Arizona. The new daily cases per million from Arizona today make everywhere else look like things are better (they aren’t). The focus of new cases stretches across the south, with the addition of Oregon, which has been creeping up in recent days. The new daily cases by population density show both the differential response to the virus and its consequences. Those lower density states had fewer state-wide stay-at-home orders for a shorter period and the new daily cases curves show it.
I included one linear axis chart, the cumulative number of deaths per million sorted by population density. It is a continued reminder that the lower density states still have not experienced the level of loss that happened in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The middle of the distribution is pretty similar, and then the most rural fifth of states are still far behind even as they continue to grow quickly. I truly wonder at what point in this “reopening” the losses will hit home, even in the more rural and conservative states. Are there better strategies that can actually be successful at slowing the spread of the virus? We have one that has a growing body of evidence to support its effectiveness in the form of universal mask wearing, but people seem either disdainful or too selfish to do so. Maybe the point of those states with no apparent strategy really is to just let the vulnerable die. I recognize the need to balance distancing, etc. against the harm to the economy and supply chains, but we would be so much farther ahead with just adopting masks for all and that would, relatively speaking, have no cost. It is frustratingly tragic.
Travis Longcore 