Wyoming Now Ranks as 3rd ‘Least Safe’ State to Live in During COVID-19 Pandemic

Wyoming has ranked as the 3rd 'least safe' states to live in during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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That's according to a study done by the personal finance website WalletHub, who compared the 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, across five key metrics, including rates of COVID-19 transmission, positive testing, hospitalizations and death, as well as the number of eligible people who have gotten vaccinated.

Previously, the state was ranked as the 5th 'least safe' state.

Out of the 50 states (plus D.C.), Wyoming ranks 49th overall. Only West Virginia and Idaho are ranked lower.

Additionally, Wyoming is ranked 49th when it comes to vaccination rate, with only West Virginia having fewer vaccinations. It is also ranked 49th in terms of hospitalization rate and death rate. Wyoming is also ranked 35th in terms of a positive testing rate and in terms of transmission rates.

As of October 14, only 38.7% of Wyoming's population had been fully vaccinated.

"There are some people that have questions, and we've worked hard to provide answers and if people have questions, we encourage them to go to reputable sources for that information," said Kim Deti, Public Information Officer with the Wyoming Department of Health. "There's maybe some political anger as a part of that. We do have people who don't see it's important for them personally, they may not see a personal need for it. People hear the odds and think, it won't be me, I won't be the one who gets that illness, but you really never know."

Currently, 1,080 people in Wyoming have died from coronavirus-related health issues. The Associated Press reports that "nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now are in people who weren't vaccinated."

Governor Gordon encourages Wyomingites to get vaccinated but says that he won't require school districts, nor the state at large, to implement mask mandates.

“As our hospitals continue to see more COVID-19 hospitalizations, and as long-term and child care facilities are forced to close due to COVID-19 infections, it is time to remember all the things we learned last year and consider getting vaccinated as the most effective way to protect yourself against severe illness,” the Governor said. “And let us not forget the Wyoming way and work to be kind to one another.”

"We need to follow the science," Gordon stated.

Currently, 57% of the total population of the United States is fully vaccinated. That number is sure to rise in the upcoming months, due to various employer mandates and incentives.

But Wyoming, ever the 'live and let live' state, does not want to be told what to do. As recently as last month, Wyoming citizens held a demonstration outside of Casper College, protesting the vaccine mandate that President Biden is planning to implement in the upcoming weeks.

For more on these findings, visit this website.