Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - The state of Montana has the dubious distinction of having been found the deadliest state during the COVID pandemic, according to the financial website Wallet Hub.

Out of 50 States and Washington, D.C. Montana Scored 51st

KGVO News reached out to Wallet Hub analyst Jill Gonzalez for an explanation as to how Montana achieved that deadly distinction.

“This is really to find out the safest states during what’s left of the COVID pandemic,” said Gonzalez from her office in New York City. “That includes the level of community transmission, the rates of positive testing, hospitalizations, deaths, as well as the share of the eligible population getting vaccinated. So Montana right now ranks lowest here at number 51 because we include (Washington) D.C. as well.”

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The Study said Montana has a Dismal COVID Record

Gonzalez said Montana scored at the very bottom in nearly all the measurable metrics.

“Montana ranked in the bottom ten for most of these metrics; vaccinations, positive testing, hospitalizations and the most alarming is probably the death rate from COVID-19 which is the second highest in the country, second only to Arkansas. So that's what really brought it down in these rankings.”

Gonzalez listed some of the other states that scored very low in the Wallet Hub study.

“This is really looking at these five different metrics and Montana is one of the states along with Wyoming, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Dakota being another,” she said. Montana has one of the lowest vaccination rates and one of the highest COVID-19 death rates right now. So that, I think, is really the snowball effect right there.”

'If You Haven't Already been Vaccinated, You Probably Won't Be'

Gonzalez looked at the present numbers for Montanans getting vaccinated or getting the COVID booster and provided this statement.

“I think it's probably safe to say if you haven't gotten vaccinated by now, then you probably won't be,” she said. Where Montana needs to improve the most is that it does have a very low vaccination rate and a very high death rate when most states simply are not seeing that many deaths from COVID-19 anymore, but Montana certainly is. So that would definitely give me pause or at least make me consider the vaccine or possibly a booster right now.”

Click here to see the full Wallet Hub study released this week, which said that Alaska was by far the safest state during the COVID pandemic.

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