COVID vaccination rates / Source: WalletHub

Aug. 25. With two-thirds of the nation’s population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a new study says North Carolina is the second-safest state in terms of COVID-19. WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across five key metrics—from community transmission to hospitalizations and deaths—to rank the states according to COVID safety.

—North Carolina scored highest/best in vaccination rates and death rate.

—Vermont, however, came out No. 1 overall, with the lowest/best positive test rate.

Here are NC scores:

1st – Vaccination Rate
28th – Hospitalization Rate
1st – Death Rate
15th – Level of Community Transmission

Omicron still spreading, but…

People are still getting sick because of the omicron variant. That said, Mecklenburg County has moved from CDC COVID-19 Community Level High/Orange down to  COVID 19 Community Level Medium/Yellow.

Ask the expert

What measures can people take to ensure safety in their communities and contribute to the overall path to recovery?

Schlegelmilch

“The most important thing that people can do is to listen to health officials and do what we know works. This includes distancing, limiting indoor gatherings, wearing masks, and getting vaccinated as soon as you can do so. Additionally, it may be necessary to continue wearing masks, as well as some degree of distancing even after more people are vaccinated for quite a while. While we know the vaccines help to prevent severe illness, we still have a lot to learn about what kind of protection the vaccines provide against spreading the disease, and the impacts of new variants of COVID-19 that are emerging.”

—Jeff Schlegelmilch, director

National Center for Disaster Preparedness

Columbia University, New York City

To read the full study from WalletHub, click here.