California is experiencing a late-summer spike in COVID-19 cases, prompting county officials to recommend resuming indoor mask use.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), coronavirus infections are either “growing” or “likely growing” in 30 states, including California.
Wastewater monitoring also shows persistently high viral activity throughout the Golden State.
Dr. Aimee Sisson, Yolo County health officer, confirmed that the state is facing a “summer COVID wave” and advised that everyone aged 2 and older in West Sacramento wear masks in indoor public spaces.
She emphasized that high-quality masks such as N95s, KN95s or KF94s remain important when combined with up-to-date vaccinations to protect against infection.
San Francisco health officials issued similar warnings, urging residents to consider masks in crowded indoor areas and to stay home when feeling unwell.
The city stressed layered precautions, including vaccination and masking, to limit transmission.
Recent data show rising positivity rates across California. For the week ending Aug. 23, 12.07 percent of tests returned positive, roughly double the late-July figure.
County-level trends include Los Angeles at 13.44 percent, Orange County at 18.1 percent and San Francisco at 8.7 percent, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, noted an increase in patients testing positive, though inpatient cases remain rare.
She highlighted that wastewater readings in Los Angeles continue to climb, signaling the state has not yet reached the peak of this wave.
Hospitalizations, while still low, are rising.
For the week ending Aug. 23, 3.62 people per 100,000 were admitted with COVID, up from 1.9 per 100,000 four weeks earlier. Officials caution it is too early to predict the wave’s duration or severity.
Vaccination remains the most effective protection against severe disease, according to experts.
Dr. Sisson noted that combining vaccinations with proper mask usage, especially in indoor settings, helps prevent serious outcomes, BizPac Review reports.
California’s public health response comes amid a backdrop of strict COVID measures in previous years, including prolonged school closures, statewide mask mandates and vaccine passport requirements.
Critics argue that these policies eroded public trust in government guidance, while officials say lessons learned inform the current approach to rising cases.
Responses across the U.S. diverge sharply.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced the end of all vaccine mandates in a press conference on Wednesday, emphasizing personal choice in inoculation.
State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo compared compulsory vaccination to “slavery,” highlighting individual rights in public health decisions.
On the West Coast, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) formed the West Coast Health Alliance with Oregon and Washington.
The coalition criticized the CDC for political bias and pledged to enforce state-level measures to protect residents.
Officials cited past school lockdowns, mask mandates and vaccine passports as factors that eroded public trust in government guidance.
Experts suggest increased social gatherings over Labor Day and the return of children to school may be contributing to transmission.
Residents are advised to monitor local case trends and follow guidance from local officials as California navigates this evolving summer wave
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