Data from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center showed Thursday that California's COVID-19 cases have already reached one million. 

COVID-19 Test
(Photo : Reutersconnect/Lucy Nicholson)
A woman is tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in East Los Angeles, California.

California is the most populous state in the country. It is the home of more than 40 million residents and is about 10 million higher than Texas.

With the millions of people living in California, it is no longer a surprise that the state government would immediately act to mitigate the spread of coronavirus that might overwhelm its healthcare system.  

Read also: COVID-19: Analysis Shows Pfizer's Vaccine is 90% Effective in Phase 3 Trial 

According to a recently published report in the Desert Sun, California is the second state in the country that has reached more than one million COVID-19 infections on Thursday, followed by Texas.

However, experts said the number of infections in the different states could be higher because many have yet to be tested for the virus. Another factor is that there are many cases across the country that are unreported.  

Read: Health Experts Raise Safety Concerns for Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine 

Health experts warned that COVID-19 infections in California and Texas could go higher as the country enters the winter season and other holidays. 

The winter season could increase flu, which is a COVID-19 symptom, while holidays could lead to family gatherings and more travels, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discouraged not to do in the meantime. 

The Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center also revealed on Thursday that 10 countries had surpassed more than one million infections across the globe, with the United States leading in the number of cases and deaths. 

Even though the state of California has already reached more than one million cases, its infection rate is much lower than the U.S. as a whole. The number of COVID-19 cases in the country continues to swell every day from coast to coast. 

Health officials are expected to release more guidelines in the coming days because of the fear that the trend will accelerate due to holidays. More families will likely spend more time inside their homes due to the winter season. And this can help control the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, the CDC advised everyone to celebrate the upcoming holidays within the family or in the same household. 

The agency also discouraged inviting other family members and friends from other areas to a group meal and other holiday activities. They also suggested the temporary implementation of a travel ban as the number of cases continues to swell.

England and Wales are already implementing it except for work, education, or another valid reason, according to a BBC News report.

Travel restriction was already proven a significant measure to lessen new cases. Countries like France, Spain, England, Germany, Italy, and other countries have decreased their COVID-19 infections after this measure was implemented. 

As of today, the U.S. has recorded more than 10.3 million infections, with a death toll of over 240,000. It was also reported that new cases in a single day in the country had even reached 120,000 in recent days.