With many states delaying the later phases of their reopening or even bringing back restrictions they already lifted due to spikes in COVID-19, 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, the site compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 19 key metrics. Our data set ranges from whether the state has any penalties for non-compliance with COVID-19 legislation to whether the state has required face masks in public and health checks at restaurants. Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A.
Coronavirus Restrictions in North Carolina (1=Fewest, 25=Avg.):
- 18th – Requirement to Wear a Face Mask in Public
- 31st – Reopening of Child-Care Programs
- 15th – Travel Restrictions
- 43rd – Large Gatherings Restrictions
- 22nd – Reopening of Non-Essential Businesses
- 45th – Reopening of Restaurants and Bars
- 16th – Working from Home Requirements/Recommendations
The only states with stricter restrictions is Pennsalvania and California.
States with the Fewest COVID-19 Restrictions
| Overall Rank | State | Total Score | Delta in Overall Rank vs. July 21 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | 87.38 | 0 |
| 2 | Utah | 76.23 | 2 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 71.23 | 0 |
| 4 | Idaho | 67.27 | 2 |
| 4 | Wyoming | 67.27 | 2 |
| 6 | Iowa | 66.50 | -1 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 64.59 | -5 |
| 8 | North Dakota | 63.74 | 2 |
| 9 | Arkansas | 63.06 | 0 |
| 10 | Georgia | 60.98 | 4 |
| 11 | Nebraska | 59.26 | 2 |
| 12 | Missouri | 58.69 | -1 |
| 13 | Alabama | 56.07 | 2 |
| 14 | Nevada | 54.81 | 10 |
| 15 | South Carolina | 54.67 | -7 |
| 16 | Tennessee | 53.99 | 0 |
| 17 | Alaska | 52.02 | 2 |
| 18 | Florida | 51.15 | 3 |
| 19 | Mississippi | 50.44 | -7 |
| 20 | Kansas | 50.38 | -3 |
| 21 | Indiana | 48.25 | -3 |
| 22 | Louisiana | 47.27 | -2 |
| 23 | Ohio | 47.08 | 0 |
| 24 | Montana | 46.04 | -2 |
| 25 | Illinois | 43.36 | 2 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | 41.80 | 3 |
| 27 | Maine | 41.37 | 5 |
| 28 | Minnesota | 40.71 | -2 |
| 29 | New York | 40.33 | 0 |
| 30 | Washington | 39.86 | 1 |
| 31 | West Virginia | 39.73 | 3 |
| 32 | Maryland | 39.56 | 7 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | 37.49 | 2 |
| 34 | New Mexico | 37.24 | 8 |
| 35 | Michigan | 36.31 | -7 |
| 36 | Connecticut | 36.28 | 0 |
| 37 | Hawaii | 35.63 | 1 |
| 38 | Kentucky | 35.38 | -13 |
| 39 | Delaware | 34.59 | 2 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | 33.83 | -3 |
| 41 | Virginia | 33.61 | -1 |
| 42 | Colorado | 33.28 | 5 |
| 43 | Arizona | 32.38 | 1 |
| 44 | Vermont | 32.08 | -1 |
| 45 | Oregon | 31.80 | -12 |
| 46 | Texas | 31.56 | 0 |
| 47 | New Jersey | 30.85 | 3 |
| 48 | Massachusetts | 30.38 | 0 |
| 49 | North Carolina | 30.11 | -4 |
| 50 | Pennsylvania | 29.89 | -1 |
| 51 | California | 21.59 | 0 |
Note: Rankings are based on data available as of 12:30 p.m. ET on Monday, August 10, 2020.
For the full report, you can visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/