California surpasses New York for most COVID-19 cases in U.S.

As of Wednesday morning, California has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections of any state, with more than 409,000 cases reported.

New York, which experienced a high number of infections and deaths in the spring during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, had been the state with the highest number of cases. Now, California has about 1,100 more COVID-19 cases than New York.

With almost 40 million residents — more than double the population of New York — California is the most populous state. It is still far behind New York when it comes to coronavirus fatalities; New York has reported more than 25,000 COVID-19 deaths, three times as many as California, the Los Angeles Times reports.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) imposed a stay-at-home order in mid-March, but after the state began reopening again in June, the number of cases started surging; in response, Newsom ordered that all Californians wear face masks in public and tightened restrictions again on bars, restaurants, and hair and nail salons. On Wednesday afternoon, Newsom announced a record 12,807 new coronavirus infections had been reported in the state over the last 24 hours. "It's just another reminder ... of the magnitude of impact that this virus continues to have," he said.