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These are the only 8 states where coronavirus numbers are still low

Published Oct 16th, 2020 3:12PM EDT
coronavirus by state
Image: Mauro Rodrigues/Adobe

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  • There are only eight areas of the United States that aren’t dealing with high numbers of COVID-19 cases right now.
  • Most of the country is dealing with a new wave or even a dramatic spike in new cases.
  • Continue to practice social distancing and wear your mask when around others to keep yourself as safe as possible.

When the coronavirus pandemic first began to wreak havoc in the United States back in February and March, we were all hopeful that by the time October rolled around we’d be through the worst of it. Unfortunately, that’s not the case — not even close, really — and right now there are far more states seeing spikes in new cases than there are states with steady or declining cases.

In fact, of all the U.S. states, there are only eight (yes, EIGHT!) where cases aren’t increasing right now. Many states are seeing their highest rate of new cases ever, and places like Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Missouri, Alaska, Minnesota, Indiana, and several others are seeing explosions in COVID-19 patients over the past days and weeks.

So, what areas are actually doing a decent job of handling things? It’s hard to say since of the eight states where new coronavirus cases are staying low, several of them haven’t seen a real spike yet, and that may still be in the cards. Still, there’s reason to be hopeful that these states can keep their numbers lower going forward:

  • Georgia – Just coming down from a large wave and may see another increase soon.
  • Delaware – Has had several smaller spikes since March but has been able to control them to a large degree.
  • Louisiana – Experienced a brutal first and second wave, but is currently reporting much lower cases, at least for the time being.
  • Maryland – Has dealt with a pair of smaller waves but is maintaining a relatively low rate of new cases.
  • California – Saw a large wave but has been steadily declining for over a month.
  • Hawaii – Recently experienced a huge wave and is now on the decline.
  • Maine – Has avoided all the major waves and looks like the model for all other states to follow.
  • The U.S. Virgin Islands – Saw a small spike and then a huge spike, but has reported very low numbers of new cases as of late.

So there you have it. The eight states (or territories) where the coronavirus isn’t actively spiking, at least for the moment. If you live in one of the other states, chances are your state is dealing with a spike as we speak, or it trying to recover from a recent wave of increased positive testing.

Even if you happen to live in one of the very few states that aren’t dealing with a spike, you should still be taking every precaution against the spread of COVID-19. That means continuing to practice social distancing, wear a mask when in public or around others, and wash your hands regularly. If you don’t, well, you’ll just be contributing to your state ending up on one of the other, much less desirable lists.