COVID-19 pandemic in California

On January 26, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first case in California, the third case in the U.S. The person, a man in his 50s, who had returned from travel to Wuhan, China, was released from the hospital in Orange County on February 1 in good condition to in-home isolation.[5] On January 31, the CDC confirmed the seventh case in the U.S., a man in Santa Clara County, who had recently traveled to Wuhan.[66] The man recovered at home and was released from in-home isolation on February 20.[67]

On January 29, the U.S. Department of State evacuated 195 of its employees, their families, and other U.S. citizens from Hubei Province aboard a chartered flight to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County.[68]

On February 2, the CDC confirmed the U.S.'s ninth case in a woman in Santa Clara County, California, who had recently traveled to Wuhan. This case was unrelated to the first case in Santa Clara.[69] On the same day, the CDC reported the tenth and eleventh cases in San Benito County, including the second instance of human-to-human transmission.[70]

On February 5, the U.S. evacuated 345 citizens from Hubei Province and took them to two air bases in California, Travis Air Force Base in Solano County and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, to be quarantined for 14 days.[71][68] The evacuees from one more government evacuation flight on February 6 were also taken to bases in Nebraska and Texas.[68][72]

On February 6, 57-year-old Patricia Dowd of San Jose, California became the first COVID-19 death in the United States discovered by April 2020. She died at home without any known recent foreign travel, after being unusually sick from flu in late January, then recovering, working from home, and suddenly dying on February 6. A February 7 autopsy[73] was completed in April (after virus tests on tissue samples) and attributed the death to Transmural Myocardial Ischemia (Infarction) with a Minor Component of Myocarditis due to COVID-19 Infection. Her case indicates that community transmission was happening undetected in the US, most likely since December.[74][75][76][77][78]

On February 15, the government evacuated 338 U.S. nationals stranded aboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess, which had been held in quarantine in Yokohama, Japan.[79] Fourteen of those repatriated people were infected with the virus.[80] Five more nationals who were also reported as being infected were evacuated from the ship the following week, and were quarantined at Travis Air Force Base; several more cases among the evacuees were later confirmed.[81]

On February 26, a case of unknown origin was confirmed in a resident of Solano County.[82][83] The UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento said that when the person was transferred there on February 19, the medical team suspected it was COVID-19 and asked the CDC to test for SARS-CoV-2. The CDC initially refused since the person, who had no known exposure to the virus through travel or close contact with a known infected individual, did not meet the criteria for testing. The person was ultimately tested on February 23; the test results returned positive on February 26.[84]

After this first case of community transmission in the U.S., a case with no known origin recognized in Solano County, California,[85] the CDC revised its criteria for testing patients for SARS-CoV-2, and on February 28 began sending out the new guidelines for healthcare workers.[86][87]

On March 1, two cases were reported in Alameda and Solano Counties, in health care workers at the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital. The workers were exposed to the patient in the case reported February 26 in Solano County.[146]

On March 2, an adult resident of San Mateo County tested presumptively positive; they were placed in isolation in a hospital. The source of exposure was reported as unknown.[147]

On March 4, California public health officials in Placer County reported a second confirmed case in an "older adult" resident with underlying health conditions who was aboard the Princess Cruises cruise ship Grand Princess on a cruise to Mexico that departed San Francisco on February 11 and returned on February 21.[148] Although initial reports indicated that the new case had been hospitalized in "critically ill" condition, public health officials in Placer County subsequently reported the new case's death later on the same day. This marked the eleventh death in the United States attributable to coronavirus, the first death in the U.S. attributable to coronavirus outside Washington state, and the first death in California attributable to coronavirus.[149][150] The source of the new case's infection appears to be the same as that of a resident of Sonoma County who tested positive on March 2 and who was also aboard the cruise ship Grand Princess on the same dates.[151][152] In relation to this, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency in California.[153] Consequently, Princess Cruises, the owner and operator of the cruise ship Grand Princess, working with the CDC, the state of California, and public health officials in San Francisco, terminated a port call in Ensenada, Mexico planned for March 5 and ordered the cruise ship to return to San Francisco over concerns about the potential for an outbreak of coronavirus aboard the cruise ship. Sixty-two passengers still aboard Grand Princess who may have made contact with the Placer County case that died earlier in the day were quarantined aboard the cruise ship at the request of the CDC.[154] In addition, eleven passengers and ten crew members were exhibiting potential symptoms of coronavirus, and Grand Princess was ordered by the state of California to remain offshore while test kits were being airlifted to the cruise ship.[155][156][157][158][159][160]

On March 5, the San Francisco Department of Public Health reported two community spread cases within the city.[161] The two cases were unrelated and hospitalized at different hospitals in San Francisco.[162] Yolo County reported its first case, through community transmission.[163]

Press reports in April indicated that Santa Clara County began a community surveillance test from March 5 to 14, finding that 11% of patients reporting non-flu respiratory symptoms were infected with coronavirus. As a result of those findings, the County began issuing increasingly aggressive social-distancing policies, starting on March 9.[164]

Eight new cases were reported in Santa Clara County, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 32.[165] A faculty member of the Stanford University School of Medicine has tested positive for coronavirus.[166] The faculty member stopped attending work after symptoms had appeared, and the member's place of work was closed for terminal cleaning.[166]

In Santa Cruz County, officials confirmed the county's first case, a former passenger of Grand Princess.[167] Six presumptive positive cases were reported in San Francisco. All were reported as isolated at home in good condition. Each patient had contact with a confirmed case.[168] In Elk Grove, a family tested positive and was quarantined, resulting in the closure of Elk Grove Unified School District for the week of March 7–13, including student activities and events. In a letter to families, the school district announced no students or employees had tested positive.[169]

