Only 13 States Maintaining Recommended 5 Percent or Lower COVID-Positive Rate

The United States started the week with only 13 states that have maintained a 5 percent or lower COVID-positive test rate for at least 14 days, the recommendation  in May by the World Health Organization for governments before reopening.

Connecticut, at 3.15 percent according to data tracking by Johns Hopkins University, ranks among the nation’s lowest positivity rates. Oklahoma, one of the nation’s COVID-10 hotspots, has a 51.44 percent positivity rate. With the holiday season arriving next week, the country continues efforts to vaccinate as many people as possible with the rollout of vaccines for children ages 5 to 11.

“Most kids do very well with COVID-19,” says Keith Grant, APRN, Hartford HealthCare’s Senior Director of Infection Prevention, “but you add vaccines to that and you add masks and proper social distancing, it puts you in a much better position.”

Here is national data on the percentage of tests that came back positive, updated this morning by Johns Hopkins University. (Note that Johns Hopkins uses a seven-day rolling average.) Connecticut officials said the state’s positivity rate Tuesday was 4.3 percent, up from 2.89 percent the previous day, the highest in almost two months.

13 States (Plus District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) That Meet Test-Positive Recommendations

1. District of Columbia: 1.36 percent.
2. California: 1.43 percent.
3. Hawaii: 2.20 percent.
4. Louisiana: 2.26 percent.
5. Massachusetts: 2.41 percent.
6. Maryland: 2.50 percent.
7. Illinois: 2.74 percent.
8. Rhode Island: 3.14 percent.
9. Connecticut: 3.15 percent.
10. New York: 3.30 percent.
11. South Carolina: 3.59 percent.
12. Puerto Rico: 3.63 percent.
13. Florida: 4.00 percent.
14. Vermont: 4.18 percent.
15. Georgia: 4.42 percent.

36 States Above The Test-Positive Recommendations

1. Oklahoma: 51.44 percent.
2. Iowa: 48.24 percent.
3. Kansas: 36.53 percent.
4. Idaho: 36.06 percent.
5. New Jersey: 19.19 percent.
6. Pennsylvania: 18.37 percent.
7. Utah: 17.29 percent.
8. North Dakota: 16.93 percent.
9. Ohio: 16.22 percent.
10. Michigan:16.11 percent.
11. Wyoming: 13.40 percent.
12. Minnesota: 12.72 percent.
13. New Mexico: 12.51 percent.
14. South Dakota: 11.81 percent.
15. Wisconsin: 11.67 percent.
16. Montana: 11.19 percent.
17. Nevada: 11.14 percent.
18. Missouri: 10.63 percent.
19. Arizona: 10.15 percent.
20. New Hampshire: 10.10 percent.
21. Nebraska: 9.99 percent.
22. Mississippi: 9.36 percent.
23. Indiana: 9.24 percent.
24. Arkansas: 9.11 percent.
25. Colorado: 8.88 percent.
26. Kentucky: 8.80 percent.
27. Tennessee: 8.19 percent.
28. Virginia: 7.88 percent.
29. Maine: 7.47 percent.
30. West Virginia: 6.94 percent.
31. Alaska: 5.98 percent.
32. North Carolina: 5.88 percent.
33. Delaware: 5.84 percent.
34. Oregon: 5.70 percent.
35. Alabama: 5.59 percent.
36. Texas: 5.23 percent.