As of May 29, Tennessee had the highest COVID-19 reproduction rate and Hawaii had the lowest, according to rt.live, a website that calculates the rate at which the virus is spreading in all 50 states.
Measured by the average number of people who become sick from an infectious person, the site tracks the effective reproduction rate (Rt) of COVID-19 infections. If the value is less than one, the spread of the disease is slowing. The higher the Rt number, the worse the spread.
Editor's note: This list contains ties. This story was updated May 29 to reflect the latest rt.live update, which was made at 12:15 p.m. on May 28.
Fourteen states with fastest spread of COVID-19
1. Tennessee — 1.06
2. Alabama — 1.04
4. Arkansas — 1.01
5. Utah — 1
Maine — 1
6. Idaho — 0.99
Texas — 0.99
West Virginia — 0.99
7. Washington — 0.98
8. Arizona — 0.97
9. California — 0.96
North Carolina — 0.96
North Dakota — 0.96
South Carolina — 0.96
Fourteen states with slowest spread of COVID-19
1. Hawaii — 0.60
2. Alaska — 0.72
3. Vermont — 0.77
4. New York — 0.80
5. New Jersey — 0.83
6. Connecticut — 0.86
Nevada — 0.86
7. Kansas — 0.87
8. South Dakota — 0.88
9. Delaware — 0.89
Georgia — 0.89
New Hampshire — 0.89
New Mexico — 0.89
Pennsylvania — 0.89