In Madera County, officials confirmed the county's first coronavirus case from a person who had been aboard Grand Princess. Their spouse, whom they were with on the cruise, was also being monitored. Both were taken to the Madera Community Hospital and were reported as in monitored isolation.[170] In Fresno County, two people returning from Grand Princess were quarantined and tested for the virus, with one person testing positive, making them the county's first confirmed case.[171]

Contra Costa County reported 5 new cases on March 8. Four of the patients did not travel or have known contact with a coronavirus case and are currently being treated at hospitals around the county. The fifth person had contact with a previous case and is being isolated at home. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the county to nine.[172] Santa Clara County reported 5 new cases, bringing the total number of known cases in the county to 37.[173] In Rocklin, Sierra College announced all classes and lectures would be moved online by March 18 after two office staff members were quarantined following exposure to COVID-19, with students being tested. In addition, the campus announced it would be limiting student activities, including continuing sporting events with no spectators.[174] Shasta County reported its first presumptive case. A 50-year-old man with a history of recent travel was reported to be recovering in isolation at home.[175]

Hand sanitizer sold out at a drug store in Folsom, California on March 9

On March 9, three tested positive in Sacramento County.[176] Santa Clara County announced the state's second COVID-19 death.[177] A woman in her 60's was in the hospital for several weeks, she was the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the county who had not traveled internationally or had contact with an already infected patient, which suggests it was a ‘community spread’ case. The patient was also the third confirmed case reported in the county on February 28.[178] San Francisco reported five new cases, who each had known contact with an existing case. The patients are isolated at home and are in good condition. This brings the number of cases in San Francisco to 13.[179] An Elementary aged child attending grammar school in Elk Grove tested positive for COVID-19.[180]

On March 10, Governor Gavin Newsom announced 24 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 157 confirmed cases in the state.[181] Alameda County reported its third confirmed case in the county. The new case is the spouse of the second case, who was a passenger aboard Grand Princess. The new patient had already been quarantined at home and remains isolated.[182] San Francisco reports a new case in a patient who had known contact with a confirmed case, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city to 14 with 89 confirmed cases in the Bay Area. The patient of the new case is currently hospitalized.[183] The city announces a ban on large gatherings and relief for small businesses[184] A resident of an assisted living home in Elk Grove in Sacramento County tested positive from complications of the virus.[185] County health officials said they have the capacity to only test 20 people per day and would be focusing all their efforts on the other residents of the retirement home.[186] That resident died from complications of the virus on the same day.[185] Ventura County confirms its first case of COVID-19.[187]

Marin County reported two new cases on March 11, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the county to three. The two cases lived with the first confirmed case, who was a passenger on Grand Princess. The pair have been isolated in their home and are experiencing mild symptoms that do not require hospitalization.[188] A woman who was in her 60s and had underlying medical conditions died in Los Angeles County. She was not a resident of Los Angeles and had traveled extensively, including a long layover in South Korea. Her death is the first in Los Angeles County and the fourth in California.[189] San Jose International Airport reported that three of its TSA agents have tested positive.[190] All three agents worked in Terminal B, and 42 TSA agents have been quarantined.[191] A firefighter in the city of Alameda tested positive for coronavirus and is being quarantined.[192]

Alameda County confirmed four additional cases on March 12, bringing the total number to seven. Two of the four new cases are the first community-spread cases in the county, and the other two cases are linked to confirmed cases.[193] San Francisco reported four new cases, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 18. Two of the new cases are hospitalized and the other two are isolated at home. One of the patients had close contact with a confirmed case, while the other three did not recently travel to a country with coronavirus cases and did not have close contact with a confirmed patient.[194] Four firefighters with the San Jose Fire Department tested positive for the coronavirus. The sick firefighters also have multiple family members who have tested positive for COVID-19.[195]

Panic buying at a grocery store in Claremont, California on March 13

San Joaquin County reported 5 more cases on March 13, increasing the number to 8.[196] The San Joaquin County Department of Public Health declared a Public Health Emergency, causing all schools within the county to close until April 6.[197] Santa Clara County reported 13 more cases, bringing the county's total to 79. Health officials also announced the second coronavirus death in Santa Clara County; the patient was a woman in her 80s who was hospitalized on March 9.[198] In San Jose, a fourth TSA agent at Mineta International Airport tested positive for COVID-19 and two additional firefighters have also tested positive, bringing the total number of San Jose Firefighters with the virus to six. As a result, 70 other firefighters are being monitored after possible exposure to the virus.[198] Stanford University confirmed an undergraduate student has tested positive for the coronavirus; the student is self-isolating.[199] Los Angeles County reported eight new cases, bringing their total to 40.[200] San Diego County reported a total of eleven cases[201][202] Contra Costa County updated their total to 25 cases.[203]

Santa Clara County reported 17 new cases, bringing the total in the county to 91.[204] San Francisco reported five new cases, bringing the total to 28,[205] and issued an order forbidding visitors to hospitals.[206] Two additional cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Marin County, bringing the total number to five. The two new cases had no known exposure to other cases, and are believed to be a result of community spread — the first in the county. The two people are quarantined at home and will remain in quarantine until they are no longer infected.[207] A U.C. Berkeley graduate student has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The student doesn't live on campus or in the city of Berkeley; they have self-isolated at home and the person is in good condition with no serious symptoms.[208]

San Luis Obispo County has confirmed its first coronavirus case a day after the county has both declared a public health emergency and closed down its schools. The patient is from North County (Atascadero, Templeton, and Paso Robles) and is currently recovering in isolation.[209] Sonoma County reported its first case of community spread virus, bringing their total cases to three.[210] Los Angeles County reported eleven new cases, bringing their total to 53.

