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 31, 2022

Highly Infectious BA.2 Subvariant Increasing in LA County, Accounting for 32% of All Specimens Sequenced - 784 New Positive Cases and 16 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

Note: Starting this week, we will no longer report metrics on the weekends. When we report on Monday, we will separately present the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday metrics.

As the highly infectious BA.2 subvariant increases in LA County and other parts of the world, residents should continue to follow all safety protections, especially residents and workers at elevated risk of severe illness.

For the latest measurement period, the week ending March 12, 32% of all sequenced specimens in LA County were identified as the BA.2 subvariant, double the percentage identified for the week prior ending March 5.

Increases in LA County reflect patterns seen around the world, with the World Health Organization announcing last week that worldwide, BA.2 accounted for 86% of sequenced cases from the prior 4 weeks. And on Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that BA.2 is now the dominant variant in the U.S., accounting for approximately 55% of sequenced cases for the week ending March 26.

While there are not yet increases in cases or hospitalizations in LA County, given the increased risk for spread of BA.2, it’s important to take steps to maximize protection against spread, including increasing vaccination and booster rates for residents, as these gaps in vaccination coverage create significant risk.

As of March 27, 83% of LA County residents ages five and older had received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine and 75% were fully vaccinated. Additionally, 57% of eligible residents ages 12 and older received the additional protection of a booster. This leaves about 2.6 million booster-dose eligible residents not benefiting from the extra protection of a booster dose and 1.7 million eligible residents needing to get their first vaccination.

If residents cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons or because their body can’t mount an appropriate immune response to vaccines, they may still be able to be protected with COVID therapeutics. Residents should ask their provider if they’re eligible to receive Evusheld, a new therapeutic for people 12 years and older that can prevent COVID-19. There are also several therapeutics available that can reduce severe illness for people who have been infected with COVID-19. If residents test positive, they should check immediately with their provider whether they are eligible to receive one of these treatments. Residents who don’t have a doctor can call the COVID-19 information line at 833-540-0473, 8:00 am - 8:30 pm daily for more information. Note that the monoclonal antibody medicine Sotrovimab is no longer authorized for use in California due to studies showing less efficacy against BA.2.

Residents can also stock up on the over-the-counter COVID test kits that they can administer themselves at home. Up to two sets of four at home tests can be ordered at no charge from the federal government at www.covidtests.gov. Residents who have health insurance can receive eight free at home tests each month for each insured member in their household. Individuals can also get tested at one of the many free testing sites located throughout the County. Visit www.ph.lacounty.gov/covidtests for information and links to testing sites. Individuals should get tested if they feel sick, have an exposure, or are gathering with others at elevated risk.

Individuals should also continue to wear a mask indoors in public places, especially if they, or others they will be in contact with, are not fully vaccinated, elderly, immunocompromised, or have serious underlying health conditions. Masking is one of the easiest and most effective strategies for protecting ourselves and others from COVID-19.

“We continue to extend our deepest sympathies to everyone mourning the loss of a loved one from COVID,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “We’re about two months out from the peak of our winter surge and have seen significant declines in our cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. However, with case numbers no longer decreasing and increases in the circulation of the more infectious BA.2 subvariant in LA County, now is the time for us to use the tools at hand to decrease both personal and community risk: vaccination, testing, masking and therapeutics. In a similar way that we take steps to be prepared for fires and earthquakes, we now also need to take preparedness actions that allow us to be safe during a pandemic. And just like we don’t wait until there is a fire or an earthquake to make a plan, we don’t need to wait until we are experiencing another surge, to increase our protection. Get vaccinated and boosted, have a supply of test kits, talk to your provider about eligibility for new therapeutics, and wear a well-fitting, high filtration mask in places where the risk for transmission is elevated.”

Today, Public Health reported 16 additional deaths, and 784 new positive cases of COVID-19. Of the 16 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 30-49, four were between the ages of 65-79, and eight were aged 80 years or older. Of the16 newly reported deaths, 11 people had underlying health conditions. Information on the three deaths reported by the City of Pasadena is available at www.CityofPasadena.net. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 31,669.

Public Health has reported a total of 2,833,206 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Note that 127 additional cases have been added to the cumulative total of positive cases due to a backlog of cases from the surge. Today’s positivity rate is 1.1%.

