The worst coronavirus outbreaks are happening in these 9 states

• The number of new coronavirus cases is increasing rapidly across several states.
• North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Utah have been hit particularly hard by new coronavirus outbreaks over the past two weeks.
• The daily number of new coronavirus cases in the U.S. has hovered in the 43,000 range over the past few days. Dr. Anthony Fauci previously said the figure needs to drop down below 10,000 as soon as possible.

Not that anyone needs more proof at this point, but the fact Donald Trump contracted the coronavirus at a superspreader event at the White House illustrates just how quickly the coronavirus can spread when basic safety measures aren’t followed. Indeed, one of the ongoing challenges in combatting the coronavirus is that people tend to disregard social distancing and mask-wearing when coronavirus rates start to decline. This creates a false sense of security which, in turn, can quickly cause new spikes in coronavirus infections.

Unfortunately, we’re starting to see this dynamic play out in many areas across the country where some states are currently experiencing a record number of new coronavirus infections. As a whole, the seven-day moving average of new coronavirus infections in the U.S. has jumped from 35,000 in early September to 43,000 today.

According to The New York Times COVID-19 tracking tool, the following states are seeing the worst coronavirus outbreaks right now.

1. North Dakota – 2,826 cases over the last seven days
2. South Dakota – 2,877 cases over the last seven days
3. Wisconsin – 17,443 cases over the last seven days
4. Montana – 2,612 cases over the last seven days
5. Utah – 7,002 cases over the last seven days
6. Iowa  – 6,120 cases over the last seven days
7. Idaho – 3,463 cases over the last seven days
8. Nebraska – 3,744 cases over the last seven days
9. Arkansas – 5,771 cases over the last seven days.

While other states have seen a higher cumulative number of new coronavirus cases, the states above are experiencing an extremely high rate of new cases relative to population size. Take Florida for example. The state has seen 15,895 new coronavirus cases over the past seven days, but that only translates to about 74 new cases for every 100,000 people. North Dakota, in contrast, is seeing about 371 new coronavirus cases for every 100,000 people.

The only silver lining is that the 7-day moving average for coronavirus-related deaths has been on the decline ever so slightly. This could be the result of increased testing, or perhaps, a function of people in riskier demographics taking safety precautions more seriously than younger folks who are testing positive in greater numbers.

Still, there are some specific states seeing an increase in coronavirus-related deaths, with North Dakota, Tenessee, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, South Dakota, and Arkansas being just a few examples.

All told, the reality is that the U.S. is not in a good position with respect to the coronavirus given that flu season is right around the corner. This, coupled with impending colder weather, could lead to a massive spike in new coronavirus cases in October and November, according to many health experts.