Illinois Is The 7th Safest State During COVID-19

Oct 14, 2021 11:59 AM

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SPRINGFIELD - With around 57% of the population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and vaccination being essential for getting the economy back on track, WalletHub today released updated rankings for the Safest States During COVID-19, along with accompanying videos and audio files.

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Some states are already safer than others, though, based on how well they have kept the pandemic under control and how much they are vaccinating. In order to find out the safest states during the COVID-19 pandemic, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across five key metrics. The data set includes the rates of COVID-19 transmission, positive testing, hospitalizations, and death, as well as the share of the eligible population getting vaccinated.

Illinois’ Safety During Coronavirus (1=Best; 25=Avg.):

15^th – Vaccination Rate
4^th – Positive Testing Rate
13^th – Hospitalization Rate
16^th – Death Rate
10^th – Transmission Rate

Note: Rankings are based on data available as of 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 13, 2021.

Methodology

In order to identify the safest states during the COVID-19 pandemic, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across five key metrics: 1) “Vaccination Rate,” 2) “Positive Testing Rate,” 3) “Hospitalization Rate,” 4) “Death Rate,” and 5) “Transmission Rate.”

These metrics are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the safest conditions.

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We then determined the weighted average across all metrics to calculate an overall score for each state and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.

Vaccination Rate: Double Weight (
25.00 Points)
Note: This metric refers to the share of the population age 12 and older initiating vaccination as of October 12, 2021.
Positive Testing Rate: Full Weight (
12.50 Points)
Note: This metric refers to the positive COVID-19 testing rate in the state between September 29, 2021, and October 5, 2021.
Hospitalization Rate: Full Weight (
12.50 Points)
Note: This metric refers to the COVID-19 hospitalization rate in the state between September 30, 2021, and October 6, 2021.
Death Rate: Triple Weight (
37.50 Points)
Note: This metric refers to the COVID-19 death rate in the state between October 6, 2021, and October 12, 2021.
Estimated Transmission Rate: Full Weight (
12.50 Points)
Note: This metric refers to the current COVID-19 reproduction number, which is an estimate of the average number of people to whom an infected person will transmit the COVID-19 virus.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, COVID-19 Electronic Laboratory Reporting, and epiforecasts.io.

Source: WalletHub

Note: Rank 1 on the “COVID-19 Death Rate Ranking” means fewest deaths in the state between October 6, 2021 and October 12, 2021, and Rank 1 for “Vaccination Rate Ranking” means the highest share of population age 12 and older initiating COVID-19 vaccination.

To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/safest-states-during-covid/86567

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