Vaccinated Children Provided More Protection from COVID Infection and Hospitalization than Unvaccinated Children - 3,312 New Positive Cases and 67 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

With the winter surge subsiding, Public Health reminds residents that vaccinations and masking remain important effective layers of protection, especially in school settings and crowded spaces.

As of February 10, 34% of 5-11-year-olds and 84% of 12–17-year-olds had received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine and 26% of 5–11-year-olds and 76% 12–17-year-olds were fully vaccinated.

Unvaccinated children ages 5-11, were 2.5 times more likely to be infected when compared to those who were fully vaccinated. For those ages 12-17, vaccinated teens were almost 3 times less likely to be infected when compared to those who were unvaccinated.

Similarly, hospitalizations were also higher for unvaccinated children in both youth age groups 5-11 and 12-17. Unvaccinated children 5-11 were at three times higher risk of hospitalization when compared to fully vaccinated children. And unvaccinated teens 12-17 were four times more likely to be hospitalized than fully vaccinated teens.

Between February 7 and 11, nearly 477,000 tests were administered at TK-12 schools across the county; test positivity declined by 90% since the beginning of January to 1.5%. This remarkable decline likely reflects lower rates of community transmission as well as the impact of mitigation strategies that schools are using to reduce transmission.

When looking at the number of COVID-19 cases among students and staff in K-12 schools by grade level, the largest number of cases have been among elementary school students, followed by high school and then middle school students. The week of January 10-16, there were over 21,000 cases reported among elementary school students, over 11,000 reported among high school students, and 9,200 among middle school students. By the week of February 7-13, cases had dropped to 1,650 for elementary school students, 810 for high school students, and 648 for middle school students.

The number of school outbreaks currently being investigated also declined to a total of 46, down from 56 that were under investigation last week. This includes eight new outbreaks (5 in elementary schools, one in middle school, and two in youth sports) between February 6-12.

The decision to require masks in schools, along with the other mitigation safety measures likely helped to successfully limit the number of school disruptions in LA County during the Omicron surge. Public Health is aware of only eight learning disruptions across LA County at the district level in 2022. Three school districts had selected school closures and the others had a delayed opening or non-instructional day. In each case, the school or district, not Public Health, made the decision to take this action based on staffing and safety concerns.

“I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost a loved one due to COVID-19,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Indoor masking requirements at schools, which remain in effect per the state order for at least another few weeks, continue to be an effective part of a comprehensive school safety program. As we have seen over the past few months, wearing a face mask or respirator in indoor public settings is associated with significantly lower chances of testing positive for COVID-19, and masking requirements in schools have been associated with lower numbers of outbreaks. As we think about ‘post-surge’ strategies, the focus remains on ensuring our schools have the tools and resources to offer safe learning environments for staff, teachers, and students. As always, we are grateful for the hard work of parents, students, administrators, staff, and teachers to diligently implement mitigation strategies that promote safety at schools.”

Today, Public Health confirmed 67 additional deaths and 3,312 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 67 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 30-49, six were between the ages of 50-64, 26 were between the ages of 65-79, and 25 were aged 80 years or older. Of the 67 newly reported deaths, 49 had underlying health conditions. Information on the five deaths reported by the City of Long Beach and four reported by the City of Pasadena is available at www.LongBeach.gov and www.CityofPasadena.net To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 30,146

Public Health has reported a total of 2,772,569 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 2.9%.

There are 1,713 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,316,500 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

To reduce spread and keep workplaces and schools open, residents and workers are asked to:

Adhere to masking requirements when indoors or at crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
Remain home when sick, isolate if they test positive and quarantine if they were in close contact with someone with COVID-19.

Residents are legally required to isolate themselves away from others if they test positive for COVID-19. Close contacts with symptoms and close contacts who are unvaccinated or not up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations need to follow quarantine requirements. For updated isolation and quarantine guidance, please visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are recommended for everyone 5 years old and older to help protect against COVID-19. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites and many community sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

To find a vaccination site near you, or to make an appointment, please visit:

www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

If you need assistance, you can also call 1-833-540-0473 for help:

Finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or Schedule a home visit if you are homebound.

For more information regarding COVID-19 in LA County you can also visit the Public Health website at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov here you will find information on COVID-19 sector protocols & best practices, COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboards, and COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive and, Recovery Dashboards.

Please see additional information below:

