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Fact check: The majority of states have less than 10% positive cases

Earlier, Dr Deborah Birx, a coordinator on the coronavirus response task force, said that 63% of the states (31 states) had less than 10% of total people tested for Covid-19 be positive. A quick glance at data provided by the Covid Tracking Project, a collaborative, volunteer-run project that collects data from local health departments, shows that about 28 states plus US Samoa meet that threshold.

While that’s still a slight majority of states, a handful are seeing much more dire statistics. Out of people tested in New York, about 40% have tested positive. Surrounding states also have grim stats: Thirty percent of those tested in Connecticut and 47% of those tested in New Jersey were positive. Presenting this number doesn’t necessarily paint an accurate picture of the spread of the disease in the United States since testing has been limited until very recently. In certain states like New York, where tests have been limited and the spread has been massive, requirements to getting tested are strict. In states that have seen a less intense outbreak, testing has been more widely available.