State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts

Date: February 28, 2021
Number: NR21-068
Contact: CDPHpress@cdph.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released the most recent statistics on COVID-19.

Statewide COVID-19 Data as of Today

• California has 3,475,562 confirmed cases to date. Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.
• There were 4,685 newly recorded confirmed cases Saturday.
• The 7-day positivity rate is 2.4% and the 14-day positivity rate is 2.7%.
• There have been 48,469,106 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 249,616 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.
• As case numbers continue to rise in California, the total number of individuals who will have serious outcomes will also increase. There have been 51,979 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
• As of February 28, providers have reported administering a total of 8,772,866 vaccine doses statewide. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed. The CDC reports that 11,158,090 doses have been delivered to entities within the state, and 11,724,565 vaccine doses, which includes the first and second dose, have been shipped.

Tracking Variants

Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been identified globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. These genetic mutations are expected, and some emerge and then disappear, while others persist or become common. Most variants do not have a meaningful impact. Public health becomes concerned about a variant when it affects COVID-19 transmission, severity, testing, treatment or vaccine effectiveness. Get more information on the variants CDPH is currently monitoring.

Blueprint for a Safer Economy

With the Regional Stay at Home Order rescinded statewide as of January 25, all counties are now under the rules and framework of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers that indicate which activities and businesses are open based on local case rates and test positivity.

Blueprint Summary (as of February 23)

• 47 counties in the Purple (widespread) Tier
• 9 counties in the Red (substantial) Tier
• 2 counties in Orange (moderate) Tier

Blueprint tiers are updated weekly on Tuesdays. Find the status of activities in specific counties.

ADDITIONAL DATA & UPDATES

Tracking COVID-19 in California

State Dashboard – Daily COVID-19 data
County Map – Local data, including tier status and ICU capacity

Data and Tools – Models and dashboards for researchers, scientists and the public

Blueprint for a Safer Economy – Data for establishing tier status

Vaccinate All 58

In order to increase the pace of COVID-19 vaccine distribution to those at greatest risk, the state is prioritizing individuals 65 and older to receive the vaccine as demand subsides among health care workers. This effort will help to reduce hospitalizations and safe lives. To sign up for a notification when you're eligible for a vaccine, please visit myturn.ca.gov. For more information on the vaccine effort, visit the Vaccinate All 58 webpage.

Safe Schools for All

Governor Gavin Newsom launched the Safe Schools for All Hub as a one-stop shop for information about safe in-person instruction. For more information on the transparency, accountability and assistance measures related to California's Safe Schools for All plan, visit the Safe Schools for All Hub.

Travel Advisory

CDPH has issued an updated travel advisory. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Non-essential travelers from other states or countries are strongly discouraged from entering California and should adhere to the state's self-quarantine procedures for 10 days.

Health Care Workers

As of February 27, local health departments have reported 95,381 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 397 deaths statewide.

Health Equity

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted existing inequities in health that are the result of structural racism and poverty, and the disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions such as asthma and heart disease among Latinos and African Americans. California is committed to understanding these inequities to help ensure the best health outcomes for all Californians. View COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data and Cases and Deaths by Age Group. Visit the new Health Equity Dashboard.

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of February 14 to February 20, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.1 days. During this same time period, 80% of patients received test results in one day and 94% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of February 22, 302 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) have been reported statewide. MIS-C is a rare inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19 that can damage multiple organ systems. MIS-C can require hospitalization and be life threatening.

Your Actions Save Lives

Protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these prevention measures:

• If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches), call your health care provider.
• If you believe you have been exposed, get tested. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.
• Get vaccinated when it's your turn.
• Stay home except for essential activities, keep interactions to people who live in your household, and follow state and local public health guidance.
• Wear a cloth face mask when out in public.
• Avoid non-essential travel and stay close to home; self-quarantine for 10 days after arrival if you leave the state.
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay home from work, school and other people if you feel ill.
• Add your phone to the fight by signing up for COVID-19 exposure notifications from CA Notify.
• Answer the call or text if a contact tracer from the CA COVID Team or your local health department tries to connect.