TABLE 1—
Timeline of Important Milestones in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Washington State, New York State, Missouri, and Alabama, 2020
| Milestone | Washington3 | New York4 | Missouri5 | Alabama6 |
| First confirmed COVID-19 case reported | Jan 20 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| First COVID-19 death | Feb 29 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 18 |
| School closure | Mar 12 | Mar 12a and Mar 15b | Mar 19 | Mar 13 |
| Business closures | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Ap 6 | Mar 27 |
| Lifting restrictions and closures | May 1 | May 15 | May 4 | Ap 30 |
| Mask mandatec | Jun 26 | Apr 15 | none | Jul 15 |
| Reported cumulative case rate (as of November 4)3 | 1518/100 000 | 2665/100 000 | 3230/100 000 | 3996/100 000 |
| Reported positivity rate (as of November 4),d,6 % | 6.0 | 1.6 | 12.1 | 18.9 |
| Shape of the “epi curve” of reported cases | Peaks in spring, summer, and fall | One peak in Apr–May, rising again in late fall | Increasing numbers since Jun | Peaks in the summer and fall |
a
State University of New York campuses.
b
New York City Schools.
c
Mask mandates that were statewide.
d
Percentage of tests performed that were positive.