COVID-19 in California: Here's how coronavirus cases are trending in every county

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Saturday, November 28, 2020
Gov. Newsom ditches county watch list, announces new 4-tier reopening framework
California is moving away from the "watch list" system of tracking COVID-19 trends and instead moving to a four-tier, color coded classification system.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- COVID-19 cases are spiking around the country and right here in California, but what's the situation where you live?

Some counties are better off than others but it's hard to keep track of the latest coronavirus trends.

RELATED: Gov. Newsom orders curfew for most California counties

We've designed an interactive COVID-19 trend tracker using data from the California Health Department.

See the tracker below to find out how COVID-19 cases are trending in your county.

App users: For a better experience, click here to view the full COVID trend tracker in a new window

The trends in this tracker directly impact a county's classification in the state's reopening system.

There are four tiers in the reopening system: yellow, orange, red and purple. Yellow indicates minimal COVID-19 spread and allows for nearly all businesses to reopen indoor operations (as long as physical distancing and face-covering requirements are in place). Purple means there is widespread COVID-19 transmission in the county and nearly all businesses have to keep indoor operations closed or severely limited.

WATCH: How will California's new curfew work? Will it be effective? UCSF doctor weighs in

While nothing official is announced, we now know a California curfew is on the table. So, what would a curfew look like if it happens? And how effective is it?

How a county is categorized depends on the number of new daily coronavirus cases and the testing positivity rate, or the proportion of those tested who turn back a positive result. Here's how it breaks down:

  • Widespread (purple): Counties with more than 7 daily new cases per 100,000 residents or higher than 8% positivity rate
  • Substantial (red): 4 to 7 daily new cases per 100,000 residents or 5-8% positivity
  • Moderate (orange): 1 to 3.9 daily new cases per 100,000 or 2-4.9% positivity
  • Minimal (yellow): Less than 1 daily new case per 100,000 or less than 2% positivity

Each color code has a different set of rules regarding what businesses are and aren't allowed to reopen, whether they can open indoors or outdoors, and at what capacity they can operate. Here's how it breaks down by category:

PURPLE

Nighttime curfew in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. until Dec. 21. Only essential activities allowed during overnight hours.

See the map below to find out where your county stands and keep reading to learn what can and can't open in each color-coded category.

App users: For a better experience, click here to view the full map in a new window

If you have a question or comment about the coronavirus pandemic, submit yours via the form below or here.

Get the latest news, information and videos about the novel coronavirus pandemic here

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