Politics & Government
Washington Has The 6th Most Coronavirus Restrictions: Study
The study found WA's restaurant and gathering restrictions harsher than most, but that those restrictions may have kept the death rate down.
SEATTLE — A new study has found that Washington is among the states with the most restrictive pandemic regulations.
The study, published by Wallethub, looked at over a dozen COVID-19 restrictions like mask usage requirements, bans on social gatherings and which industries have been allowed to remain open, and found that Washington had the 6th most restrictive regulations out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
In particular, researchers say Washington has the 3rd most restrictions on reopening restaurants and bars, and 4th most restrictions on large gatherings. It also has above-average regulation of non-essential businesses and travel restrictions.
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Per the study, the top ten most restrictive states are:
- California
- Virginia
- Massachusetts
- District of Columbia
- New Mexico
- Washington
- Vermont
- North Carolina
- Hawaii
- Illinois
California earned the top slot in part because they have a ban on all gatherings and have closed all non-essential businesses.
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The ten least restricted states include:
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Iowa
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Utah
- Missouri
- Wisconsin
- Alaska
- South Carolina
Oklahoma is just one of four states that has no mask requirements, and has reopened all non-essential businesses.
However, while the restrictions have done a number on Washington's economy, the study suggests they may have helped save lives. Wallethub's study also found that Washington had the 8th lowest death rate.
And while Washington is performing poorer than average on the economic front, experts say the state's caution could end up paying off in the long run.
"Epidemiologists warn that if we open too early, the spread of COVID-19 will increase exponentially again," warns Kelsey Hample, professor of economics at Furman University. "This will renew the economic issues we are already facing. Being sick is costly. If a person cannot work, she might lose income or her firm may have to pay a wage without producing something of value."
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