Texas vs. New York: COVID-19 Deaths Per Capita After Reopening
Texas reopened in
May 2020, while New York maintained stricter lockdown measures. Initially, Texas had far fewer deaths per capita than New York:
- As of
April 26, 2020, New York had
114 deaths per 100,000 people, while Texas had only
2.3 deaths per 100,000. (
Mises Institute)
However, Texas experienced significant spikes in cases and deaths in
summer and winter 2020. By
March 2021, Texas was averaging
232 deaths per day, ranking second in the nation behind California. (
CDC)
While Texas initially had fewer deaths per capita, later surges narrowed the gap between the two states. The debate over lockdown policies remains complex with some arguing that strict measures saved lives in high-density areas like New York, while others believe early reopening helped economic recovery in states like Texas.
Your argument about New York vs. Texas is disingenuous. You're comparing apples to oranges. New York's initial response was a failure, yes, but let's look at the actual data. Texas didn't deal with the same issues because its city populations were sparser than New York's city population, and initial virus outbreaks in Texas were better contained as it is less of a hub for international transportation.
In contrast, New York was able to reduce their deaths per day and per capita with their lockdown guidelines. Texas chose to reopen early, and their deaths per day and per capita far exceeded those in New York. California was a mix of both issues with population density and early reopenings compounding into a perfect storm with disastrous consequences.
Sources:
-
CDC COVID-19 Mortality Data
-
Mises Institute: NY vs. Texas COVID-19 Deaths
-
Statista: U.S. COVID-19 Death Rates by State