San Francisco reported 9 new cases, bringing their total to 37.[211] Two health workers at UC San Francisco have tested positive for the coronavirus; they have been self-quarantined.[212] San Mateo County reported its first coronavirus related death; the total number of confirmed cases in the county is 32.[213] Santa Clara County reported 23 new cases, bringing the total in the county to 114.[214] Santa Barbara[215] and San Bernardino[216] Counties reported their first confirmed cases.

San Luis Obispo County has received their second confirmed case after the County Public Health Laboratory conducted over 100 tests for COVID-19 last week. The patient is currently in isolation at home.[217] Los Angeles County reported sixteen new cases, bringing their total to 69.[218] San Diego County updated their total to 33 cases.[219]

Hand sanitizer and COVID-19 information at Los Angeles International Airport on March 16, 2020

San Mateo County reported 10 new cases, increasing their total to 41,[220] and Alameda County reported 8 new cases, bringing their total to 18.[221] Santa Clara County reported 24 new cases, bringing their total to 138.[222] San Francisco reported 3 new cases, bringing their total to 40.[205] Los Angeles County reported 25 new cases, bringing their total to 94.[223] San Diego County updated their total to 55 cases[224] and Contra Costa County updated theirs to 34 cases.[225] Nevada County Public Health reports first confirmed case of COVID-19.[226] The person recently traveled outside the country, and at the time of this report, it appears the disease was acquired during international travel, but authorities were still in the earliest stages of investigation. San Joaquin County reported 13 cases.[227]

Empty shelves at a San Francisco grocery store after panic buying on March 17, 2020

On March 17, San Francisco County reported 3 new cases, bringing their total to 43;[228] Los Angeles County reported 50 new cases, bringing their total to 144;[229] Alameda County reported 8 new cases, bringing their total to 27;[221] Santa Clara County reported 17 new cases, bringing their total to 155;[230] San Mateo county reported 23 new cases, bringing their total to 64;[231] Contra Costa County reported 5 new cases, bringing their total to 39.[232] Sacramento County reported 40 confirmed cases and two deaths.[233] Orange County reported 22 total cases.[234] Riverside County reported 15 total cases and 3 deaths.[235] Monterey County announced their first two cases.[236] San Luis Obispo reported 3 new cases, bringing their total to 6.[237][238]

On March 18, Los Angeles County increased to 190,[229] San Mateo increased to 80,[220] San Diego County increased to 75,[219] San Francisco County increased to 51,[205] Contra Costa increased to 41,[232] Alameda County increased to 31,[221] Orange County increased to 42,[234] Riverside County increased to 16,[235] and San Joaquin County increased to 14[227] confirmed cases. Ventura County reported 13 cases.[239] Mendocino County announced its first case.[240]

On March 19, Los Angeles County increased to 231,[229] Santa Clara County increased to 189,[241] San Mateo increased to 89,[220] San Francisco County increased to 70,[205] Orange County increased to 53,[234] Sacramento County increased to 45,[233] Contra Costa increased to 42,[232] Alameda County increased to 35,[221] San Joaquin County increased to 15,[227] and Santa Cruz County increased to 14[242] cases.

Los Angeles playground closed due to the stay-at-home order on March 20, 2020

Los Angeles County increased to 292,[229] Santa Clara County increased to 196,[241] San Mateo County increased to 100,[220] San Diego County increased to 120[219] San Francisco County increased to 76,[205] Orange County increased to 65,[234] Sacramento County increased to 53 cases with 3 deaths,[233] Contra Costa County increased to 46,[232] Alameda County increased to 45,[221] Marin County increased to 38,[243] Riverside County increased to 28,[235] San Joaquin County increased to 20,[227] Ventura County increased to 17,[239] Santa Cruz County increased to 15,[242] San Luis Obispo reported 16,[244] Santa Barbara reported 9 cases,[245] San Bernardino reported 9 cases,[246] Yolo increased to 6 cases,[247] and Fresno County reported 6 cases including their first person-to-person transmission.[248] Los Angeles County, which is nationally the second-largest municipal health system, believes it can no longer contain the virus and changed their guidelines for COVID-19 testing to not test symptomatic patients if a positive result would not change their treatment.[249]

Los Angeles County increased to 351,[250] Santa Clara County increased to 263,[241] San Mateo County increased to 110,[220] San Francisco increased to 84,[205] Orange County increased to 78,[234] Alameda County increased to 65,[221] Contra Costa County increased to 51,[232] San Joaquin County increased to 25 cases,[227] San Luis Obispo increased to 21,[244] Solano County reported 13 cases,[251] Tulare County reported 11 cases,[252] and Placer County reported 12 cases with 1 death.[253] The Departments of Public Health from Yuba and Sutter Counties confirmed two cases in Yuba County, the first cases in Yuba and Sutter counties combined.[254] Neither patient required hospitalization, and both individuals were in isolation at home and recovering well. The second case is not related to the first case, and both cases are deemed to be a community-transmitted case.

On March 22, Los Angeles increased to 409 cases and 5 deaths,[229] Santa Clara increased to 302 with 10 deaths,[241] San Diego increased to 148,[219] San Mateo increased to 117,[220] San Francisco increased to 108,[205] Alameda County increased to 100,[221] Contra Costa increased to 61,[232] Orange County increased to 95,[234] Riverside increased to 45,[235] San Joaquin increased to 34,[227] Ventura increased to 26,[239] San Luis Obispo increased to 27,[244] Santa Barbara increased to 13,[245] and San Bernardino increased to 17[246] cases.

