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 6)
- 2 counties in the Purple (widespread) Tier
- 22 counties in the Red (substantial) Tier
- 32 counties in Orange (moderate) Tier
- 2 county 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 – 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
COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data – Weekly updated Race & Ethnicity data
Cases and Deaths by Age Group – Weekly updated Deaths by Age Group data
Health Equity Dashboard – See how COVID-19 highlights existing inequities in health
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 Updated
California updated its travel advisory on April 1, removing the previous recommendation that Californians not travel more than 120 miles from ones' place of residence. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, and Californians should continue to avoid non-essential travel outside of the state. 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 6, local health departments have reported 103,647 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 445 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 March 21 to March 27, the average time patients waited for test results was just under one day. During this same time period, 83% of patients received test results in one day and 98% received them within two days.
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
As of April 6, there have been 448 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.