LISTING OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH PRESS RELEASES
News Release
Los Angeles County Public Health Logo

313 N. Figueroa Street, Room 806  |  Los Angeles, CA 90012  |  (213) 240-8144  |  media@ph.lacounty.gov

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For Immediate Release:

March 22, 2021

COVID-19 Transmission Declines as Vaccinations Increase; Health Officer Order and Schools Protocols Modified - 9 New Deaths and 516 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 9 new deaths and 516 new cases of COVID-19. The lower number of deaths and cases may reflect reporting delays over the weekend. To date, Public Health identified 1,214,683 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 22,806 deaths.

The seven-day average number of daily cases by episode date continues to decrease, and as of March 14 is under 500 new cases per day.

As of March 18, approximately 1,984,738 persons who reside in Los Angeles County have been vaccinated with at least one dose of vaccine since January 1. While the majority of the L.A. County population has not yet been vaccinated, the increasing rate of vaccination likely is beginning to reduce transmission.

There are 750 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 25% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 6,018,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive. Today's daily test positivity rate is 1.5%.

Of the nine new deaths reported today, five people that passed away were over the age of 80, one person who died was between the ages of 65 and 79, one person who died was between the ages of 50 and 64, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49.

Public Health made additional modifications to the Health Officer Order. The revised Order was issued on March 19, and took effect on March 20, with the following changes:

Businesses and sectors must follow all safety measures and protocols. The updated protocols can be found online at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Public Health is updating the Protocols for grades K through 12 schools to align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health on the required distancing in schools, with additional recommendations. Schools are strongly recommended to maximize distance between student seating maintaining 3 feet minimum distance at all times. It is important that schools implement critical mitigation layers including required masking, stable groups, and maintaining 6 feet of distance as much as possible during activities where students are not wearing masks, such as eating and drinking. There continues to be a requirement of a minimum of 6 feet of distance between teachers and other desks from students and other staff.

“Our deepest condolences go out to those who are mourning the loss of a loved one. We share your grief," said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. "Spring officially began this past weekend. Like so many of you, I am eagerly awaiting warmer weather and clearer skies. We have a beautiful county, and I encourage you all to enjoy everything it has to offer while remaining masked and physically distanced. For recreational travelers and residents coming to L.A. County, please note, you are required to self-quarantine for 10 days after you return from out of state or out of country travel to protect our community from inadvertent transmission of the virus from travelers. We strongly recommend that those who traveled and during their travels were in crowds, exposed to unmasked individuals in close proximity, or attended gatherings, get tested on their return. This is particularly important for those who traveled to places with high rates of community transmission, like Miami, which reported a 9% test positivity rate; this is 6 times higher than the test positivity rate in L.A. County. Please remember how easily this virus can spread and take every action you can to protect yourself others until we all can get vaccinated."

Nearly 3,235,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people across Los Angeles County. Of those vaccinated, 1,057,794 people received second doses.

Currently, people who are eligible for the vaccine include healthcare workers, residents and staff at long-term care facilities, residents who are age 65 or older, education and childcare workers, food and agriculture workers, emergency service workers and law enforcement, people with serious health conditions or disabilities, people who live or work in high risk congregate living spaces (shelters, jails, and residential behavioral health programs), janitorial, custodial, and maintenance services workers, and people who work in the transportation and logistics.

Our allocation for this week is slightly higher than last week. Last week, we received over 259,000 doses, none of which were Johnson & Johnson. This week, we received 6,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Unfortunately, our efforts are being slowed by the lack of vaccine supply. This week alone there are over 633,000 appointment slots available, and we only have enough doses for about 280,000 appointments. We hope that supply will increase in the coming weeks and allow us to vaccinate even more people.

Mobile vaccine teams are deploying to the hardest hit communities, with a priority of vaccinating residents 65 and older. More than 80 mobile vaccination teams are scheduled to administer vaccinations this week at senior housing sites, senior centers, faith-based organizations and community-based organizations. These mobile sites are critical to our effort to vaccinate hard hit communities with either lower vaccination rates or lack of access. In the coming weeks, an additional 150 mobile vaccinations sites are scheduled throughout our county.

For information about who is eligible for COVID-19 vaccine in L.A. County, how to make an appointment if it is your turn, what verifications you will need to show at your vaccination appointment, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

County Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional actions you can take to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Please see additional information below:

Laboratory Confirmed Total Cases 1214683*

Deaths 22806

Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

Hospitalization

Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

CITY / COMMUNITY** Cases (Case Rate)

These numbers are subject to change based on further investigation. 11 cases previously reported were not in Public Health's jurisdiction. * Means that case numbers include cases associated with correctional facility outbreaks located in the city/community. **Rate is crude and is per 100,000. This represents the number of cases per 100,000 people and allows for the proportional comparison of cities of different sizes.

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:

The Department of Public Health is committed to promoting health equity and ensuring optimal health and well-being for all 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health comprises nearly 4,500 employees and has an annual budget of $1.2 billion. To learn more about Los Angeles County Public Health, please visit www.publichealth .lacounty.gov, and follow LA County Public Health on social media at twitter.com/lacounty.gov, and follow LA County Public Health on social media at twitter.com/lapublichealth, facebook.com/lapublichealth, instagram.com/lapublichealth and youtube.com/lapublichealth.



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