Cities and states are beginning to take more drastic action against the spread of COVID-19, but Texas is the third least aggressive state in the country according to a WalletHub study. Texas has the fewest tested cases of COVID-19 per capita, scored near the bottom in total public health emergency preparedness funding as well as public health spending per capita.
WalletHub looked at 35 key metrics and analyzed all 50 states and the district of Columbia, looking at everything from state legislation to the uninsured population. The study analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Association of Public Health Laboratories, The COVID Tracking Project, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other sources. Of the 51 entities in the study, Texas sat in front of only Mississippi and Wyoming when it came to aggressiveness toward the disease.
The northeast and midwest were the most aggressive, with Rhode Island leading the way, with statewide closures of schools, bars and restaurants while restricting travel for state employees and administering a high number of tests for COVID-19 per capita. New Jersey, New York and Connecticut have instituted a statewide curfew.
Within the study’s categories, Texas ranked dead last in prevention and containment, 31st in risk factors and infrastructure, and 19th in economic impact. Individual category scores are below.
- 19th – State and Local Public Health Laboratories per Capita
- 51st – Tested Cases of COVID-19 per Capita
- 51st – Share of Population with Insurance Coverage
- 16th – Public Hospital System Quality
- 23rd – Share of Workers with Access to Paid Sick Leave
- 48th – Total Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Funding Per Capita
- 41st – Public Healthcare Spending per Capita
For the full report, read more here.