#####

Cases through 12:00pm 02/16/2022
	Total Cases	NEW
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	2,772,569	3312
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)*	2,621,781	3150
-- Long Beach	123,402	117
-- Pasadena	27,386	45
Deaths	30,146	67
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	28,562	58
-- Long Beach	1,188	5
-- Pasadena	396	4
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	80302
- 5 to 11	233090
- 12 to 17	227900
- 18 to 29	585165
- 30 to 49	836381
- 50 to 64	434006
- 65 to 79	167676
- over 80	54451
- Under Investigation	2810
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1332191
- Male	1214513
- Other	947
- Under Investigation	74130
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	4827
- Asian	158267
- Black	130896
- Hispanic/Latino	1201782
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	13612
- White	332978
- Other	287809
- Under Investigation	491610
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	131143	**DATA Under reported
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	67
- Asian	3592
- Black	2613
- Hispanic/Latino	14810
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	102
- White	7015
- Other	286
- Under Investigation	77
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	3764	18024
City of Alhambra	16259	18748
City of Arcadia	7691	13317
City of Artesia	3997	23799
City of Avalon	62	1602
City of Azusa	13459	26896
City of Baldwin Park	22457	29253
City of Bell	13499	37155
City of Bell Gardens	13887	32242
City of Bellflower	22776	29300
City of Beverly Hills	7968	23082
City of Bradbury	62	5800
City of Burbank	21627	20178
City of Calabasas	3776	15524
City of Carson	24791	26417
City of Cerritos	8101	16180
City of Claremont	5906	16188
City of Commerce*	4429	33889
City of Compton	32332	32363
City of Covina	14390	29348
City of Cudahy	9777	40157
City of Culver City	7113	17843
City of Diamond Bar	8831	15354
City of Downey	35164	30775
City of Duarte	5038	22883
City of El Monte	32193	27452
City of El Segundo	2683	15984
City of Gardena	15869	25883
City of Glendale	43404	21020
City of Glendora	11443	21687
City of Hawaiian Gardens	4048	27582
City of Hawthorne	22084	24873
City of Hermosa Beach	3166	16096
City of Hidden Hills	247	13069
City of Huntington Park	21587	36290
City of Industry	365	83524
City of Inglewood	28694	25263
City of Irwindale	532	36463
City of La Canada Flintridge	2763	13352
City of La Habra Heights	160	2933
City of La Mirada	10179	20523
City of La Puente	12416	30508
City of La Verne	6911	20765
City of Lakewood	18446	22954
City of Lancaster*	49732	30780
City of Lawndale	7911	23535
City of Lomita	4157	20054
City of Lynwood*	24018	33337
City of Malibu	2000	15431
City of Manhattan Beach	4732	13145
City of Maywood	10209	36397
City of Monrovia	8060	20773
City of Montebello	18859	29296
City of Monterey Park	11053	17752
City of Norwalk	32551	30246
City of Palmdale	52132	32794
City of Palos Verdes Estates	1441	10657
City of Paramount	18344	32744
City of Pico Rivera	20563	31988
City of Pomona	50289	32251
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	4679	10946
City of Redondo Beach	9591	13961
City of Rolling Hills	180	9278
City of Rolling Hills Estates	935	11525
City of Rosemead	10348	18696
City of San Dimas*	7829	22682
City of San Fernando	10273	41740
City of San Gabriel	7140	17434
City of San Marino	1345	10130
City of Santa Clarita	52945	24020
City of Santa Fe Springs	6199	33756
City of Santa Monica	16204	17528
City of Sierra Madre	1470	13377
City of Signal Hill	2775	23523
City of South El Monte	6426	30768
City of South Gate	37414	38117
City of South Pasadena	3838	14732
City of Temple City	6004	16470
City of Torrance	21983	14727
City of Vernon	303	144976
City of Walnut	4661	15266
City of West Covina	28633	26454
City of West Hollywood	7632	20654
City of Westlake Village	266	3182
City of Whittier	22845	26129
Los Angeles	1141032	28211
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	2512	30627
Los Angeles - Alsace	3451	27730
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	6	15000
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	608	24301
Los Angeles - Arleta	13461	39165
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	3426	23360
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	7233	23239
Los Angeles - Bel Air	1415	16787
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	2256	18012
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	2910	22091
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	32549	37463
Los Angeles - Brentwood	5251	16963
Los Angeles - Brookside	89	15318
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	1790	25137
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	19725	30212
Los Angeles - Carthay	2759	19209
Los Angeles - Central	14646	37562
Los Angeles - Century City	2222	17370
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	13246	39229
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	9097	24546
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	1555	16956
Los Angeles - Chinatown	1916	23887
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	3914	26895
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	3511	23170
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	3822	27638
Los Angeles - Crestview	2740	24103
Los Angeles - Del Rey	5770	19274
Los Angeles - Downtown*	11355	41280
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	8756	22117
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	7058	24099
Los Angeles - Echo Park	3200	22447
Los Angeles - El Sereno	12968	31018
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1325	23197
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	2625	25809
Los Angeles - Encino	9922	21965
Los Angeles - Exposition	942	28322
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	13881	30904
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	847	23528
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	2975	34113
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	19093	40242
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	7745	24506
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	3125	29032
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	15602	26812
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	8357	38861
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	3203	18798
Los Angeles - Harbor City	6812	23433
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	11876	27239
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	449	18638
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	4963	27519
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	14659	38642
Los Angeles - Highland Park	12524	25881
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	4157	29971
Los Angeles - Hollywood	15335	22468
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	4990	16953
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	8948	31351
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	2398	29704
Los Angeles - Koreatown	12390	23968
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1201	26343
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	11987	28401
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	4514	34371
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	4120	27043
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	9876	30297
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	2321	28922
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	6499	22930
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1034	33004
Los Angeles - Longwood	1283	29809
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	3582	16577
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	2342	27437
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	484	15493
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	6971	16414
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	618	14174
Los Angeles - Melrose	19295	24834
Los Angeles - Mid-city	3289	21883
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	3249	18065
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	9243	38315
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	6149	25467
Los Angeles - North Hills	19649	31911
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	45157	29822
Los Angeles - Northridge	18545	26570