There are 308 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,689,300 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

A wide range of data and dashboards on COVID-19 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are available on the Public Health website at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov including:

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

For more information:

Cases through 12:00pm 3/30/2022

Total Cases

Laboratory Confirmed Cases

2,833,206

-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)*

2,679,471

-- Long Beach

125,634

-- Pasadena

28,101

Deaths

31,669

-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)

29,996

-- Long Beach

1,261

-- Pasadena

412

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

- 0 to 4

82392

- 5 to 11

238542

- 12 to 17

233046

- 18 to 29

596535

- 30 to 49

854531

- 50 to 64

443791

- 65 to 79

172379

- over 80

56157

- Under Investigation

2098

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

- Female

1362505

- Male

1241914

- Other

1028

- Under Investigation

74024

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

- American Indian/Alaska Native

4917

- Asian

163954

- Black

134365

- Hispanic/Latino

1225584

- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

13589

- White

343820

- Other

297681

- Under Investigation

495561

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

- Hospitalized (Ever)

135,948

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

- American Indian/Alaska Native

73

- Asian

3748

- Black

2771

- Hispanic/Latino

15448

- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

111

- White

7440

- Other

310

- Under Investigation

95

CITY / COMMUNITY**

Cases

City of Agoura Hills

4156

City of Alhambra

16809

City of Arcadia

7981

City of Artesia

4149

City of Avalon

62

City of Azusa

13675

City of Baldwin Park

22816

City of Bell

13814

City of Bell Gardens

14117

City of Bellflower

23231

City of Beverly Hills

8266

City of Bradbury

65

City of Burbank

22137

City of Calabasas

3927

City of Carson

25384

City of Cerritos

8347

City of Claremont

6584

City of Commerce*

4507

City of Compton

33017

City of Covina

14617

City of Cudahy

9983

City of Culver City

7341

City of Diamond Bar

9104

City of Downey

35756

City of Duarte

5143

City of El Monte

32888

City of El Segundo

2758

City of Gardena

16152

City of Glendale

44144

City of Glendora

11717

City of Hawaiian Gardens

4161

City of Hawthorne

22454

City of Hermosa Beach

3278

City of Hidden Hills

259

City of Huntington Park

21958

City of Industry

397

City of Inglewood

29220

City of Irwindale

534

City of La Canada Flintridge

2846

City of La Habra Heights

162

City of La Mirada

10388

City of La Puente

12641

City of La Verne

7033

City of Lakewood

18859

City of Lancaster*

50666

City of Lawndale

8048

City of Lomita

4260

City of Lynwood*

24714

City of Malibu

2082

City of Manhattan Beach

4909

City of Maywood

10532

City of Monrovia

8209

City of Montebello

19142

City of Monterey Park

11441

City of Norwalk

33098

City of Palmdale

52795

City of Palos Verdes Estates

1496

City of Paramount

18876

City of Pico Rivera

20899

City of Pomona

51810

City of Rancho Palos Verdes

4837

City of Redondo Beach

9907

City of Rolling Hills

187

City of Rolling Hills Estates

982

City of Rosemead

10738

City of San Dimas*

8019

City of San Fernando

10400

City of San Gabriel

7544

City of San Marino

1409

City of Santa Clarita

53713

City of Santa Fe Springs

6335

City of Santa Monica

16914

City of Sierra Madre

1517

City of Signal Hill

2826

City of South El Monte

6553

City of South Gate

38264

City of South Pasadena

3965

City of Temple City

6160

City of Torrance

22641

City of Vernon

308

City of Walnut

4844

City of West Covina

29121

City of West Hollywood

7917

City of Westlake Village

273

City of Whittier

23610

Los Angeles

1166399

Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie

2599

Los Angeles - Alsace

3527

Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest

6

Los Angeles - Angelino Heights

624

Los Angeles - Arleta

13589

Los Angeles - Atwater Village

3511

Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills

7421

Los Angeles - Bel Air

1463

Los Angeles - Beverly Crest

2327

Los Angeles - Beverlywood

2999

Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*

33177

Los Angeles - Brentwood

5472

Los Angeles - Brookside

94

Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning

1821

Los Angeles - Canoga Park

20013

Los Angeles - Carthay

2876

Los Angeles - Central

14825

Los Angeles - Century City

2312

Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove

