The problem with statewide data is that local conditions can vary wildly. Here in Washington the situation in East King County where we had the first deaths and earlier local spread, the conditions are much different than in other parts of the state. Actual trends are obscured by statistical noise when looking at a state and national level.
My best friend is one of the top FEMA leaders in the country. He has more access to information than the rest of us, but when I was talking to him the other night he did not realize that we have half a million Chinese people living in Eastern King County who visit home often. That is one of the primary reasons why we had problems here before the rest of the country.
My friend visits China and Southeast Asia on a regular basis; he was in Southeast Asia in January just as this was starting to take off. I was worried that he would have difficulty getting back here. But just like 10,000 Chinese who entered the country after the “travel ban” by diverting to Vancouver International when their flights to SeaTac were cancelled, he had no difficulties getting back here.
I agree. Both Wash. and Ore. have quite different situations east or west of the coastal mountains with significant distinctions even in a given County.
I was surprised to see that the Ski Resort Counties in Colo. had a high per capita infection rate early on. Same for Blaine County in Ida. [Sun Valley]. Now I see that it looks like Gallatin County, Mont. [Big Sky] has perhaps the most infections in the State.