On March 23, cases in Los Angeles County increased to 536 with 7 deaths,[229] Santa Clara County increased to 375 with 16 deaths,[241] San Diego increased to 205 with 1 death,[219] San Mateo increased to 142,[220] San Francisco to 131,[205] Alameda to 112 with one death,[221] Sacramento to 88 with 4 deaths,[233] Contra Costa to 71,[232] San Joaquin to 45,[227] Ventura to 30,[239] Placer to 20,[253] Santa Cruz to 22,[241] Santa Barbara to 18,[245] and Solano to 14.[251]

On March 24, cases in Los Angeles County increased to 662 with 11 deaths,[229] San Mateo County increased to 161,[220] San Francisco increased to 152 with one death,[205] Orange County to 152,[234] Alameda County to 124 with two deaths,[221] San Joaquin to 60,[227] Riverside County to 59 with 6 deaths,[235] San Joaquin to 55,[227] Ventura to 35,[239] San Luis Obispo to 33,[244] Santa Cruz to 24,[242] Tulare to 17,[252] Yolo County increased to 9,[247] Shasta County increased to 3,[255] and Mendocino County increased to 2.[256]

A teenager who tested positive and died in Lancaster, part of Los Angeles County, might be the first individual in the U.S. under the age of 18 to die of COVID-19.[257] It was initially reported that the 17-year-old boy was denied health care at an urgent care clinic because he did not have health insurance. He was then transported from that clinic to Antelope Valley Hospital, during which time he went into cardiac arrest.[258] However, it turns out an earlier language barrier resulted in the facts not being fully portrayed in early reporting. The boy did have insurance and contacted Kaiser Permanente who told him to instead go to Antelope Valley Hospital. In transit, the patient coded and six hours of efforts in the emergency room were ultimately not successful in reviving him. Additionally, Los Angeles County Public Health officials later stated they were asking the CDC to investigate the cause of death as "Though early tests indicated a positive result for COVID-19, the case is complex and there may be an alternate explanation for this fatality". On March 24, a spokesperson said that due to patient privacy, they were not willing to give further details.[259]

On March 25, cases in Los Angeles County increased to 799 with 12 deaths.[229] Santa Clara County increased to 459 with 17 deaths,[241] San Francisco to 178,[205] San Mateo to 165 cases with 5 deaths,[220] Sacramento County to 113 with 5 deaths,[233] Contra Costa to 108,[232] Riverside to 70,[235] San Joaquin to 71 with 3 deaths,[227] San Luis Obispo to 46,[244] Ventura to 39,[239] San Bernardino to 38,[246] Placer to 30,[253] Santa Cruz to 25,[242] Santa Barbara to 24,[245] Fresno to 18,[248] and Yolo to 10.[247]

A freeway sign in Southern California on March 26 urging people to wash their hands to avoid COVID-19

The USNS Mercy hospital ship arrived in Los Angeles on March 27 to provide relief to the hospital system by treating non-COVID-19 patients

On March 26, cases in Los Angeles County increased to 1,216 with 21 deaths,[229] Santa Clara to 542 with 19 deaths,[241] San Diego to 341 with 3 deaths,[219] Orange to 256 with 1 death,[234] San Francisco to 223 with 2 deaths,[205] San Mateo to 195 cases,[220] Alameda to 164 with 4 deaths,[221] Riverside to 107 with 8 deaths,[235] Contra Costa to 131,[232] San Joaquin to 78,[227] San Luis Obispo to 54,[244] Ventura to 50 with 1 death,[239] Santa Cruz to 32,[242] and in Fresno to 27.[248] On March 27, Los Angeles County increased to 1465 cases with 26 deaths,[229] Orange County to 321 cases with 3 deaths,[234] San Francisco County to 279 with 3 deaths,[205] San Mateo to 239,[220] Alameda to 204,[221] Sacramento to 164 with 6 deaths,[233] Riverside to 151 with 8 deaths,[235] Contra Costa to 147 cases,[232] San Joaquin to 90 with 3 deaths,[227] Ventura to 61,[239] Santa Cruz to 34,[242] Santa Clara to 574 with 20 deaths.[241]

On March 28, Santa Clara County cases increased to 591 with 25 deaths, San Francisco to 308 with 4 deaths, San Mateo to 274 cases, Alameda County to 240 cases with 6 deaths, Contra Costa County to 168 cases.[260] On March 29, San Francisco increased to 340 with 5 deaths,[205] and Alameda County to 254.[221]

The Los Angeles Convention Center turned into a field hospital on March 29 to treat COVID-19 patients

On March 30, Los Angeles County increased to 2,474 cases with 44 deaths,[229] Santa Clara County increased to 848 cases with 28 deaths (noting that the increase of 202 cases included results that had not been reported over the previous two days),[241] San Diego increased to 603 cases,[219] San Mateo County increased to 309 cases,[220] Riverside to 291 cases with 9 deaths,[235] Alameda County increased to 264,[221] Sacramento County increased to 224 cases with 7 deaths,[233] Contra Costa to 187,[232] San Joaquin to 123 cases with 6 deaths,[227] San Bernardino to 111 cases with 3 deaths,[246] Ventura to 109 cases,[239] Fresno to 53 cases,[248] San Luis Obispo to 77 cases,[244] Placer to 57 cases with 2 deaths,[253] Santa Cruz to 45 cases with one death,[242] and Shasta to 5 cases,[255] and San Francisco to 374 with 5 deaths.[205]

On March 31, Alameda County increases to 294 cases [221] and San Francisco to 397 with 6 deaths.[205]

On April 1, Santa Clara County increased to 956 cases with 32 deaths, and began to report hospital and laboratory testing results, acknowledging that, "because of limited testing capacity through the Public Health Laboratory, the number of cases that we detect through testing represent only a small portion of the total number of likely cases in the county".[241]

