In the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot changed in how the US responded to the virus. By early March, three different vaccines received emergency use authorization from the federal government. A vaccine requirement was also put in place for federal workers and later extended to all private employers larger than 100 employees.
At the same time, governments reduced restrictions on where people could go or what they could do. Many states stopped requiring masks indoors. Large events like concerts and live sports resumed.
The US recorded 31.8 million new COVID-19 cases in 2021, up 59% from just under 20 million in 2020.[1] Two states had a lower-case count in 2021 than in 2020: North Dakota and South Dakota. Hawaii had the lowest case rate, with 6% of its population testing positive, while West Virginia had the highest at 14%.
