For months, Californians have been hearing that new coronavirus cases are on the rise, but as the state reopens there is evidence many residents are feeling less threatened, even as the Golden State racks up record numbers of infections.
California is such a large state, with over 40 million residents, that a statewide summary doesn’t provide a clear picture of how the virus is spreading in your county or neighborhood.
So, to take a closer look, we calculated the rate of new cases in each county, the number of cases reported in the previous 14 days per 10,000 residents, then mapped that data over time. The animated map shows how — and when — the coronavirus spread around California from April 1 through mid-June.
In early April, the virus was most prevalent in Bay Area and Southern California counties, then became more concentrated in Los Angeles and Imperial counties toward the end of the month, spurred by widespread community transmission. In May, the virus spread farther into the state, as large outbreaks at prisons caused spikes in Santa Barbara and Kings County.
Now, in June, infections are on the rise in dozens of counties, after many opened for shopping, dining and religious services. On April 1, only 12 counties had a rate of more than 2.5 cases per 10,000 residents in the past 14 days. Seven weeks later, that number had nearly tripled to 35 counties.
While the state has dramatically increased testing for the coronavirus, that doesn’t fully explain the rising rate of infections. The positive test rate was on the decline for weeks, but it started climbing again in June and has spiked in some places such as hard-hit Imperial County.
The map shows California’s early stay-at-home order likely spared the state from the exponential growth seen in places like Italy and New York, but while the Golden State controlled its curve, it didn’t flatten it. On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom instituted a statewide mask mandate in an effort to curb the latest outbreaks. Still, it is unclear when California’s wave of new coronavirus cases will break.
