With states opening up more but a full reopening only possible once most of the population has been vaccinated, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released updated rankings for the States with the Fewest Coronavirus Restrictions.
To identify which states have the fewest coronavirus restrictions, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 14 key metrics. Our data set ranges from whether restaurants are open to whether the state has required face masks in public and workplace temperature screenings. Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A.
Coronavirus Restrictions in New York (1=Fewest, 25=Avg.):
- 16th – Requirement to Wear a Face Mask in Public
- 28th – Workplace Temperature Screening
- 18th – State Guidance on Customer Health Checks at Restaurants
- 39th – Travel Restrictions
- 30th – Large Gatherings Restrictions1st – Strictness of “Shelter in Place” Order
- 22nd – Reopening of Non-Essential Businesses
- 20th – Reopening of Restaurants and Bars
- 15th – Working from Home Requirements/Recommendations
Note: Rankings are based on data available as of 12:30 p.m. ET on March 1, 2021.
Q&A
Should there be any vaccine-related COVID-19 restrictions?
“America should implement vaccine-related COVID-19 restrictions. The U.S. could follow the model of Israel, which has instituted a ‘Green Pass’ system. The ‘Green Pass’ allows people who have received both doses of the vaccine, as well as people who have already recovered from COVID-19, to visit certain institutions like gyms, hotels and entertainment venues that are closed to the general public, ” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Having a ‘Green Pass’ in the U.S. would not only help to keep people safe, but it would also encourage more people to get vaccinated and it would help struggling industries open sooner. ”
Is there a correlation between how restrictive a state is and its unemployment rate?
“There is a moderate correlation between a state’s restrictiveness and its unemployment rate,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “WalletHub’s analysis found that 80% of states with few COVID-19 restrictions had low unemployment rates. This makes sense because states with fewer restrictions allow more places to open, which in turn provides more opportunities to work.”
Should states strictly enforce their COVID-19 restrictions?
“States should strictly enforce their COVID-19 restrictions because otherwise there is no incentive for people to follow the rules. If there are no consequences for disobeying a state’s mask mandate, for example, people will be more likely to try to enter crowded areas without masks, which in turn will contribute to the spread of the virus,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Fines are a good deterrent to make sure Americans follow COVID-19 restrictions, and enforcement will also minimize the need for citizens to play the police.”
