California’s latest seven-day new case rate — 40.3 per 100,000 people — is dramatically lower than the nationwide rate of 135.3 over that same time period.
California’s coronavirus case rate is now the lowest in the continental U.S., an achievement that reflects months of hard-won progress against the pandemic in the aftermath of the state’s devastating fall-and-winter surge. The state’s latest seven-day rate of new cases — 40.3 per 100,000 people — is dramatically lower than the nationwide rate of 135.3 and edged only by Hawaii,39.1, over that same time period, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the other end of the spectrum is Michigan, which has far and away the highest seven-day case rate in the nation, at 483 per 100,000 people. Others topping that distressing leaderboard are New Jersey,269.7; Delaware,264.1; Pennsylvania,248.5; and Minnesota,238.4. Among larger states, the comparable rates over the same time period were 201.1 in Florida and 65.9 in Texas. While long-term hope continues to spring from the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, the pandemic still presents a more immediate danger — particularly in areas where cases are on the rise. “Cases and hospitalizations are increasing in some areas of the country, and cases among younger people who have not yet been vaccinated are also increasing,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a briefing earlier this week. “Just like all of you, I want to get back to doing the things I love with family and friends who I haven’t been able to see over the past year. We all have a role in turning this tide and to trend our cases down.” California, however, has so far avoided the increases seen elsewhere.
