CALIFORNIA, USA — California has gone from worst to first in the rate of coronavirus infections.
Data from Johns Hopkins University shows the state surpassed Hawaii on Thursday with the lowest average number of COVID-19 cases per capita. That comes just a few months after California was the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S.
At California's peak, there were 40,000 cases and well over 500 deaths per day. The state is now averaging about 2,300 cases and 68 deaths a day.
In Michigan, which has the highest rate of infections in the U.S., one in every 223 people tested positive in the past week compared with one in every 2,416 people in California.
While the transmission rates in California are starting to slow down, the vaccination rate in California continues to grow as the state surpasses 27 million total doses administered.
With 27% of all Californians fully vaccinated, which is roughly 10.6 million people according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], California still has a ways to go before becoming number one in terms of vaccination rate with 19 states ahead.
California has given out 70,174 doses per 100,000 residents, according to the CDC.
Connecticut, which currently is No. 1 in vaccine administration, has administered 82,944 doses per 100,000 residents.
Connecticut boasts 34.3% of its population is fully vaccinated. Its population is 3.6 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Connecticut has received 13,522 more doses per 100,000 residents than California.
Twelve of the states that have given more doses per 100,000 residents than California, including Connecticut, have received more doses per 100,000 residents than California.
UC Davis infectious disease expert, Dr. Dean Blumberg, explains why some people are still hesitant to get the vaccine and why they shouldn't be.
