Public Health Officials Urge Californians to Stay Vigilant and Get Vaccines and Boosters to Help Prevent a Possible COVID-19 Winter Surge

SACRAMENTO, Calif. Nov 8 – – With the combination of colder weather keeping people indoors, the waning of vaccine and natural immunity, and more mingling among non-household members, public health officials urge Californians to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible to help prevent a possible winter surge in COVID-19 cases. In certain parts of the state, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are beginning to go up, signaling the need for Californians to get their booster shots and for the 5-11 age group to get vaccinated.

“With cases ticking up in most parts of the state, we cannot let our guard down and we cannot underestimate this deadly virus,” said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, California Department of Public Health Director and State Public Health Officer. “While we have a nation-leading vaccination effort, children ages 5-11 years have just become eligible, and last year at this time our COVID-19 cases increased at a dangerous rate, so we can’t underscore enough the importance to vaccinate and boost to protect yourself, your family and all of our communities against this virus.”

While California made considerable progress in the fight against COVID-19, in large part due to its successful vaccination program, last year daily cases quickly rose from less than 3,000 in October to more than 58,000 in December.

“Vigilance is our best defense against another challenging COVID-19 winter,” said Dr. Aragón. “Get vaccinated if you haven’t yet. Get your booster if you completed your vaccination series more than six months ago, especially if you or someone in your home has a medical condition or works around other people. Continue to be safe in public and in crowded spaces by wearing a well-fitting mask that has good filtration. Keep in mind that your mask also protects you against other respiratory illnesses, including the flu.”

Upgrade your Mask

Good fit and filtration continue to be the best way to get the most out of your mask. The best masks for preventing COVID-19 include the N95, KN95 and KF94. If you don’t have access to one of these masks, wear a surgical mask or a surgical mask with a cloth mask on top. If you choose a fabric mask, opt for one with three of more cloth layers. No matter what kind of mask you wear, check the fit by avoiding gaps above the nose or on the sides.

Tips for Protecting Yourself and Others This Holiday Season
Take commonsense steps to protect yourself, your family and your community as you celebrate the holiday season.

Cases

California has 4,707,178 confirmed cases to date.
Today’s average case count is 5,232 (average daily case count over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

There are 4,064 hospitalizations statewide.
There are 996 ICU patients statewide.

Deaths

There have been 71,979 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

COVID-19 claims the lives of 51 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

Vaccinations

54,199,459 total vaccines administered.
81.4% of the eligible population (12+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.
153,967 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Testing

The testing positivity rate is 2.4% (average rate over 7 days).