Top 5 U.S. States For COVID-19 Cases Per 100,000 Population
At least 6,200 people have died of the coronavirus in the U.S. and 244,228 people have tested positive as of Friday morning, according to the New York Times database. The U.S. now has the highest number of known COVID-19 cases in the world, a vastly different scenario from a month ago. At the beginning of March, just 70 U.S. cases had been reported — most of them connected to overseas travel. A month later, several of the largest U.S. cities have tens of thousands of cases. Hospitals are strained beyond capacity, human and health resources there are under immense pressure, and states are bracing for more cases.
Every state and four U.S. territories have people who tested positive for the virus. Cases are doubling every three days in some instances. Hospital ships are preparing for patients on both coasts, convention centers are being converted into makeshift hospitals and drivers with out-of-state license plates are being screened in some places.
Tracking the numbers can be confusing. By the time most people realize they’re sick, they may have been spreading the virus for days. The virus can breed paranoia nearly as much as disease — and that’s left many people looking for facts. There are plenty of sources providing raw figures that can be tracked over time on how many tests have been done, confirmed cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Some can be tracked against total population numbers.
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 70: Jamarlin Martin Jamarlin goes solo to discuss the COVID-19 crisis. He talks about the failed leadership of Trump, Andrew Cuomo, CDC Director Robert Redfield, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, and New York Mayor de Blasio.
The New York Times is updating its database of COVID-19 cases every 10 minutes. Other sources for tracking COVID-19 cases in the U.S. include CNN, CovidTracking.com and BuzzFeed. The Verge put together a list of what it says are the best graphs for tracking the pandemic.
Here are the top five U.S. states for COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population, based on the New York Times database.
New York: 472.9 cases per 100,000 people
New York has reported 92,770 COVID-19 cases as of this writing.
Why has the outbreak hit New York so much harder than other places? Mainly because of its density and population, health experts said. The New York metro area is the largest metro area in the world by urban landmass (3,450.2 square miles). It also includes New York City, the most populous city in the U.S. (8.398 million people as of July 1, 2018.)
Experts warn that New York is the epicenter for now, but Covid-19 will not stop there.
New Jersey: 288.1 cases per 100,000 people
New Jersey has reported 25,590 COVID-19 cases as of this writing.
A state with 9 million residents, New Jersey continues to have the second highest number of positive COVID-19 cases after New York. New Jersey has more cases than all but eight countries in the world, NJ.com reported on April 2.
Louisiana: 196.2 cases per 100,000 people
Louisiana has reported 9,150 COVID-19 cases as of this writing.
Louisiana has become one of the top states for the rate of spread of coronavirus and Mardi Gras has been blamed. The massive carnival was held on Feb. 25, 2020. About 1.4 million people take to the streets during the city’s Fat Tuesday parades and festivities. The Trump administration was still downplaying the risks of the virus to public health at the time. Local New Orleans authorities believed Trump when he said there was nothing to worry about.
However, Mardi Gras is not to blame for the mounting coronavirus crisis in New Orleans, Thomas J. Adams and Cedric Johnson wrote for Jacobin magazine. “It’s a consequence of deep class divides and decimated public health infrastructure.”
Massachusetts: 131.3 cases per 100,000 people
Massachusetts has reported 8,966 COVID-19 cases as of this writing.
The latest models show that the coronavirus surge will occur in mid-April, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday. He is warning the people of the state that the number of confirmed cases could be as high as 172,000.
Michigan: 108.4 cases per 100,000 people
Michigan has reported 10,791 COVID-19 cases as of this writing.
With the third-highest coronavirus case count in the U.S., Michigan is resorting to fines for those who violate state orders to maintain social distance and stay at home.
Violators could be fined up to $1,000, and business licenses may be jeopardized under an order signed late Thursday by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon.
Other states with high rates of infection
Connecticut has reported 106.8 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people and 3,824 cases total.
Washington, D.C. has reported 95.4 cases per 100,000 people and 653 cases total as of this writing.
Washington state, where the first COVID-19 case and first cluster were reported, has 90.3 cases per 100,000 people and 6,585 total cases reported, as of this writing.