South Dakota Has Fewest COVID Restrictions in the Country
Every now and then, because I don't go to movies or the public pools a lot in the summer, I sometimes forget that we are still living in a world with coronavirus and that there are still some mildly different ways things are being done. In the rest of the country it is a lot more restricted. And now we can even put a number on it.
Wallethub.com did a study from May 5 through June 23 on how restricted each state and the District of Columbia are. They looked at factors like the strictness of the shelter in place order, whether or not bars and restaurants have reopened, mask requirements, limits on local gatherings, reopening of non-essential businesses, workplace temperature screening, and travel restrictions.
After they only could deduct for having schools closed, South Dakota was ranked number one by a landslide with a score of 93.15 out of 100. The next closest score to the 605 was Wisconsin with 73.09.
South Dakota was also unchallenged when it came to their ranking going back to May 5. South Dakota ranked first on May 5, May 19, June 9, and June 23.
The most interesting statistic in the study was found in the graphic of the states comparing their restrictions and the states' death rates. While having the least restrictions in the country since opening back up it didn't cause our death rate to spike. South Dakota ranks 15th in death rate from COVID-19. Wisconsin ranked second in restrictions but 24th in deaths, while Utah was third in restrictions and 12th in death rate.