COVID-19 map project at Western Washington University aims to show what’s happening with case numbers and deaths — and why

While state policies to curb the spread of COVID-19 have created hardships, a data analysis conducted at Western Washington University shows they make a difference.

Patrick Buckley, a professor of environmental studies, has created maps that compare cases and death rates throughout the United States — as well as throughout Washington.

Nationally, Washington has maintained lower case counts and death rates per 100,000 residents than other states on the West Coast, in the Midwest, on the East Coast and in the South. That’s despite being the first state to have a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and being the 13th most populous state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.