Coronavirus outbreaks are smaller in states and cities that cracked down months ago, data shows

A masked person walks in New York City.
(Image credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

The benefits of cracking down early and hard against COVID-19 are becoming even more clear.

Early in the coronavirus pandemic, some states — mainly those in the northeast experiencing early case surges — decided to implement tough lockdown measures and mask mandates to control their spreads. And on the whole, they're avoiding recent major outbreaks seen in states that didn't take as much action, a New York Times analysis of Oxford's COVID-19 government response tracker shows.

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.