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

38 states now in the coronavirus ‘red zone,’ according to the coronavirus task force

by Liz Essley Whyte November 4, 2020January 28, 2022

Salt Lake County Health Department public health nurses look on during coronavirus testing on Nov. 3. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

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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.

The latest reports from the White House Coronavirus Task Force included a ranking of states based on their rates of new cases per population. (Screenshot of report)

“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):