According to a WalletHub study, Virginia has the fourth most Coronavirus restrictions.
WalletHub is a personal finance website based out of Washington D.C. The study was written by its financial writer, Adam McCann and posted on the website on April 6, 2021.
“The purpose of this study is to show exactly what the level of restrictions in each state is, seeing as more and more people are getting vaccinated and states are opening up as a result,” said WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez.
The data was gathered by WalletHub’s team of researchers from government sources such as the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the CDC. From here, they compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 13 metrics on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the fewest restrictions. The team used the weighted average across all metrics to calculate the overall score and then rank ordered the states.
“Because our sources are mostly government, we consider all data to be accurate and with no errors. We do not alter the data in any way and use it as is,” said Gonzalez.
These are the rankings for Virginia in each category.
- 18th – Requirement to Wear a Face Mask in Public
- 1st – Travel restrictions
- 13th – Statewide school restart
- 33rd – Workplace Temperature Screening
- 19th – State Guidance on Customer Health Checks at Restaurants
- 38th – Large Gatherings Restrictions
- 27th – Reopening of Non-Essential Businesses
- 29th – Reopening of Restaurants and Bars
- 37th – Legislation on business immunity from COVID-19 claims
- 14th – Working from home requirements/recommendations
- 1st – Strictness of “shelter in place” order
- 20th – Presence of multistate agreements to reopen
- 42nd – Guidance for assisted living facilities related to COVID-19
Despite Virginia’s overall ranking, the state still has a high Coronavirus death rate.
“Virginia has the fourth most COVID-19 restrictions, less than there were a month ago when the state had the most restrictions in the country. It still has a high COVID-19 death rate, which is the main reason for the number of restrictions in place,” said Gonzalez.
The Rappahannock Area Health District (RAHD) reported 42 Coronavirus-related hospitalizations as of April 7, 2021. According to the CDC, the total amount of hospitalizations in the Fredericksburg region is 97 and the death count is 22 as of April 12.
RAHD officials encourage residents to remain vigilant, wash their hands, and physically distance themselves from others.
Over 30% of the adults in the area have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. About 66,000 doses are being distributed across the Commonwealth per day, with over 500,000 new doses coming in per week, according to Governor Ralph Northam.
Northam still encourages people to follow CDC guidelines and not gather in large groups.
