Despite new numbers from Alabama health officials that COVID-19 cases are rising, a new study shows our state is among the safest in the nation for the virus. The internet web site Wallethub now ranks our state as the eleventh safest state in the nation for the coronavirus. Alabama made headlines for being the worst among U.S. states for vaccinations. We also had the third highest death rate in the nation. Wallethub analyst Jill Gonzales explains a better vaccination rate is helping Alabama move up in the ranking compared to its neighbors.
“Which is surprising to say,” Gonzales concedes. “When comparing it to other states in the area, like Tennessee, Mississippi. Those states have lower vaccination rates, Indiana as well. And are seeing it move up.”
In the Wallethub study, Alabama ranked number in the nation both for the lowest hospitalizations and the lowest death rate. Gonzales explains southern states are doing better for COVID hospitalizations and deaths.
“Yeah, when it comes to actually lowest hospitalization rates, lowest death rates…the south is not doing too bad right now,” Gonzales explains. “The lowest hospitalizations rates belong to Mississippi, followed by Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas… Alabama ranks fifth.”
The Wallethub study also ranks red states a couple of points safer than blue states for COVID-19 safety. The Alabama Department of Public Health says the positivity rate for the coronavirus in the State, which is the number of COVID tests that come back positive, is at just over nine percent for the past seven days. That’s the highest Alabama has had in the past three months.
