(FOX40.COM) — There’s not much time left to sign up for a Covered California health insurance plan before this weekend’s deadline.

The open-enrollment deadline for the California marketplace exchange is Jan. 31. On Thursday, Covered California urged uninsured Californians to act now and enroll before the window closes.

Californians who aren’t enrolled in a health insurance plan, or who need to renew their exchange plan, can use the state’s Shop and Compare Tool on CoveredCA.com. Coverage for new Covered California plans will begin on Feb. 1.

More than 1.9 million residents have already signed up, the program said, and more than 385,000 of those are enrolled in a plan with a monthly premium of $10 or less per member. Californians can also access the marketplace through a licensed insurance agent or community organizations that provide free assistance.

Of those 1.9 million, 1.7 million renewed their plans while 200,000 signed up for new insurance through the marketplace, which was created by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

“Although Congress did not extend the financial assistance that has helped millions of Americans afford health insurance, thousands of families across California are showing how critical having coverage is to them,” Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman said in a news release. “We are proud of the work we’ve done to help connect Californians to care, but we have a long way to go.

Heading into the open enrollment period, there were about 1.2 million uninsured Californians who were eligible for either subsidized Covered California plans or Medi-Cal coverage who had not yet signed up, according to research from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

Those who choose not to enroll in any health insurance plan face tax penalties. Those charges are at least $950 per adult and $450 per dependent child. A family of four that goes uninsured all year would face a penalty of at least $2,800, according to a news release.

“Covered California continues to lead the way and be an inspiration for all state-based marketplaces, by helping California families explore their options, online or in person, in a language they prefer,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

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