Report: Massachusetts near the top in the country in COVID-19 restrictions

With some states continuing to reopen while others have paused or reversed course due to surges in COVID-19, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released updated rankings for the States with the Fewest Coronavirus Restrictions.

To identify which states have the fewest coronavirus restrictions, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 17 key metrics. The data set ranges from whether the state has any penalties for non-compliance with COVID-19 legislation to whether the state has required face masks in public and health checks at restaurants.

Massachusetts ranked 48th with only Virginia, California, and Hawaii having tighter restrictions, according to WalletHub.

Coronavirus Restrictions in Massachusetts (1=Fewest, 25=Avg.):
16th – Requirement to Wear a Face Mask in Public
18th – State Guidance on Customer Health Checks at Restaurants
39th – Travel Restrictions
32nd – Large Gatherings Restrictions
47th – Strictness of “Shelter in Place” Order
47th – Reopening of Restaurants and Bars
16th – Working from Home Requirements/Recommendations

Rankings are based on data available as of 12:30 p.m. ET on Monday, September 14, 2020.

South Dakota ranked number 1 for fewest restrictions. New Hampshire was the highest ranked New England state at 29 with Rhode Island next at 32.

For more on the report and the metrics used, click here.