Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Economic Commentary: State COVID-19 Restrictions & the Road Back to Economic Normal, which offers a cursory overview of the relationship between states’ COVID-19 restrictions and their respective economic recoveries. Using data obtained by CNN and Moody’s Analytics, as well as WalletHub, the analysis indicates that states implementing more stringent COVID-19 guidelines, such as face mask requirements and bans on large gatherings, have had slower economic recoveries compared to those that lifted restrictions sooner, a measure determined by the national index score, state-level employment, unemployment insurance claims, seated restaurants open, and more.