Letter to the Editor: I stand with her

To the editor:

I am proudly wearing my t-shirt today, the one that says, “I stand with ‘that woman from Michigan.” “That woman” has earned the state an A and the top ranking of all 50 states in how well the state has responded to the Corona virus pandemic (TruePeopleSearch Insights https://www.truepeoplesearch.com/insights/).  

PeopleSearch analyzed publicly available data to determine which states handled the virus best, using seven criteria:

–Weekly Change in New Cases per Million Residents

–Cases per 1 Million

–Deaths per 1 Million

–Tests per 1 Million

–Reaction Time to Issue Stay-at-Home Orders

–Reaction Time to Close Schools

–Reaction Time to Close Bars and Restaurants

The top five states and their grades are 1. Michigan A, 2. New Mexico B+, 3. Vermont B, 4. Illinois B-, 5. Kentucky B-. The five worst states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, South Carolina and Florida.

While it may be an inconvenience to stay home and to wear a mask when out, we should stop and think about the neighbor whose 30-year-old son died from COVID-19 or the friend whose husband is still recovering. Without the swift, bold action of Governor Whitmer, we would have lost many more. I stand with her.

Naomi Ludman
Dowagiac