Now that the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. has started its downward arc, analyses are beginning to emerge about state-by-state responses. SYKES, a business process outsourcing company, has rated Pennsylvania’s actions as one of the top five in the nation.

To determine the most effective mitigation strategies, SYKES looked at eight key metrics:

1. Average COVID-19 case rate
2. Test positivity rate
3. Number of hospital admissions
4. Number of hospitals with a supply shortage
5. Vaccine distribution growth rate
6. Percentage of vaccine doses used
7. Implementation of mask mandate
8. Stay-at-home orders

The Keystone State ranked fifth in the nation, behind only Hawaii, Maryland, Washington, and Connecticut.

Pennsylvania was one of the states to react the quickest to the outbreak. It was the fourth overall in instituting a mask mandate on April 19, 2020, just days after New Jersey, Maryland, and Rhode Island. The Commonwealth also maintained this mandate, recognizing the significant role that masks played in curtailing the pandemic.

The state with the least effective response to COVID-19 is Kentucky. Others at the bottom were Oklahoma, Georgia, Utah, South Carolina, and New York.

Read the entire study at SYKES.