Independent Newsmedia
A combination of lower vaccination rates and higher positive testing rates has made Arizona among the most unsafe states regarding COVID-19, according to a new Wallethub report.
Arizona ranked No. 44 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia on its overall safety regarding the coronavirus, coming in between Missouri and Ohio, according to Wallethub.
The examination of data, which looked at various metrics through Nov. 22, compared stats on vaccination rate, positive testing rate, current hospitalization rate, death rate and transmission rate.
On those numbers, Arizona ranked:
- No. 31 on vaccination rate
- No. 48 on positive testing rate
- No. 44 on hospitalization rate
- No. 41 on death rate
- No. 19 on transmission rate
As of Nov. 23, Arizona had reported nearly 1.25 million cases since the pandemic began and 22,062 deaths, according to the Department of Health Services. The state’s death rate was 306.9 per 100,000 people, The vaccination rate according to the site was 61.6%, and the state’s positive testing rate was 9.8% as of Tuesday.
The state’s positive testing rate started rising in early July and has remained above 9% since then, with spikes in August and another one occurring currently, according to ADHS data.
Though cases have not reached the levels seen during the first and second wave, in July 2020 and January 2021, respectively, they are at their highest level since vaccinations have become available.
While deaths from COVID-19 have been elevated, they are not approaching the level seen during the past waves, according to ADHS data.
For the complete report, click here.