Five States Where Coronavirus Deaths Are Rising Fastest

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Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. have surpassed 200,000, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. At least a handful of states have each seen a rise in new deaths per capita (100,000 people) in the latest two-week period.

Below are five states that have reported the largest increase in new deaths per capita over the past week, from the previous seven days, according to data compiled by The New York Times. All population data below from the U.S. Census Bureau, as of July 2019.

Missouri

Week-to-week change in new deaths per capita: 70

  • New deaths per capita in week one: 152
  • New deaths per capita in week two: 82
  • Total confirmed deaths: 1,967
  • Total population: 6,137,428

The seven-day average of daily new deaths in Missouri mostly increased from late March to around mid-May, peaking at 17 on May 12, before mostly declining through late July. The figure rose again and peaked at a higher level, reaching 19 on September 6. Average daily new deaths then dropped on a brief but sharp decline through mid-September before it peaked again at 22 on September 22, according to Worldometer.

Virginia

Week-to-week change in new deaths per capita: 68

  • New deaths per capita in week one: 221
  • New deaths per capita in week two: 153
  • Total confirmed deaths: 3,060
  • Total population: 8,535,519

The seven-day moving average of daily new deaths in Virginia mostly increased from late March to early May before decreasing through late May. The figure briefly rose on a sharp incline through late May before mostly decreasing through late June. The average count then slightly flattened out until around September 12 before rising sharply through the rest of the month, peaking at 42 on September 20, according to Worldometer.

Early voters, Fairfax, Virginia on September 2020
People waiting on line to vote early at the Fairfax Government Center on September 18 in Virginia. The state is among the top five states that have seen the largest jump in new COVID-19 deaths... Getty Images

North Dakota

Week-to-week change in new deaths per capita: 9

  • New deaths per capita in week one: 24
  • New deaths per capita in week two: 15
  • Total confirmed deaths: 199
  • Total population: 762,062

The seven-day moving average of daily new deaths in North Dakota remained mostly flat since late March, hovering from zero to one. It mostly increased from around September 12 and peaked at four on September 19 and 21, according to data compiled by Worldometer.

South Dakota

Week-to-week change in new deaths per capita: 7

  • New deaths per capita in week one: 18
  • New deaths per capita in week two: 11
  • Total confirmed deaths: 202
  • Total population: 884,659

The seven-day moving average of daily new fatalities in South Dakota remained mostly flat from early April through early September, hovering from zero to two. It increased on a sharper incline through the rest of September, peaking at three in late September, according to data compiled by Worldometer.

Hawaii

Week-to-week change in new deaths per capita: 8

  • New deaths per capita in week one: 20
  • New deaths per capita in week two: 12
  • Total confirmed deaths: 119
  • Total population: 1,415,872

The seven-day moving average of daily new deaths in Hawaii remained mostly flat from early April to late August, hovering from zero to two. The figure rose on a sharp incline from then, peaking at four in early September and declined through mid-September before rising sharply through late September, peaking at four again on September 18, according to Worldometer.

The wider picture

The novel coronavirus has infected over 31.6 million people across the globe since it was first reported in Wuhan, China, including nearly 6.9 million in the U.S. Over 971,700 have died following infection, while more than 21.7 million have reportedly recovered as of Wednesday, according to JHU.

The graphic below, provided by Statista, illustrates U.S. states with the most COVID-19 cases.

COVID-19 cases in U.S.
STATISTA

The below graphic, also provided by Statista, illustrates the percentage of Americans who do or don't want COVID-19 restrictions to be relaxed in the country.

Americans US COVID-19 restrictions
STATISTA

The graphics below, also provided by Statista, illustrate the spread of COVID-19 cases in counties across the globe.

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About the writer

Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean


Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more