To help readers get a better sense of which states are facing the most severe outbreaks, The Times has broken things down into separate categories, including “where new cases are higher but going down” and “where new cases are lower but going up.” We’re focusing on the states “where new cases are higher and staying high,” meaning that COVID numbers are rising amid an already alarming number of cases. As of Sept. 14, these are the seven states that fall into that category. And for more on the spread of coronavirus in the U.S., This One Thing Is Now Causing COVID Outbreaks in Every Single State. Given its geographical position below South Dakota, Nebraska may still be experiencing the effects of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which has emerged as a superspreader event. Per The New York Times’ data, Nebraska has had nearly 2,300 new COVID cases over the past seven days, or 119 new cases per 100,000 people, giving the state a total of almost 38,200 cases. Nebraska currently has a positive test rate of 10.0 percent, according to Covid Act Now, and a high rate of 17.0 new cases per 100,000 people. And for more on the impact of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Here’s How Far COVID Traveled After One Superspreader Event. South Carolina recently found itself on the list of states the White House Coronavirus Task Force considers to be in the COVID “red zone,” according to a leaked document published by the Center for Public Integrity. Over the past seven days, the state has seen more than 6,910 new COVID cases, which translates to 134 cases per 100,000 people. There have been over 131,860 coronavirus cases in South Carolina to date. And for more states the White House is concerned about, here are 11 States Now in the White House COVID Red Zone, Leaked Reports Say. Another one of the states in the “red zone,” Arkansas experienced 142 new COVID cases per 100,000 people over the last week, adding almost 4,300 cases for a total of close to 70,220. While it has a lower positive test rate than South Carolina and Nebraska, Covid Act Now says that Arkansas is now seeing 21.2 daily new cases per 100,000 people, a very high rate. Wisconsin has seen significantly more new COVID cases than Arkansas over the past seven days—more than 8,315, according to The New York Times—but per capita, the states are very close. Wisconsin’s rise reflects 143 new cases per 100,000 people. There have been close to 94,725 coronavirus cases in the state overall. There are other concerning numbers in Wisconsin as well: The infection rate of 1.15 and the positive test rate of 13.9 percent are both very high, per Covid Act Now. And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. Just slightly above Arkansas and Wisconsin is Oklahoma, with 145 new cases per 100,000 people over the last week. That’s an additional 5,750 cases, giving the state a total of more than 69,350. Another one of the states the White House Coronavirus Task Force is worried about, Oklahoma is now seeing 19.8 daily new cases per 100,000 people, according to Covid Act Now. Missouri was recently identified as one of the four states experiencing the worst COVID spikes in the country, and the state is not showing significant improvement, as the New York Times data reflects. Over the past seven days, there have been 9,620 new coronavirus cases in Missouri, or 157 cases per 100,000 people. Thus far, there have been nearly 104,600 COVID cases in the state. Covid Act Now shows that Missouri also has a high positive test rate of 11.9 percent, along with a high daily new case rate of 21.7 cases per 100,000 people. And for more on how coronavirus spreads, These Are the 4 Places People Went Before They Got COVID, Study Says.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb South Dakota now falls under the category of states “where new cases are higher but going down,” The New York Times says. North Dakota, however, is still seeing numbers rise. With 1,945 new cases over the past seven days, an alarming 255 cases per 100,000 people, the state has now seen more than 15,830 coronavirus cases as of Sept. 14. North Dakota is currently the only state listed as “critical” by Covid Act Now, thanks to the extremely high positive test rate (25.7 percent) and the equally shocking 34.0 daily new cases per 100,000 people.