Los Angeles County reported 3,518 cases with 65 deaths,[229] San Diego reported 849 cases with 15 deaths,[219] Orange County increased to 606 cases with 10 deaths,[234] San Mateo county to 453 cases with 10 deaths,[220] San Francisco to 434 with 7 deaths,[205] Riverside County to 429 cases with 13 deaths,[235] Alameda County increased to 339 cases with 8 deaths,[221] Sacramento to 314 cases with 9 deaths,[233] San Bernardino to 254 cases with 6 deaths,[246] Contra Costa county to 250 cases,[232] San Joaquin to 173 cases with 9 deaths,[227] Ventura County to 160 cases with 5 deaths,[239] Santa Barbara to 111 cases,[245] Placer County to 90 cases with 2 deaths,[253] San Luis Obispo to 83 cases,[244] Fresno County to 82 cases,[248] Tulare County to 59 cases with 2 deaths,[252] Santa Cruz to 54 cases,[242] Solano County to 54,[251] Yolo County to 28 cases,[247] and Shasta County to 7 cases with 1 death.[255]

Members of the California National Guard delivering food to residences in Orcutt, California on April 2

On April 2, San Francisco increased to 450 cases with 7 deaths[205] and Los Angeles County reported 4,045 cases with 78 deaths.[229]

On April 3, San Francisco county increased to 497 with 7 deaths,[205] Alameda County to 416 cases with 12 deaths,[221] and Los Angeles County to 4,566 and 89 deaths.[229]

Empty shelves in the paper goods section at a Southern California grocery store on April 4

On April 4, San Francisco county increased to 529 with 8 deaths,[205] Alameda County to 510 cases,[221] and Los Angeles County to 5,277 and 117 deaths.[229]

On April 5, San Francisco increased to 568 with 8 deaths,[205] Alameda County to 539 cases,[221] and Los Angeles County to 5,940 and 132 deaths.[229]

On April 6, San Francisco county increased to 583 cases with 9 deaths,[205] Alameda County to 557 with 13 deaths,[221] and Los Angeles County to 6,360 and 147 deaths.[229]

People practicing social distancing by standing 6 ft apart in line for a grocery store in Berkeley, California on April 7

On April 7, Alameda County increased to 602 cases with 15 deaths,[221] San Francisco to 622 cases with 9 deaths,[205] and Los Angeles County to 6,910 and 169 deaths.[229]

On April 8, San Francisco county increased to 676 cases with 10 deaths,[205] Alameda to 640 cases with 16 deaths,[221] and Los Angeles County to 7,530 and 198 deaths.[229]

On April 9, San Francisco increased to 724 cases with 10 deaths[205] and Alameda to 681 cases.[221]

On April 10, Alameda County increases to 730 cases with 19 deaths.[221]

On April 11, Alameda County increases to 770 cases with 20 deaths.[221]

On April 14, Los Angeles County is confirmed to have recorded 40 deaths in a period of just one day, setting a single day record.[261] More than 10,000 COVID cases were also confirmed in Los Angeles County alone, with 670 new cases being recorded in just one day as well.[261]

Signs at a grocery store in Berkeley, California on April 20 requiring face coverings and banning reusable bags

On April 16, the state of California recorded 101 deaths within a one-day period, setting a new statewide record for single day COVID-19 deaths.[262]

On June 24, 2020, a record 7194 cases were announced with 4095 hospitalizations.[263]

June 25, 2020 saw 5349 cases.[264]

On June 21, 2020, the number of cases exceeded the case numbers of NJ.[265]

Governor Newsom said he was "committed to intervening" if Imperial County officials did not reimpose stay-at-home orders in the Mexican border region where positive rates averaged 23% while the nationwide average was 5.7%.[266]

Governor Newsom ordered bars closed in seven counties: Los Angeles, Fresno, Kern, San Joaquin, Tulare, Kings and Imperial.[267]

In 2020, hospitals in California hired rental ventilators and rationed N95 masks, raising complaints from nurses. California in 2006 had stockpiled three 200-bed mobile hospitals with 50 million N95 respirators, 2,400 ventilators, and 21,000 additional patient beds, but the governor at the time, Jerry Brown, disposed of them in 2011 as a budget cutting measure.[271]

A sign of community support for Tuolumne County in a shop window in Jamestown, California on May 30, 2020

There were calls for crowdsourcing on social media, to donate any masks, goggles, or other equipment to healthcare professionals.[272]

Major Bay Area medical centers, UCSF and Stanford Health Center are both now taking donations for personal protective equipment.[273]

Local public health offices started coordinating donation efforts.[274]

Maker Nexus, a non-profit maker space in Sunnyvale, began making face shields to donate to local hospitals and other health care facilities, using its 3D printers and laser cutters. This effort grew rapidly as individuals in the Bay Area began using home-based 3D printers and bringing the result to Maker Nexus to complete the shields and deliver them to the recipients.[275][276] By the first of April, more than 300 community members were using their home 3D printers for this effort.[277][278][279] Together with other groups and individuals, the maker space is also making cloth face masks to substitute for N95 masks in non-critical applications and helping to coordinate face mask deliveries.[280]

On February 10, Santa Clara County declared a local health emergency that would allow health authorities to deploy rapid response in the event of a potential coronavirus case. The state of emergency would be in effect for 30 days.[281] On February 14, San Diego County declared a local health emergency to ensure that the county had the resources needed to respond to the infections. The state of emergency lasted for seven days.[282]

