13 CA Counties Are Now In CDC's High COVID Risk Category

CALIFORNIA — California's latest COVID-19 surge has driven cases up in some counties across the nation's most populous state, and called into question whether masking rules should be reinstated indoors.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified 13 counties where community spread was highest.

The following counties were included on the watch list.

• Del Norte
• El Dorado
• Marin
• Mendocino
• Monterey
• Napa
• Placer
• Sacramento
• San Benito
• Santa Clara
• Solano
• Sonoma
• Yolo

The agency compiled the case rate, hospital admissions and staffed inpatient beds per 100,000 people per county.

The state recorded a 8.3 percent positivity rate on Friday, up from 7 percent on May 27, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Rising case numbers, despite the prevalence of vaccinations and booster shots, prompted health officials in Alameda County to reinstate an indoor mask mandate. The CDC identified the county as having "medium" community level spread.

Although no Southern California counties appeared on the high-risk list, all coastal counties from San Luis Obispo to San Diego were identified as medium-risk.

In Los Angeles County, where cases have typically been higher during COVID-19 surges, the number of COVID-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals increased by 30 people to 540, according to the latest state figures.

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer warned last week that if the quickening pace of virus-related hospital admissions seen over the past few weeks continues, the county could end up in the CDC's high-risk category.

Crossing that threshold would mean a return of mandatory masking indoors in Los Angeles County.

While indoor masking remains optional in most public locations for now, Ferrer urged residents to consider masking up to limit spread and protect vulnerable populations.

"Each resident should consider not only their own personal risk, but also the risk to family members, friends, co-workers and those sharing public spaces, as they make decisions about taking precautions such as masking, gathering, getting tested, and getting vaccinated or boosted," she said in a statement Friday.

Officials statewide are urging Californians to wear a mask indoors amid the current surge, but state officials have yet to announce any plans for reinstating COVID-19 rules.

Gov. Gavin Newsom tested positive for COVID-19 last week but said he was only experiencing mild symptoms. The Democratic governor added that he was using Paxlovid to treat the virus, an anti-viral medication taken in three pills twice daily for five days.

"Grateful to be vaccinated & for treatments like Paxlovid," he said. "I'm following health guidelines and will be isolating while I work remotely."

READ MORE: Newsom Tests Positive For COVID, Uses Paxlovid Treatment

City News Service contributed to this report.