State’s ranking improves slightly on coronavirus restrictions

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Kentucky remains in the middle of the pack among states ranked by the level of coronavirus restrictions it imposes, according to the latest review by an online personal finance and advisory service.

But the state has moved up from 29th two weeks ago to 23 this week, according to the rankings by Wallethub.

And while all states have reopened their economies to some degree, this week’s rankings include changes made by some states to slow their reopenings because of surges in coronavirus cases.

Kentucky has remained in the mid-20s range for most of the time since Wallethub started doing the rankings in early May. At that time, the state ranked 24th o May 5, jumped to 36th on May 19, then dropped to 22nd on June 9, was 29th on June 23 and is 23rd this week.

Surrounding states range from Missouri, which ranks 11th, down five spots from 6th two weeks ago, and Tennessee, which is 12th, up five pots from 17th, to West Virginia, which is 29th, up from 30th.

Ohio is 17th, Indiana is 21st and Illinois is 26th.

In order to determine the states with the fewest coronavirus restrictions, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 18 key metrics. The data set ranges from whether child-care programs and restaurants have reopened to whether the state has required face masks in public and workplace temperature screenings.

States with the Fewest Restrictions States with the Most Restrictions
1. South Dakota                     42. Washington
2. Wisconsin                        43. Delaware
3. Utah                             44. Maryland
4. Wyoming                          T-45. Maine
5. Oklahoma                         T-45. New York
6. North Dakota                     47. New Mexico
7. Arkansas                         48. New Jersey
8. Iowa                             49. Hawaii
9. Nebraska                         50. Colorado
10. South Carolina                  51. California

The biggest changes in rank from June 23:

*     Illinois moved from 41 to 26, up 15 positions. This is due in part to the fact that the state has eased restrictions on large gatherings and has reopened restaurants for limited dine-in services.

*     Vermont moved from 50 to 37, up 13 positions. This is due in part to the fact that the state has lifted military travel restrictions and has not mentioned any penalties or enforcement for non-compliance with COVID-19 legislation.

*     Texas moved from 14 to 36, down 22 positions. This is due in part to the fact that the state requires residents to wear a face mask in public and has reinstated a large gatherings ban to groups no larger than ten people.

To view the full report and state rankings, visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-coronavirus-restrictions/73818/