[ad_1]
A summer wave ravages agricultural areas
Starting in May, per capita cases skyrocketed in rural farming communities in the San Joaquin Valley and along the border in Imperial County.
Critical low-income workers have been hit hard, many of them working in the fields and living in overcrowded housing.
By July, the two Imperial County hospitals were overwhelmed. Hundreds of patients had to be transported elsewhere for treatment. To date, one in seven county residents has tested positive. More than 500 died.
The spread in the central valley of the state was not limited to the fields. Outbreaks have been reported in state prisons across the state.
By the end of July, the virus had spread to the most remote areas of California. It was then that the first cases were reported in Modoc County, near the Oregon border. All 58 counties in the state had recorded a case of the coronavirus.
By August, the coronavirus had spread to 58 counties
February
8/58 counties
March
50 counties
April
54 counties
May
57 counties
June
57 counties
July
58 counties
As the summer wave wore off, Newsom introduced a color-coding system that allowed some counties to start reopening in September and October.
Cases triple as virus overwhelms state
The reprieve was short-lived. The last few weeks of October were marked by a slight increase in cases statewide, soon followed by an unprecedented surge.
Experts say pandemic fatigue and the feeling that the threat was overwhelmed played a role. On Thanksgiving, a record number of people traveled for the first time since spring. It was soon clear that an influx of new coronavirus patients would create a crisis in California hospitals.
The virus has burst into cities, prisons and some of the most isolated communities.
On November 13, 292 days after that late-night press release was released by Orange County officials, the state surpassed one million cases of the coronavirus.
State officials have announced a curfew. Thirty-one counties saw record levels of new daily cases before Thanksgiving. A new home stay order by region has entered into force. Then, on Christmas Eve, the state struck a total of 2 million cases, doubling in just 41 days.
Just 30 days later, the state has surpassed three million cases in total. At least one in 13 Californians had tested positive.
Case rates have increased dramatically during the winter months
August
712268 cases
September
819 429
October
932 238
November
1,230,152
December
2,296,096
January
3,163,404
Vaccines arrive as outbreak subsides
At the end of December, hope appeared. The first vaccinations against COVID-19 have been deployed to healthcare workers and residents of nursing homes. The daily number of cases began to decline in January.
The state’s immunization campaign has been fragile at best, marked by missed targets, limited supply and problems with data reporting.
Yet vaccination centers have opened statewide, including mass distribution sites at Dodger Stadium and Disneyland. On January 25, the last stay-at-home orders were lifted.
A year after the onset of the crisis, southern California – especially Los Angeles – again has the highest concentration of cases. To date, one in nine LA County residents has tested positive.
Experts warn that there is still a possibility for another push.
A mutant and more contagious variant of the virus is spreading rapidly across the United States, and officials are expressing concerns about Super Bowl parties and reckless gatherings at outdoor restaurants.
Times writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this story. Ryan Menezes and Ryan Murphy provided additional programming.
[ad_2]
Source link