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

A sign reminds people in Northern California to social distance.

(Image credit: Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)

published 22 July 2020

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.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

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.

Explore More

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox