COVID Deaths Are Highest in These 7 States

Life and Trends Reporter

🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.

Total confirmed coronavirus deaths in the U.S. have surpassed 282,300, as of Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Here we look at seven states that have reported the most number of deaths per 100,000 people in the last seven days, according to the latest report Sunday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Death data below is from the CDC, JHU and Worldometer, while the population data is from the U.S. Census Bureau.

South Dakota

Deaths per 100,000 in last 7 days: 2.4
Total confirmed deaths: 1,110
Total population: 884,659

The seven-day average of deaths in South Dakota has been rising since early September, hitting a peak of 26 on December 3 and 4, after flattening out since early April, according to data compiled by Worldometer.

Deaths per 100,000 in last 7 days: 1.8
Total confirmed deaths: 1,019
Total population: 762,062

The average death toll in North Dakota declined from early November, after rising sharply from early September and peaking at 27 on November 11 and 24. The figure remained flat from early April, according to Worldometer.

Nebraska

Deaths per 100,000 in last 7 days: 1.5
Total confirmed deaths: 1,205
Total population: 1,934,408

The average death tally in Nebraska has been rising sharply since mid-October, peaking on December 5 at 30, the state's highest average since the outbreak began. The figure remained flat for most of the outbreak since late March, according to Worldometer.

Iowa

Deaths per 100,000 in last 7 days: 1.4
Total confirmed deaths: 2,717
Total population: 3,155,070

The average death count in Iowa peaked on Sunday at 44, the state's highest level reported since the outbreak began. The figure has been rising sharply since early November, after flattening out for months since early July, according to Worldometer.

New Mexico

Deaths per 100,000 in last 7 days: 1.4
Total confirmed deaths: 1,749
Total population: 2,096,829

The average death toll in New Mexico reached a record level of 30 on December 5 and 6, the highest it's been since the start of the outbreak. The figure has been rising since mid-October, after declining for most of the pandemic since late March, according to Worldometer.

Illinois

Deaths per 100,000 in last 7 days: 1.3
Total confirmed deaths: 14,116
Total population: 12,671,821

The average death count in Illinois hit a record level of 176 on Sunday, the highest it's been since the outbreak began. The figure has been rising sharply since early November, after declining since mid-May and flattening out from early July, according to Worldometer.

Kansas

Deaths per 100,000 in last 7 days: 1.3
Total confirmed deaths: 1,786
Total population: 2,913,314

The average death tally in Kansas also hit a record level of 37 on Sunday, the highest average since the start of the outbreak. The figure has been rising sharply since mid-September, after remaining flat for months since April, according to Worldometer.

U.S. COVID deaths to surpass 500,000 by end of January

According to the latest projection by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, the country's total death count is expected to reach around 505,486 on January 31, while its daily death toll will hit around 5,807 if "vaccine distribution is scaled up over 90 days" and "governments do not re-impose mandates if cases increase."

According to forecasts by 37 modeling groups received last week by the CDC, "the number of newly reported COVID-19 deaths will likely increase over the next four weeks, with 9,500 to 19,500 new COVID-19 fatalities likely to be reported in the week ending December 26, 2020." A total of 303,000 to 329,000 COVID-19 deaths are likely to be recorded by the same date, according to the CDC report.