The White House’s state map is mostly red — for COVID-19 cases

Introduction

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More than three-fourths of states are now in the “red zone” for coronavirus cases, according to new reports from the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

The Dakotas and Wisconsin lead in cases per capita, as they have for weeks. Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are new to the red zone this week. 

The reports are sent to governors every week, but the White House does not release them publicly. The Center for Public Integrity is collecting and publishing them.

Three more states were in the red zone for percentage of positive tests since last week’s reports, for a total of 15. And nearly half of states were in the red zone for deaths, five more than last week.

The reports include recommendations to state and local health officials, and they took on a frustrated tone this week, especially in states where cases are high and where relatively few people are wearing masks and social distancing. “Partial or incomplete mitigation leads to prolonged community spread, hospitalizations, and increased fatalities,” the task force told multiple states. 

“Given the urgency of the situation, it is critical to pivot from current approach to implementation of tried and true mitigation strategies,” it told red-zone Idaho.

In 66 percent of nursing homes in red-zone North Dakota, at least one staff member tested positive for the coronavirus last week. “This demonstrates the breadth and depth of the unrelenting and uncontrolled community spread,” the task force said. “Additional efforts in mitigation and testing must focus on both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.”

The reports again this week emphasized that indoor gatherings of family and friends are driving the spread of the virus.

The White House has said in the past that it does not release the reports because it wants states to lead the pandemic response.

According to the Nov. 1 reports from the White House Coronavirus Task Force, states in the red zone for new coronavirus cases per capita (more than 100 new cases per 100,000 residents):

1. North Dakota
2. South Dakota
3. Wisconsin
4. Montana
5. Wyoming
6. Iowa
7. Alaska
8. Nebraska
9. Utah
10. Idaho
11. Kansas
12. Illinois
13. Minnesota
14. New Mexico
15. Indiana
16. Tennessee
17. Rhode Island
18. Kentucky
19. Missouri
20. Arkansas
21. Colorado
22. Michigan
23. Nevada
24. Oklahoma
25. Mississippi
26. Ohio
27. North Carolina
28. Texas
29. West Virginia
30. Connecticut
31. South Carolina
32. Florida
33. Alabama
34. Massachusetts
35. New Jersey
36. Pennsylvania
37. Arizona
38. Delaware

States in the red zone for test positivity (more than 10% of diagnostic tests are positive):

1. Montana
2. South Dakota
3. Idaho
4. Utah
5. Iowa
6. Kansas
7. Nebraska
8. Wisconsin
9. North Dakota
10. Missouri
11. Oklahoma
12. Nevada
13. New Mexico
14. Tennessee
15. Texas

States in the red zone for new deaths per capita (more than two new deaths per 100,000 residents): 

1. North Dakota
2. Montana
3. South Dakota
4. Wisconsin
5. Tennessee
6. Arkansas
7. Missouri
8. Idaho
9. Wyoming
10. Mississippi
11. Indiana
12. Nebraska
13. Iowa
14. Delaware
15. South Carolina
16. Illinois
17. Oklahoma
18. Rhode Island
19. New Mexico
20. Minnesota
21. Massachusetts
22. North Carolina