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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for March 30, 2020
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
March 30, 2020: One reason New York City has become the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak is extreme levels of population density. The most densely populated county in the United States is Manhattan with 67,000 residents per square mile.[1]
By way of comparison, the average U.S. city has a population density of about 1,600 people per square mile. In other words, Manhattan has more than 40 times the population density of the average city. The U.S. as a whole has about 90 people per square mile.[2]
After Manhattan, the next three most populated counties are also in New York: Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens.[1]
“The density of the population is reason No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 — it’s just been so easy for it to spread,” said Dr. Josh Sharfstein, the vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.[1]
Another factor makes lower-income neighborhoods more vulnerable. According to Jessica Justman, an associate professor of medicine at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, “It is also about the average number of people living in a household. People living alone in an apartment will be able to practice social distancing more easily than people who live with a large family, or who are sharing space with many others.”[1]
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- March 27, 2020 –68% of Americans are avoiding small gatherings with family and friends
- March 26, 2020 –33 states have suspended in-person court appearances due to pandemic
- March 25, 2020 –5 million restaurant jobs could be lost due to coronavirus
- March 24, 2020 –9 states have postponed presidential or congressional primary elections
- March 23, 2020 –32% of voters believe “Chinese virus” is a racist term
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
The Number of the Day is broadcast on local stations across the country. An archive of these broadcasts can be found here.
Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
Ballotpedia is the nonprofit, nonpartisan Encyclopedia of American Politics.
See also
- Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day
- Coronavirus Daily Updates
- Government responses to and political effects of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 (New York)
- Political responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
Footnotes
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