According to a study by WalletHub, Massachusetts ranked in the #1 slot as the safest State during the COVID-19 pandemic.  As a whole New England fared extremely well in the study all landing in the top 11.

Mass grabbed the #1 spot with a score of 95.3…Vermont was 2nd with a score of 94…followed by Connecticut at 93.89…Rhode Island placed 5th with a score of 92.99…Main was 9th with an 87.61 score and New Hampshire was just out of the top 10 at 11 with a score of 86.59.

According to the WalletHub report, they used 5 key metrics to determine how State rated when it comes to COVID-19 safety.  The metrics measured COVID-19 transmission, positive testing, hospitalizations, and death along with the share of vaccinations among those eligible.

Among the states with the lowest scores included Alabama, West Virginia, Georgia, Wyoming, South Carolina, and Oklahoma.  All six of these states have the poorest record on COVID-19 safety and all lead by Republican Governors that have had little to no support for mask mandates, business closures, and restrictions during the pandemic.  Not that all Republican lead states can be placed in the same ‘unsafe” bucket.  Massachusetts is led by Republican Governor Charlie Baker.  To give some contrast between the safest state, Massachusetts,  with a score of 95.73, Alabama, the least safe state scored 26.14.  A difference of 69.59 points according to WalletHub.

Consider yourself fortunate to live in a state where the government has taken this deadly virus very seriously and has done a better job than every other state in the country at trying to keep its citizens as safe as possible.  Well, done Massachusetts,  the other New England States, and their citizenship.   As of yesterday, there have been 681,192 deaths from COVID-19 in the United States.  That number should whack you on the side of your head if you still refuse to be vaccinated.

Click on this WalletHub link for the entire breakdown state by state.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

LOOK: 30 fascinating facts about sleep in the animal kingdom

50 Most Popular Chain Restaurants in America

YouGov investigated the most popular dining brands in the country, and Stacker compiled the list to give readers context on the findings. Read on to look through America's vast and divergent variety of restaurants—maybe you'll even find a favorite or two.

 

More From WSBS 860AM