Connecting the California COVID Cases and the Los Angeles Outbreak

A summer wave destroys agricultural areas

As of May, cases per person soared in rural agricultural communities in the San Joaquin Valley and along the border in Imperial County.

The hardest hit were essential low-income workers, many of them working in the fields and living in overcrowded housing.

In July, the two Imperial County hospitals were overloaded. Hundreds of patients had to be transported elsewhere for treatment. To date, one in seven county residents has tested positive. More than 500 died.

The spread in the Central Valley of the state was not limited to the fields. Outbreaks have been reported in state prisons across the state.

Before the end of July, the virus spread to the most remote regions of California. That was when the first cases were reported in Modoc County, near the Oregon border. All 58 counties in the state reported a case of coronavirus.

As the summer tide subsided, Newsom introduced a color-coded system that allowed some counties to start reopening in September and October.

Cases triple as the virus dominates the state

The pardon was short-lived. In the last weeks of October, there was a slight increase in cases across the state, soon followed by an unprecedented increase.

Experts say the pandemic’s fatigue and the feeling that the threat is over played an important role. On Thanksgiving Day, a record number of people traveled for the first time since spring. It soon became clear that an influx of new coronavirus patients would create a crisis in California hospitals.

The virus hit cities, prisons and some of the most isolated communities.

On November 13, 292 days after the release of that evening press release by Orange County officials, the state exceeded 1 million cases of coronavirus.

State officials announced a curfew. Thirty-one counties recorded historical records in new daily cases before Thanksgiving. A new home stay order based on the region took effect. Then, on Christmas Eve, the state reached 2 million cases, doubling in just 41 days.

Just 30 days later, the state exceeded a total of three million cases. At least one in 13 Californians tested positive.

Vaccines arrive as the peak decreases

At the end of December, hope arose. The first COVID-19 vaccinations were launched for healthcare professionals and nursing home residents. Daily case counts started to drop in January.

The state’s vaccination campaign was, at best, unstable, marked by missed goals, limited supply and data communication problems.

Still, vaccination centers have been opened across the state, including mass distribution sites at Dodger Stadium and Disneyland. On January 25, the remaining home orders were suspended.

A year after the crisis started, Southern California – particularly Los Angeles – again has the highest concentration of cases. To date, one in nine LA county residents has tested positive.

Experts warn that there is still the possibility of another outbreak.

A mutant and more contagious variant of the virus is spreading rapidly across the United States, and officials are voicing concerns about Super Bowl parties and reckless outdoor restaurant gatherings.

The Times editor Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this story. Ryan Menezes and Ryan Murphy provided additional programming.