Multiple states report coronavirus infection rate higher than some of hardest-hit countries

Multiple states have reported coronavirus infection rates that are higher than some of the hardest-hit countries around the world, according to data compiled by The Hill.

New York state’s infection rate outpaces, by far, the top 10 countries with the highest number of case counts. About 1 percent of the state’s population has tested positive for the virus, and in New York City, that percentage rises to almost 1.3 percent of the population.

Spain has the highest infection rate among the top 10 countries — which only reaches 0.36 percent of the population, a third of New York’s rate. 

New York state has counted 195,031 cases and 10,056 deaths, while New York City has documented 106,813 cases and 6,182 deaths as of 1p.m. Monday. 

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) attributes the state’s infection rate to its high concentration of people, saying the early cluster in New Rochelle spread through gatherings “like wildfire.”

“Why New York? Why are we seeing this level of infection? … It’s very simple: It’s about density,” he said at his Monday news conference. “The dense environments are its feeding grounds.”

Louisiana, New Jersey and Massachusetts also all have higher infection rates compared to Spain. Almost 0.73 percent of New Jersey’s population has contracted COVID-19. In Louisiana, the rate reaches about 0.45 percent, and in Massachusetts, it amounts to almost 0.37 percent. 

Comparatively, Italy’s and Belgium’s infection rates only reach 0.26 percent, followed by France at 0.21 percent. The U.S. sits at 0.17 percent of the population being infected, with Germany at 0.15 percent and the U.K. at 0.13 percent. 

The comparisons were first compiled by The Washington Post.

The population data was collected using 2019 Census estimates for states, 2018 Census estimates for New York City and the World Bank. The New York Times and Johns Hopkins University data were used for the state and country case totals, respectively.