COVID-19 spurred lockdowns and mask mandates more than two years ago. However, data released today from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research’s California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) show Californians were still taking precautions, such as wearing masks and avoiding large gatherings, in April 2022. About 2 in 5 (39%) California adults said they always wore a mask when leaving their home in the past week, 20% said usually, 24% said sometimes, and 16% said they never wore a mask. Unvaccinated adults were less likely to mask up, with more than 1 in 4 (26%) unvaccinated adults saying they never wore a mask, compared to 1 in 7 (14%) fully vaccinated adults.

The latest update to the 2022 CHIS COVID-19 Preliminary Estimates Dashboard, which adds responses from 3,317 Californians in April 2022, builds on previously released data collected in February and March this year. In addition to risk reduction behaviors, topics include Californians’ experiences with long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms, reasons for not receiving the vaccine or booster shots, personal and financial impacts of the pandemic, and COVID-19 news and information sources.