California only state to advance out of high transmission category for COVID

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California is now the nation's only state that is not in the highest category for transmission of the coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows California mapped in orange meaning there is "substantial community spread" while the rest of the country is covered in red meaning  there is "high community transmission."

Nationwide the US is seeing an average of 295 cases per 100,000 people and a positivity rate of 9.5 percent. California is seeing 20 new cases per 100,000 residents and a positivity rate of 4.4 percent.

California has handled mask and vaccine requirements differently than other states throughout the pandemic.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, widespread adaptation of health orders and an impressive vaccination rate are factors in driving case rates down. California reported an average of 9,281 cases a day for the seven-day period that ended Tuesday, compared to about 13,400 cases a day two weeks ago.

In July, the CDC said that vaccinated teachers and students don’t need to wear masks inside school buildings, but California said its mask guidance for schools would remain in place.

See also: California will still require masks inside schools, despite new CDC guidance

California residents are also more likely to be vaccinated than residents in other states.

At the end of August, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that 80 percent of eligible residents in the city had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, marking one of the highest vaccination rates for a major city within the US.

See also: 80% of eligible San Francisco residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19