This US state has the highest daily COVID-19 mortality rate in the world, experts say

North Dakota has the highest daily per capita COVID-19 mortality rate in the world, scientists say.

The state has 2.035 coronavirus deaths per day per 100,000 people, Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding of the Federation of American Scientists wrote on Twitter this week.

Following North Dakota are the Czech Republic and Belgium, according to Feigl-Ding.

South Dakota ranks fourth on the global list, with Wisconsin and Montana coming in 11th and 12th, respectively, Feigl-Ding wrote.

The mortality rates closely correspond to mask-wearing rates, he said.

“How could we allow this in the United States to happen?” said Dr. Ali Mokdad, a professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, USA Today reported. “This is unacceptable by any standards.”

Mokdad said the coronavirus mortality rates in North Dakota and South Dakota are similar to those he’d expect from a war-torn nation, not the United States, according to the publication.

Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota on Friday announced new restrictions intended to curb the spread of coronavirus in the state, including a mask mandate.

“Our situation has changed, and we must change with it,” Burgum said.

But at least one North Dakota sheriff says he won’t be enforcing the mandate.

“We feel that to do so takes away from your liberty to live freely under the Constitution of the United States,” Sheriff Matthew Johansen of McKenzie County said in a statement.

Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota has refused to institute a mask mandate, USA Today reported. Noem, a Republican, supports President Donald Trump and has said it’s up to individuals to decide whether masks are effective in curbing coronavirus.

More than 55 million cases of the COVID-19 virus have been confirmed worldwide with more than 1.3 million deaths as of Nov. 17, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 11 million confirmed cases and more than 247,000 deaths.

This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 12:55 PM with the headline "This US state has the highest daily COVID-19 mortality rate in the world, experts say."