are banned. However, restaurants and bars continue to have dine-in services.

Cases: 172

Deaths: 3


Kentucky

Governor Andy Beshear announced the National Guard would begin to assist some hospitals in the state. Restaurants no longer offer dine-in services, and schools are temporarily closed.

Cases: 247

Deaths: 5


Louisiana

All bars and restaurants to only offer takeout service and gatherings limited to 50 people or less. New Orleans accounts for around 70 percent of all cases in the state, and the surrounding Orleans Parish has the highest number of deaths per capita of any county in the country.

Cases: 2,304

Deaths: 83


Massachusetts

Governor Charlie Baker limited gatherings to 25 people and under and closed schools. Pharmacies in the state are authorized to produce hand sanitizer and sell it over the counter.

Cases: 2,417

Deaths: 25


Maryland

Governor Larry Hogan instituted a shelter-in-place order last week. Only essential businesses continue to have physically present personnel. Gatherings of over 50 are suspended.

Cases: 583

Deaths: 4


Maine

Gatherings of more than 10 people are banned, and bars and restaurants no longer allow dine-in services. Schools are closed until further notice.

Cases: 155

Deaths: 0


Michigan

Residents have been ordered to stay at home, and all schools remain closed. Bars and restaurants offer takeout services. Detroit has been hit especially hard.

Cases: 2,844

Deaths: 61


Minnesota

Nonessential workers have been ordered to stay home as bars, restaurants, gyms and schools are all closed.

Cases: 344

Deaths: 2


Missouri

End to gatherings of more than 10 people ordered, but governor Mike Parsons has opted out of a stay-at-home order, citing the damage to the economy as the reason. What Mike doesn't realize is that the longer he puts off the inevitable, the deeper the recession will be in the Show Me State.

Cases: 520

Deaths: 9


Mississippi

According to one study, Mississippi has taken the least aggressive measures of any state, despite having the 25th highest number of cases. All governor Tate Reeves has done is urge people not to gather in groups of more than 10 people, and stopped dine-in services. Great job, Tate, you the man 👍

Cases: 485

Deaths: 6


Montana

Montana is one of those sparsely populated states that social distancing hasn't been too much of a problem. Still, a state of emergency was declared on March 12 and schools are set to be closed until April 10.

Cases: 90

Deaths: 1


North Carolina

Democratic governor Roy Cooper said on March 17 that all bars and restaurants would close, while takeout and delivery would remain open. But Republican lieutenant governor and Cooper’s primary opponent, Dan Forest, has said that Cooper didn't have the authority to impose such a restriction. So while the state burns down, political points are still trying to be scored. Fuck my life.

Cases: 755

Deaths: 3


North Dakota

State of emergency declared on March 13 and all schools ordered to close a day later. No businesses have been ordered to close yet, meaning despite North Dakota's small population, it is playing with fire.

Cases: 57

Deaths: 0


Nebraska

Public gatherings are limited to 10 people or less, though governor Pete Ricketts said the measure is not law enforceable. Fear not, because the mayor of Lincoln has since issued a similar order that will carry a $500 fine or three months in jail if broken. They should speak to the folks suing the government in New Hampshire…

Cases: 82

Deaths: 0


New Hampshire

… Meanwhile in New Hampshire, three residents have sued governor Chris Sununu arguing that the state's ban on gatherings of more than 50 people violates their constitutional rights. Sigh. One of the plaintiffs attends church service three times a week and claims the ban was made without due process. People, man.

Cases: 154

Deaths: 1


New Jersey

State declared a disaster yesterday as number of cases now stand second in the country behind New York, and deaths in New Jersey are 5th most. Federal funding can now be allocated to all areas impacted by the virus as its proximity to New York could mean we've yet to see the worse for The Garden State.

Cases: 6,876

Deaths: 81


New Mexico

One of the few states that didn't wait for shit to hit the fan before it actually acted to stop the spread. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a statewide emergency as soon as the first case were confirmed back on March 12, and then a day later closed all schools for three weeks. That's how you stop a pandemic from spreading. New Mexico's cases are still low at 9th-least in the country.

Cases: 136

Deaths: 1


Nevada

Nevada saw a huge spike of new cases overnight, jumping around 67 percent, including 10 deaths in total. On March 18, Governor Steve Sisolak waived the state's seven-day wait for unemployment benefits, and declared that those applying for unemployment didn't need to demonstrate they were searching for work.

Cases: 535

Deaths: 10


New York

New York has been the hardest-hit state with cases soaring to almost 40,000 and deaths to 457, the most of any state by far, and more than the likes of the UK and South Korea combined. Governor Andrew Cuomo said his state severely lacked ventilators and other crucial medical supplies, as 60 percent of the state's cases are concentrated in the New York City metro area. The good news, if you can call it that, is that the spread is slowing.