On February 25, the mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, declared a state of emergency that would allow city officials to assemble resources and personnel to expedite emergency measures in the event of a potential coronavirus case in the city.[283][284] On February 26, Orange County declared a local health emergency to raise awareness and accelerate emergency planning.[284] On February 27, Solano County declared a local health emergency to bolster response to COVID-19 cases.[285] California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that, as of February 27, the number of people being monitored for the virus in California amounted to 8,400.[286]

On February 27, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state was limited in testing for the new coronavirus because it had only 200 testing kits.[287]

A public safety alert sent by Santa Clara County, California about the shelter-in-place order

On March 3, Placer County declared a public health emergency, following the confirmation of a second coronavirus case in that county.[288] On March 4, Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency after the first death in California attributable to coronavirus occurred in Placer County.[289][290][291]

On March 7, a family in Elk Grove contracted the virus and was quarantined[292] which led to the school district of Elk Grove decision to close down all schools until March 13.[293] On March 8, Riverside County declared a public health emergency with a case being treated at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage.[294]

On March 9, Santa Clara County announced that beginning March 11, public gatherings with more than 1,000 people would be banned for a three-week period.[295] On March 10, a resident of a retirement home tested positive in Elk Grove in Sacramento County. County health officials said that they had the capacity to only test 20 people per day and would be focusing all their efforts on the other residents of the retirement home. That resident died from complications of the virus on the same day. Also on March 10, a woman became the first presumptive case of the novel coronavirus in San Diego County, who was being treated at Scripps Green Hospital, with verification of the test results pending from the CDC. The infection was related to overseas travel; she had not been subjected to a 14-day quarantine upon return, indicating that she did not come from one of the "high risk" countries at the time of her return.[296]

On March 12, Governor Newsom announced that mass gatherings (over 250 people) and social gatherings (more than 10 people) were banned until the end of March.[297] He also issued an order to permit the state to commandeer hotels and medical facilities to treat coronavirus patients.[298][299][300][301] On March 13, schools were closed in Marin, Sacramento, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Solano, Placer, and Contra Costa counties, as well as the Oakland, Antioch, Santa Cruz, Los Angeles Unified, Chaffey Unified, Etiwanda, Fontana Unified, Ontario-Montclair, Alta Loma Unified, San Diego, Los Alamitos Unified, and Washington Unified school districts. In Santa Clara county, all gatherings of 100 or more people were banned, and gatherings of 35 or more people were banned unless they satisfied public health restrictions.[302][303][304][305][306] Press reports in April suggest that the aggressive early imposition of social-distancing orders by Santa Clara County were the result of community surveillance performed beginning on March 5.[307]

Executive Order N-33-20: the March 19 stay-at-home order from California governor Gavin Newsom

On March 15, Governor Newsom called for voluntary closure of bars and in-home self-isolation of seniors 65 and older, as well as persons at-risk due to underlying conditions.[308] On March 16, the health officers of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties announced, with the City of Berkeley, a legal order directing their respective residents to shelter in place for three weeks beginning midnight March 17 to April 7 in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.[309] The order limited activity, travel and business functions to only the most essential needs.[310][311][312] The same day, the county of Santa Cruz issued a similar shelter in place order.[313]

On March 17, more counties issued shelter in place orders, including Monterey County (until April 4),[314] San Benito (until April 7),[315] and Sonoma (until April 7).[316] Sacramento County issued a stay-at-home directive, which, unlike a shelter in place order, is not a legal requirement.[317] The federal Defense Secretary said the military would provide up to 5 million respirator masks and also 2,000 ventilators from its reserve.[318]

On March 18, shelter in place orders were issued by Yolo County (until April 7),[319] the city of Fresno (until March 31),[320] Napa County (effective March 20, until April 7)[321] San Luis Obispo County (until April 17),[322] and Mendocino County (until April 7).[323] The Department of Defense said the Navy's hospital ship USNS Mercy is being prepared for deployment in California, "to assist potentially overwhelmed communities with acute patient care".[324]

On March 19, Sacramento County upgraded its stay-at-home directive into an official order that carries legal consequences.[325] Governor Newsom then announced a statewide stay-at-home order.[326][327][328] Governor Newsom said that the state has asked the Department of Defense to deploy the Navy's USNS Mercy hospital ship in California.[329]

On March 21, the Strategic National Stockpile Division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services converted the Santa Clara Convention Center into a Federal Medical Station to receive noncritical patients from local hospitals.[330]

On March 22, President Trump announced that he had directed Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide 8 large federal medical stations with 2,000 beds for California.[331]

On March 24, Governor Newsom passed an executive order to postpone intakes in prisons and juvenile correction centers. The objective was to hinder contamination in the prison system.[332]

On March 24, Mendocino County revised its shelter-in-place order to align with the state order including a stricter list of essential businesses, closure of all parks within Mendocino County, and for the order to be in place until rescinded.[256]

On March 30, the health officers of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties extended the legal order directing their respective residents to shelter in place to May 3.[333]

On April 1, Governor Newsom announced ordered the closure of all public and private schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year, including all institutions of higher education, and directing all schools to "put all efforts into strengthening our delivery of education through distance learning."[334] The University of California system announced that they would temporarily suspend the use of standardized testing for Fall 2021 admissions, and suspend the letter grade requirement for A-G courses completed in winter, spring, and summer 2020.[335]

A sign outside a store in Los Angeles County on April 17 requiring all customers to wear face coverings to enter

On April 7, Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti announced that in accordance with recent CDC recommendations, it would institute a Worker Protection Order beginning April 10, requiring all employees and customers of stores and essential businesses to wear a face mask. Businesses will have the right to refuse service to customers who do not wear a face mask.[336][337] Governor Newsom announced that the state has secured a deal that will provide upwards of 200 million masks, including 150 million N95 masks, per month to the state.[338]

