California’s COVID-19 case rate is now higher than many southern states.
Los Angeles: California’s COVID-19 infection rate is now higher than most of the Deep South, including states with fewer pandemic restrictions. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Thursday, California’s community communication level is in the red “high” level of the CDC’s four-tier system, but almost every southern state is much better. Some states along the Gulf have “substantial” orange infection levels.
Florida, where the governor has spoken out against mask obligations and vaccine requirements, has even lower rates and is at “moderate” levels of infection.
California’s 7-day case rate (about 112 per 100,000) is more than double that of Florida. Additionally, Golden State’s 7-day death rate per million is 11 times higher than in Florida.
California has taken a more rigorous approach to its pandemic approach and is one of the leaders in the United States, with approximately 74% of eligible people vaccinated at least once.
According to Governor Gavin Newsom, California had the lowest case rate in the country earlier this fall but is now ranked 16th, with a positive rate of 2.3% after falling below 1% in June.
Hospitalizations across the state have been cut roughly in half since their summer peaks in late August, but have started to slip away in some areas, especially the Central Valley and parts of Southern California, including Los Angeles and the county. of San Bernardino.
“There were some signs of concern,” Newsom said.
Florida has shown better numbers lately, but Dr. Michael Ben Adelett says California’s vaccination and masking protocol has been successful given the general pandemic.
“Although it has skyrocketed here in California, death rates are significantly lower than in these other places, even in the state’s population density, population, and even large cities,” said Ben Adelet. , Associate Medical Director of Hospital Epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
According to the latest CDC statistics, Florida’s overall death rate is the eighth lowest in the United States and 54% higher than California’s.
Meanwhile, in Florida’s last three school districts, at least some students were required to wear masks, eliminating the obligation to cover their faces.