[ST. PAUL, MN] — Today POLITICO ranked Minnesota in the top five states for COVID-19 response in a national scorecard released on Wednesday.

POLITICO’s State Pandemic Scorecard ranks how states have fared during the pandemic using data and policy outcomes in four categories: health, economy, social well-being, and education. Minnesota performed well in all four rankings and placed fifth in the country overall.

The ranking comes the same day Results for America recognized Minnesota as a 2021 State Standard of Excellence for using data and evidence to keep residents healthy, support the economy, and ensure equity during COVID-19.

“In every decision we made throughout this pandemic, we followed the science, listened to the medical experts, and worked hard to keep all aspects of our response — including health outcomes, the economy, education, and social implications — strong,” said Governor Tim Walz. “I am grateful to everyone who has a hand in making our state a leader in the nation for our pandemic response. We will continue to do everything we can to tackle this pandemic and keep people safe, while keeping Minnesota’s economy running strong, businesses thriving, and kids in school.”

Covid’s deadly trade-offs, by the numbers: How each state has fared in the pandemic (POLITICO)

“One state that performed fairly evenly across the board was Minnesota, which has the fifth highest average score and had no score in any policy area lower than 48 [out of 100]. In an interview, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, said that was a deliberate choice, that his team worked hard to “make sure we were looking at all of the unintended consequences, not just from a health outcome but also social implications and the economy.”

Read the full scorecard report here .

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