Texas Ranks Near Bottom in COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery
Recovering from the pandemic is proving to be a slow go here in Texas.
Our friends at WalletHub looked at some key metrics to determine how each state is recovering from the pandemic, and it turns out that here in Texas, progress is slow.
Overall, the U.S. economy has started to rebound as many people are heading back to work across the country. Unemployment rates were at 14.8% in April 2020, and were down to 5.2% in August 2021. Those numbers show that folks are heading back to work and looking to get the pandemic behind us.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 53.3% of the U.S. population are fully vaccinated, while 62.7% have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. Those numbers continue to rise daily.
Although the U.S. is making progress overall, some states are getting it done quicker than others. WalletHub looked at all 50 states and the District of Columbia with 17 key metrics to determine which states are leading the way, and which are slowly dragging along.
South Dakota, Maine, Iowa, Utah, and New Hampshire lead the way as the states recovering the quickest.
Georgia, Hawaii, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Louisiana were the slowest.
Texas came in at #46 on the list just ahead of Louisiana. One key metric was "Highest Death Rate," in which Texas finished tied for 48th with Georgia, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Louisiana. Meaning we are one of the deadliest states for COVID-19.
Here in Bell County, the percentage of population 12+ with at least one dose of the vaccine is at 47.62%, with 38.75% fully vaccinated.
Looks like Texas has a ways to go.