Cases: 39,140

Deaths: 457


Ohio

Just like the folks in D.C. are doing, government officials in Ohio are using the coronavirus to push through political agenda. Ohio's attorney general Dave Yost ordered abortion clinics across the state to cease “nonessential and elective surgical” abortion operations. Not sure about you, but abortions are essential if you need an abortion.

Cases: 870

Deaths: 15


Oklahoma

Bars have closed and restaurants in OKC have been limited to take-out, drive-through and delivery. Gyms, mall food courts and movie theaters have also closed.

Cases: 248

Deaths: 7


Oregon

Stay-at-home order issued on Monday and all businesses where “close personal contact is difficult or impossible to avoid” have be ordered to shut. For a state so close to the outbreak in Washington, these measures feel too little too late.

Cases: 317

Deaths: 11


Pennsylvania

The Democratic and Republican presidential primaries due to be held on April 28 have been delayed to June 2. The AP reports that Democratic primaries cannot be held past June 16, so who the hell knows if there will even be a primary.

Cases: 1,813

Deaths: 18


Puerto Rico

Nonessential workers must be home by 7pm and will have to be so until April 12. Governor Wanda Vázquez has also ordered that vehicles with license plates ending in even numbers can only be on the road Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Vehicles with tags ending in odd numbers are only permitted to move about on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. That’s how you stop a virus. ¡Olé!

Cases: 70

Deaths: 3


Rhode Island

Child care for essential workers will be paid for, and anyone flying back to T.F. Green Airport — the state's largest airport — must self-quarantine for two weeks. All gyms, salons, theaters, bowling alleys and other entertainment venues are closed.

Cases: 165

Deaths: 0


South Carolina

Groups of three or more will be broken up. Dine-in services in bars and restaurants have been banned, but curb-side alcohol sales are allowed. Phew. Public schools have been closed through the end of March and public universities have been urged to finish the semester through online classes.

Cases: 456

Deaths: 9


South Dakota

Schools are closed until at least May 1, and all state employees are to work from home until at least May 2.

Cases: 46

Deaths: 1


Tennessee

Governor Bill Lee has banned in-house dining at bars and restaurants, and closed gyms. Individual cities including Memphis and Nashville have ordered their own stay-at-home orders.

Cases: 1,097

Deaths: 3


Texas

Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick told Fox News that he’s willing to die from the virus in order to preserve the economy, and that “lots of grandparents” would do the same. This isn't a joke, a paid official actually said that. Twenty-four people have died in Patrick’s state.

Cases: 1,654

Deaths: 24


Utah

Utah had originally banned gatherings of 10 or more people, but has since revised that policy to being a 'recommendation' to its people. Leave people to make their own decisions, yeah real smart, Utah.

Cases: 396

Deaths: 1


Virginia

Governor Ralph Northam closed certain nonessential businesses and banned gatherings of more than 10 people on Tuesday until April 23. Northam also shut the state’s K-12 schools for the rest of the academic year.

Cases: 486

Deaths: 10


Virgin Islands

Governor Albert Bryan Jr. is asking the VI legislature to use $60 million to fight the economic impact of the virus. A vote is scheduled for today.

Cases: 17

Deaths: 0


Vermont

State legislators passed several bills this week to ensure those who are unemployed, will be covered by the state's $500 million in unemployment reserves. Gatherings of more than 10 people are banned.

Cases: 158

Deaths: 9


Washington

One of two states to first record 100 cases, the other being California, Washington now has the 4th-most in the country. Governor Jay Inslee ordered residents to stay at home on Monday, after 1,996 cases were already confirmed. Too late to shut it down.

Cases: 3,207

Deaths: 150


Wisconsin

Governor Tony Evers ordered residents to stay at home earlier this week, reversing his vow not to do so. There are now 728 cases in Wisconsin.

Cases: 728

Deaths: 10


West Virginia

West Virginia's aging population — 20 percent of the state's 1.8 million residents are 65 years old or older — and underlying health issues from coal mining and opioid addiction leave the Mountaineer State in one of the most precarious situations in America. While only 76 cases have been confirmed, the mortality rate could be highest in the country.

Cases: 76

Deaths: 0


Wyoming

Governor Mark Gorden announced yesterday that he's considering relaxing the state's shut-in policies that have forced many businesses to lay-off workers. The state's case count jumped 14 percent overnight.

Cases: 56

Deaths: 0


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Inside The Newsroom — The Newsletter For Journalists
Inside The Newsroom
Daniel Levitt delves inside the minds of journalists around the world