Which state has the worst COVID-19 numbers today?

This whole week it’s been New York and New Jersey, neck and neck.

For months I’ve been wondering what’s wrong with New York. We have the answer – we have a variant.

So when the country peaked after Thanksgiving, and then everyone else saw a dip, we did not. Same thing after Christmas. And finally when the third wave (I’m counting the summer as a second wave – it was in other parts of the US) ended, the case rate in New York State was half the peak rate – the rest of the country had a much bigger recovery.

Many people look at the test positivity rate. I pay less attention to that. The data on active cases is a little bit wonky. But the data on new cases is pretty consistent. I have it reported at daily new cases per 100,000 population – and New Jersey and New York are today at 39 and 38, easily the highest in the country.

This is important to remember:  The news media is reminding us daily that Andrew Cuomo is a sexual predator. But don’t forget, Emmy or not, he’s also presided over the worst COVID-19 record in the United States.

And daily new cases in New York State are at the immediate post-Thanksgiving level, and rising again.

Even while daily new cases in the rest of the country are way down, and flat:

And while my map is not dramatic, only a few states are in the 25-50 new cases per 100,000 range, and the others are much lower than Jersey and New York:

And mortality – just like at it. Fourth in the number of cases – but almost tied for first in the number of deaths, with double the rate of California (actually New York’s rate is second – after, of course – New Jersey’s)

Sources:

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/new-york/

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/09/01/816707182/map-tracking-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus-in-the-u-s#res818547056