Oklahoma is leading the nation in two categories in WalletHub’s report, “States with the fewest coronavirus restrictions.”
According to the report, Oklahoma has the fewest restrictions on requiring people to wear a face mask in public and has the nation’s fewest restrictions on the re-opening of child care programs. Oklahoma is second atop the list of fewest restrictions on large gatherings and No. 7 for the least strict “shelter in place” orders.
Overall, Oklahoma is No. 9 in terms of fewest restrictions for re-opening.
Oklahoma is No. 13 in fewest travel restrictions and No. 18 in the re-opening of restaurants and bars. The state is No. 23 in the re-opening of “non-essential businesses.”
In his rally in Tulsa on June 20, President Donald Trump said he re-opened his presidential re-election campaign in Tulsa because Oklahoma was doing so well in recovering from the Chinese coronavirus.
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 16 factors. The date ranges from whether child-care programs and restaurants have reopened to the presence or absence of a “shelter-in-place” order.
The rate of re-opening will have an impact on July 4th celebrations.
“States are reopening at different rates, so the degree to which 4th of July celebrations will be impacted depends on the state. Many states are only at the beginning of the reopening processes, so we can expect to see a lot of Independence Day events canceled or heavily restricted in size,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Americans are planning on staying local for the 4th of July this year, as 74 percent will not travel, according to a recent WalletHub survey.”
The recent rash of violent protests across the nation has slowed re-opening in some states. The liberal news media predicted riots in Tulsa for the Trump rally but they never materialized. In fact, there were only six arrests and no looting.
“The recent protests throughout the U.S. could both help and hurt states’ reopening efforts. On the positive side, the protests may prove to people that it’s safer to be outside than they thought, leading to more economic activity sooner. On the negative side, the protests could lead to spikes in COVID-19 cases that might force reopening delays due to public health concerns,” said Gonzalez. “Even if reopening proceeds without delay in a given area, some business owners will face setbacks unrelated to the coronavirus. The rioting that accompanied protests in some cities caused damage to businesses just as they were starting to reopen. Hopefully, damaged businesses can get back on track through insurance or government assistance.”
When re-opening, officials should still encourage safe health practices.
“States should be most mindful of limiting close contact between residents even as businesses reopen, which means that state legislatures should transition from guidelines on social distancing to laws, such as requiring mask wearing in public places and limiting the number of people per square footage. States can show extra care to vulnerable populations by making sure they are accommodated with free deliveries of essential goods and exclusive hours at all businesses,” said Gonzalez,. “Most importantly, state governments need to closely monitor the number of coronavirus cases, prepare for a second wave, and adjust further reopening plans if needed to avoid too much of a strain on hospitals.”
South Dakota has the fewest restrictions.
“South Dakota ranks as the state with the fewest coronavirus restrictions because it has issued no COVID-19-related guidance or requirements for assisted living facilities and has completely removed all limitations on large gatherings,” said Gonzalez. “South Dakota is among just six states that didn’t tell people to shelter in place order during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is the only state that didn’t require bars and restaurants to close.”
New York took the hardest hit from the Chinese coronavirus.
“New York ranks as No. 5 for the most coronavirus restrictions in the U.S.,” said Gonzalez. “New York is one of only nine states that still have some form of quarantine in place, and it currently allows gatherings of only 25 people or fewer. New York recommends workplace temperature screenings in order to help catch potential cases of COVID-19, too.”
For the full report, see www.wallethub.com.
States with the Fewest Restrictions
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
- Utah
- South Carolina
- North Dakota
- Missouri
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Oklahoma
- Wyoming
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Alaska
- Texas
- Montana
- Nevada
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Arkansas
- Indiana
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Florida
- Arizona
- Ohio
- District of Columbia
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Kentucky
- West Virginia
- Connecticut
- North Carolina
- Washington
- Delaware
- Rhode Island
- Oregon
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- Pennsylvania
- Illinois
- Colorado
- New Jersey
- Virginia
- New Hampshire
- Maryland
- New York
- Hawaii
- California
- Vermont
- New Mexico
Note: Rankings are based on data available as of June 22.