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
All counties are 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. As always, local public health departments may implement policies that are more restrictive than the state.
Blueprint Summary (as of April 20)
0 counties in the Purple (widespread) Tier
17 counties in the Red (substantial) Tier
38 counties in Orange (moderate) Tier
3 counties in the Yellow (minimal) 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 ā Daily COVID-19 data
County Map ā Local data, including tier status and ICU capacity
Data and Tools ā Models and dashboards for researchers, scientists and the public
Blueprint for a Safer Economy ā Data for establishing tier status
COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data ā Weekly updated Race & Ethnicity data
Cases and Deaths by Age Group ā Weekly updated Deaths by Age Group data
Health Equity Dashboard ā See how COVID-19 highlights existing inequities in health
COVID-19 Household Survey
CDPH announced today a study to help better understand the spread of COVID-19 in California. In collaboration with Stanford University, Gauss Surgical, Enable Biosciences and seven county departments of public health, including Alameda, El Dorado, Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Diego, and Shasta counties, CalScope will ask randomly selected households to complete an anonymous survey and a test using a finger-prick to draw a few drops of blood to see if they have COVID-19 antibodies. The study will not ask for identifying information such as name or date of birth. Mailed invitations will be sent to more than 200,000 households. For more information about the CalScope study, please visit the study website at CalScope.org.
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. The state has updated its schools reopening maps to include outbreak data by school district. View the data for public schools by selecting a specific district on the School Districts Reopening Map. The map includes reported outbreaks since January 1, 2021.
Travel Advisory
California updated its travel advisory on April 2. CDPH and the CDC recommend delaying travel until persons are fully vaccinated, because travel increases the chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Unvaccinated persons should postpone travel and stay home to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, and unvaccinated Californians should continue to avoid non-essential travel outside of the state. Unvaccinated non-essential travelers from other states or countries are strongly discouraged from entering California and should follow CDC travel guidance related to testing and self-quarantine.
Health Care Workers
As of April 22, local health departments have reported 106,589 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 451 deaths statewide.
Testing Turnaround Time
The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of April 11 to April 17, the average time patients waited for test results was just under one day. During this same time period, 84% of patients received test results in one day and 99% received them within two days.
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
As of April 19, there have been 484 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) 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.
Limit interactions to people who live in your household and follow state and local public health guidance.
Wear a mask and get the most out of masking - an effective mask has both good fit and good filtration.
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.