On April 9, Governor Newsom announced the state would pay for hotel rooms for hospital and other essential workers afraid of returning home and infecting family members.[339]

On April 13, Governor Newsom, together with Oregon governor Kate Brown and Washington governor Jay Inslee, announced the Western States Pact, an agreement to coordinate among the three states to restart economic activity while controlling the outbreak.[340]

On April 15, Governor Newsom announced that undocumented immigrants can receive $500 per adult or $1,000 per household.[341] The total cost will be $75 million that will be distributed by nonprofit organizations.[342]

On April 22, Governor Newsom ordered a review on autopsies of people who died in December 2019 in order to find out when COVID-19 arrived in California.[343]

On April 24, Governor Newsom announced a program that will deliver free meals to elderly residents who meet the program's requirements. This program partners with local restaurants to deliver up to $61 worth of meals per day to each qualified resident. 75% of the program's cost will be covered by FEMA, and the rest will be covered by the state and local governments.[344]

On April 24, Mayor of San Francisco London Breed said the city order's for PPE from China were instead rerouted to France and to FEMA. "We had isolation gowns on the way to San Francisco and then diverted to France," she said. Another order of equipment went through customs and then was "confiscated" by FEMA for other places. She later stated "That at the height of this pandemic we are still having a conversation about PPE really does blow my mind. There has been nothing that has been more frustrating."[345][346][347][348]

On April 29, Governor Newsom announced an expansion of the state's Farm to Family program, which helps connect farmers to food banks. Governor Newsom also announced that the state's CalFresh program will continue to send every recipient the maximum amount of benefits for May. Governor Newsom also said that families with kids who can receive free or low-cost lunch at schools can now get up to $365 a month in additional benefits due to the Pandemic-EBT program. Additionally, Governor Newsom said that these benefits can now be used to buy groceries online on Amazon and Walmart, and the state will expand the number of online stores that will accept these benefits.[349]

On May 2, the Washington Post reported that a vitamins executive claimed that (at a previous time not specified in the article) Trump had given him Governor Newsom's phone number for the purpose of persuading the governor to buy hydroxychloroquine as a proposed treatment for COVID-19. Governor Newsom declined the proposal to buy millions of hydroxychloroquine tablets, at cost, from an Indian manufacturer.[350]

On May 6, Governor Newsom signed an executive order that will extend workers' compensation for all workers who contracted COVID-19 during the state's stay-at-home order. This order will be retroactive to March 19, when the state's stay-at-home order was issued. Governor Newsom also signed an executive order that waived property tax penalties for residents and small businesses that have been negatively affected by the pandemic.[351]

On May 7, Governor Newsom announced that the state is moving into Stage 2 of its four-stage reopening roadmap. Stage 2 allows for certain low-risk sectors of the economy to reopen, so long as there are significant safety measures in place.[352]

On May 8, Governor Newsom signed an executive order to send every registered voter a mail-in ballot for the 2020 general election.[353]

On May 18, the Department of Public Health announced that counties could selectively reopen types of business that are part of Stage 3 of the state's four-stage reopening roadmap. To reopen certain types of business, a county would attest to its readiness.[354]

On May 26, the Department of Public Health announced that hair service businesses could reopen with restrictions.[355]

On June 5, the Department of Public Health noted that many counties were ready to move ahead into Stage 3 of the state's four-stage reopening roadmap.[356] Stage 3 allows for certain higher-risk businesses to reopen with safety and hygiene modifications like seating capacity and regular cleaning in restaurants, bars, theaters, gyms and hair salons.[357]

On June 12, the Department of Public Health released guidance for expanding the operations of personal care service businesses.[358]

On June 18, the Department of Public Health issued universal masking guidance. Counties may follow this guidance to require the wearing of cloth face coverings by all individuals over the age of 2 in all public indoor settings, and in outdoor settings when social distancing is not possible. Exemptions are provided for restaurants (if social distancing is maintained), inmates, and people with specific medical conditions that prevent their use. Newsom stated that "science shows that face coverings and masks work".[359][360]

Education in California has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, while most students in the state have switched to distance learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of them lack laptops and Wi-Fi.[362] By April 10, 2020, a school of 21 students became the only school in the state to remain open.[363] However, by April 29, the school closed indefinitely, making it the last school in the state to do so.[364]

