California Becomes One of Only Three States to Exit the CDC's Worst Category for COVID Transmission - SFist

In this summer's Delta variant surge, California has succeeded in being one of just three states to no longer be in the "high" transmission category for COVID-19, along with Vermont and Connecticut.

Back in late July, when the CDC updated its mask mandate in light of the Delta variant, it recommended masks indoors for all areas with "high" or "substantial" transmission rates, regardless of vaccination status.

California had to drive transmission levels down to between 50 and 99 new cases per day per 100,000 residents.

The seven-day average of new cases in San Francisco hit 95 as of September 9, which amounts to 10.9 cases per 100,000 — a number that would have still would have qualified our county for "Purple" tier status under the state's framework of a few months ago.

Back in early May, San Francisco was averaging just 26 new cases per day, or 1.8 per 100,000, before the Delta variant came and ruined everything.