Another COVID holiday: Is California in a better place this year?

The reopening of businesses and return to normal activities may be fueling the infections in some counties. “We’ve also been more open this year, that may be part of the explanation,” said Andrew Noymer, an epidemiologist [and assistant public health professor] at University of California, Irvine who focuses on mortalities during pandemics. With more activity and less masking, infections and hospital rates are likely to remain significant in those counties that have insufficient vaccination.