• K–12: On March 17, 2020, the California Department of Education provided guidance for K–12 schools:[365] This includes information regarding: Distance learning,[366] resources that support distance learning,[367] remote learning guidance,[368] designing a high-quality online course,[369] grading and graduation requirements,[370] and internet access;[371] school meals;[372] Special education;[373] child care and student supervision in the event of a school closure; and parent resources.
• California Community Colleges System (CCCS): California Community Colleges make up the largest system of higher education in the U.S., serving more than 2.1 million students.[374] It, too, has issued guidance regarding Novel Coronavirus 2019.[375] On May 18, Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley said that California’s 115 community colleges will likely continue to offer their classes fully online in the fall, noting that many colleges in the system had already announced this intention. Oakley added that he fully encouraged this decision as he believes it "will be the most relevant way for us to continue to reach our students and to do it in a way that commits to maintaining equity for our students."[376]
• California State University (CSU) system: With 23 campuses, the CSU is the largest four-year higher education system in the United States. On March 17, 2020, CSU issued a response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including that "the CSU is following guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of State".[377] The communication also included information regarding a plan for CSU's 23 campuses to accelerate their transition to online instruction.[378] On May 12, California State University Chancellor Timothy White announced that the CSU system would be offering fall 2020 courses primarily online "with some limited exceptions."[379] For spring 2020 alone, the CSU system is projecting a revenue loss of $337 million due to the pandemic, as a result of losses from student housing, parking and campus bookstores, combined with costs related to cleaning, overtime and the shift to distance education.[379]
• University of California (UC) system: Collectively, the ten colleges, institutions, and alumni of the UC make it the most comprehensive and advanced post-secondary educational system in the world.[380] On April 2, 2020, UC president Janet Napolitano and the chancellors of the 10 campuses gave assurances to UC employees.[381] On April 6, 2020, the UC Health Data Initiative launched daily updates on COVID-19 tests.[382] On the same day, the UC launched a grant program to spur COVID-19 related research.[383] Pertinent information for students, faculty, staff, and community is available for each campus: UC Berkeley,[384] UC Davis,[385] UC Irvine,[386] UCLA,[387] UC Merced,[388] UC Riverside,[389] UC San Diego,[390] UC San Francisco,[391] UC Santa Barbara,[392] and UC Santa Cruz.[393] On May 20, University of California president Janet Napolitano told the UC Board of Regents that "every campus will be open and offering instruction" in fall 2020, adding that she "anticipates that most, if not all of our campuses, will operate in some kind of hybrid mode" involving a mix of online and in-person instruction.[394] From the time that UC campuses shut down in mid-March through the end of April, the UC system experienced a $1.2 billion loss due to the pandemic.[394]

• Alameda County: On March 20, Alameda County officials announced that 247 people would be released from Santa Rita Jail, located in Dublin.[395]
• Los Angeles County: On March 17, the county Sheriff's Department announced that it had reduced the inmate population by 600 during the previous two weeks in an attempt to keep prisoners from being infected by coronavirus.[396]
• Santa Barbara County: As of April 17, the county jail had released 324 prisoners. The Sheriff announced on a Friday night that one inmate has tested positive for COVID-19.[396]
• San Diego County: On March 16, the Sheriff's Department said it had started reducing the number of people being accepted into the county's seven jails and had received approval for early release of some prisoners. Other measures included in-cell meals, a suspension of visitation, and suspension of jail programs.[397]

Various faith organizations claim that social distancing orders issued by the state violate the constitutional right to freedom of religion and assembly. Bans of all gatherings, no matter the size, outside of places of residences put in place by local authorities have also been challenged.[398]

Churches and synagogues with more than 30 members officially closed doors March 12. Most began streaming online. When the quarantine officially began, all congregations were no longer able to gather. Most are holding weekly prayer meetings as well as Saturday or Sunday morning streaming of worship services. Mosques in California have stopped holding Friday prayer congregations.

On March 13, the Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California closed all diocesan schools from until at least April 20. It suspended public Masses and dispensed with the obligation to attend Mass from March 14 until further notice.[399] On March 18, the California Catholic Conference of bishops followed suit, suspending the public celebration of Mass throughout the state until further notice.[400] Many churches are conducting services online during the time of closure.

The United States Supreme Court denied to grant an emergency injunction on Governor Newsom's orders May orders limiting churches to 25% capacity or 100 persons maximum ahead of the Pentecost on May 31. The denial was decided on a 5-4 vote, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the four liberal Justices in denying the order by stating that "Although California's guidelines place restrictions on places of worship, those restrictions appear consistent with the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. Similar or more severe restrictions apply to comparable secular gatherings, including lectures, concerts, movie showings, spectator sports, and theatrical performances, where large groups of people gather in close proximity for extended periods of time."[401]

Sacramento Kings players shoot around after their March 11 game against New Orleans is postponed

The first U.S. sports cancellations attributed to the pandemic occurred in California; in accordance with a local health emergency in Riverside County, the 2020 BNP Paribas Open tennis tournaments at Indian Wells were postponed on March 8, 2020.[402][403]

After Santa Clara County banned all large gatherings larger than 1,000 people for a three-week period beginning March 11, the San Jose Sharks of the NHL and the Golden State Warriors of the NBA announced that all of their remaining home games of the regular season would be played behind closed doors with no spectators. With their game on March 12 against the Brooklyn Nets, the Warriors were to be the first professional sports team in the United States to play a home game behind closed doors due to the pandemic.[404][405][406] However, on March 11, after Utah Jazz players tested positive for COVID-19, the NBA suspended its regular season, and almost all other professional sports leagues and college athletics programs followed suit over the days that followed.[407]

On March 16, the CCCAA also canceled the remainder of the winter seasons as well as the spring seasons. They also restored a season of eligibility to those athletes who had already participated in the early season of spring sports.[408] On the same day, the NAIA cancelled their spring season as well.[409]

At the high school level, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) canceled the basketball state championship tournament after the Northern California and Southern California semifinals. During the tournament, Sheldon, Archbishop Riordan, and the Menlo School withdrew from the tournament after their schools were shut down. The CIF gave their reevaluation of the situation on April 3 and cancelled all spring sports.[410][411]

As of April 8, over the preceding three weeks, California had processed over 2.4 million applications for unemployment assistance.[412]

A survey conducted April 17 found that fewer than half of the residents of Los Angeles County were employed, although some of this unemployment was supposed to be temporary.[413]

In January 2020, California expected a $5.6 billion surplus in the state budget by the time the fiscal year ended on June 30.[414] In May, however, the Department of Finance changed its projection, saying that the state would instead have a deficit of $54.3 billion. Some of this shortfall was caused by expenses for COVID-19 response (an unanticipated $7.1 billion for health programs and an additional $6 billion for other types of responses), but most was caused by the expectation that tax revenue—personal income, corporate, and sales—will be one-quarter lower than originally projected. Tax revenue will not be known for certain until July 15 when income taxes are due.[415][416]