According to an ongoing COVID-19 death-rate-by-state report, published by Becker’s Hospital Review, Wisconsin has a lower death rate than Minnesota, despite fewer lockdowns.
Becker’s Hospital Review ranks each state in order from highest death rate to lowest, based on deaths per 100,000 residents. The data is updated every day with current numbers.
As of Jan. 29, Minnesota has a death rate of 110 per 100,000 while Wisconsin has a death rate of 109 per 100,000.
These numbers go against predictions that place Wisconsin’s death rate higher than Minnesota’s because of fewer and looser restrictions in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers issued a mask mandate in September, two months after Minnesota’s July mandate went into effect.
Regarding bars and restaurants, Wisconsin did not go into a “dial back” mode or shut down for an extended period of time, like Minnesota’s restaurants and bars were required to do starting in November and ending Jan. 11, following an executive order from Gov. Tim Walz.
While Minnesota has a 10 p.m. curfew still in place for bars and restaurants, Wisconsin has never had a curfew enforced.
Other Midwest states rank higher than Minnesota, with South Dakota at 197, North Dakota at 189, Michigan at 153, and Iowa at 143 deaths per 100,000 people.
New Jersey’s coronavirus death rate sits at the top, at 239 per 100,000 people, while Hawaii and Vermont have the lowest, at a rate of 28.
Anna Miller
Anna Miller is a marketing intern at Alpha News and is majoring in entrepreneurship.
