While California has started to see a rise in coronavirus cases, the pace of increase is still far milder than the rest of the United States and experts said there is still time to prevent a “third wave.”

There are clear warning signs, including a troubling increase in daily cases in Los Angeles County. But statewide, the uptick — for the moment — is at a pace still considered relatively slow and top health officials say there’s no conclusive sign of the kind of spike that roiled California this summer.

“We are fortunate in the sense that we have a much more muted uptick that’s beginning to occur,” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, medical epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. “And I think it’s because we are still adhering, for the most part, to this tiered approach of gradual opening of the economy and schools.”

California’s slow reopening process has prompted criticism from some businesses, such as from some executives of the state’s largest theme parks, which remain ordered shut. Indoor bars that don’t offer meals remain largely shuttered statewide. And in the hardest-hit counties, including Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino, indoor dining rooms at restaurants are ordered closed, as are indoor gyms and indoor houses of worship.

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