For each category, the CDC released tailored guidance on measures such as masking, testing and avoiding crowds.However, officials on Thursday retired that system. While partly a reflection of the limitations of case counts, which have become increasingly unreliable because of the prevalence of at-home testing, officials also acknowledged the growing difficulty of providing an on-the-ground snapshot. Many states and counties have stopped gathering or reporting COVID-19 data.On Thursday, the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker ended reporting of aggregate cases and removed test positivity data. The all-time peak — 16,663 — occurred over the week ending Jan. 9, 2021, in the midst of California’s deadliest COVID-19 wave. “It’s important for Californians to continue to use the tools we have in place to fight COVID, including vaccines, testing and treatment.”

Source: Los Angeles Times May 15, 2023 18:23 UTC