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Florida ranks 37th in U.S. for COVID-19 recovery, study says

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wears a protective mask during a press conference at the Urban League of Broward County to announce that Florida's first two walk-through coronavirus testing sites will be opening in Broward County as the Novel Coronavirus pandemic continues on Friday, April 17, 2020 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The sites will open for testing on Saturday and will start with 200 tests per day, Gov. DeSantis said.
DAVID SANTIAGO/Miami Herald/TNS
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wears a protective mask during a press conference at the Urban League of Broward County to announce that Florida’s first two walk-through coronavirus testing sites will be opening in Broward County as the Novel Coronavirus pandemic continues on Friday, April 17, 2020 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The sites will open for testing on Saturday and will start with 200 tests per day, Gov. DeSantis said.
Garfield Hylton, Orlando Sentinel staff portrait in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)
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A new study ranked Florida 37th in the country when it comes to recovering from the pandemic.

TOP Agency, a global agency network, published a study on how the country is bouncing back from the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Researchers looked at 48 states across 23 categories and used a weighted point system measuring three key dimensions: consumer confidence, job market strength, and COVID-19 safety.

Florida scored 53.02 with a 30 in consumer confidence, 27 in job market strength, and 41 in COVID-19 safety.

TOP’s study looked at categories such as the number of visits to local bars, social distancing rates, the number of businesses created during the pandemic, and more. The points are then averaged to create the ranking.

Consumer confidence weighs most heavily on the score at 50 points with COVID safety and job market strength, accounting for 25 points each.

Vermont (65.94) took the overall top spot, with Mississippi (65.03), Rhode Island (64.97), Kansas (61.97), and Arizona (61.22) rounding out the top five.

Washington (49.09), Pennsylvania (48.41), Minnesota (48.39), and New York (43.20) make up the bottom five with Michigan (40.45) ranking dead last, according to the study.