Study: New York Is the State with the 6th Most Coronavirus Restrictions

LongIsland.com

To identify which states have the fewest coronavirus restrictions, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 13 key metrics.

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With around 19% of the U.S. population vaccinated and states opening up more as a result, 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 13 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.):
 
  • 18th – Requirement to Wear a Face Mask in Public
  • 33rd – Workplace Temperature Screening
  • 19th – State Guidance on Customer Health Checks at Restaurants
  • 44th – Travel Restrictions
  • 38th – Large Gatherings Restrictions27th – Reopening of Non-Essential Businesses
  • 29th – Reopening of Restaurants and Bars
 
Q&A
 
Do you expect the recent spike in COVID-19 cases to impact reopening?
 
“The recent spike in COVID-19 cases will not impact reopening. People are impatient for restrictions to be over and are not willing to delay reopening to wait for a decline in new cases,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Consider states like Texas and Iowa, where mask mandates and other restrictions were lifted while only a small portion of the population was vaccinated. Even though COVID-19 cases are increasing in those states, it's unlikely we'll see significant restrictions return.”
 
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 76% 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.”