13450

Los Angeles - Chatsworth

9245

Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills

1610

Los Angeles - Chinatown

1965

Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran

4022

Los Angeles - Country Club Park

3629

Los Angeles - Crenshaw District

3951

Los Angeles - Crestview

2840

Los Angeles - Del Rey

5923

Los Angeles - Downtown*

11685

Los Angeles - Eagle Rock

9018

Los Angeles - East Hollywood

7278

Los Angeles - Echo Park

3309

Los Angeles - El Sereno

13210

Los Angeles - Elysian Park

1356

Los Angeles - Elysian Valley

2705

Los Angeles - Encino

10222

Los Angeles - Exposition

970

Los Angeles - Exposition Park

14294

Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights

884

Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square

3015

Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone

19411

Los Angeles - Glassell Park

7960

Los Angeles - Gramercy Place

3174

Los Angeles - Granada Hills

15899

Los Angeles - Green Meadows

8506

Los Angeles - Hancock Park

3325

Los Angeles - Harbor City

6946

Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway

12095

Los Angeles - Harbor Pines

453

Los Angeles - Harvard Heights

5134

Los Angeles - Harvard Park

14917

Los Angeles - Highland Park

12862

Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown

4248

Los Angeles - Hollywood

15869

Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills

5164

Los Angeles - Hyde Park

9178

Los Angeles - Jefferson Park

2475

Los Angeles - Koreatown

12892

Los Angeles - Lafayette Square

1231

Los Angeles - Lake Balboa

12153

Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace

4575

Los Angeles - Leimert Park

4217

Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights

10035

Los Angeles - Little Armenia

2414

Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh

6795

Los Angeles - Little Tokyo

1078

Los Angeles - Longwood

1315

Los Angeles - Los Feliz

3738

Los Angeles - Manchester Square

2375

Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon

503

Los Angeles - Mar Vista

7196

Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula

645

Los Angeles - Melrose

19933

Los Angeles - Mid-city

3387

Los Angeles - Miracle Mile

3372

Los Angeles - Mission Hills

9364

Los Angeles - Mt. Washington

6320

Los Angeles - North Hills

19905

Los Angeles - North Hollywood

45891

Los Angeles - Northridge

18942

Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades

3258

Los Angeles - Pacoima

31964

Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands

603

Los Angeles - Palms

7836

Los Angeles - Panorama City

26953

Los Angeles - Park La Brea

2220

Los Angeles - Pico-Union

13814

Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey

404

Los Angeles - Playa Vista

2212

Los Angeles - Porter Ranch

7126

Los Angeles - Rancho Park

1392

Los Angeles - Regent Square

633

Los Angeles - Reseda

24506

Los Angeles - Reseda Ranch

1401

Los Angeles - Reynier Village

854

Los Angeles - San Pedro*

19442

Los Angeles - Shadow Hills

969

Los Angeles - Sherman Oaks

18559

Los Angeles - Silverlake

9452

Los Angeles - South Carthay

2266

Los Angeles - South Park

14807

Los Angeles - St Elmo Village

1526

Los Angeles - Studio City

4541

Los Angeles - Sun Valley

18697

Los Angeles - Sunland

5059

Los Angeles - Sycamore Square

111

Los Angeles - Sylmar*

33377

Los Angeles - Tarzana

7612

Los Angeles - Temple-Beaudry

10931

Los Angeles - Thai Town

2181

Los Angeles - Toluca Lake

1666

Los Angeles - Toluca Terrace

360

Los Angeles - Toluca Woods

318

Los Angeles - Tujunga

6687

Los Angeles - University Hills

706

Los Angeles - University Park

8977

Los Angeles - Valley Glen

8704

Los Angeles - Valley Village

5898

Los Angeles - Van Nuys*

30342

Los Angeles - Venice

6456

Los Angeles - Vermont Knolls

6151

Los Angeles - Vermont Square

3107

Los Angeles - Vermont Vista

15492

Los Angeles - Vernon Central

21718

Los Angeles - Victoria Park

2288

Los Angeles - View Heights

742

Los Angeles - Watts

16213

Los Angeles - Wellington Square

1403

Los Angeles - West Adams

8673

Los Angeles - West Hills

8662

Los Angeles - West Los Angeles

7422

Los Angeles - West Vernon

20309

Los Angeles - Westchester

8649

Los Angeles - Westlake

17059

Los Angeles - Westwood

9595

Los Angeles - Wholesale District*

16436

Los Angeles - Wilmington

19293

Los Angeles - Wilshire Center

12919

Los Angeles - Winnetka

15226

Los Angeles - Woodland Hills

14400

Unincorporated - Acton

1513

Unincorporated - Agua Dulce

779

Unincorporated - Altadena

8324

Unincorporated - Anaverde

324

Unincorporated - Angeles National Forest

72

Unincorporated - Arcadia

1437

Unincorporated - Athens-Westmont

14198

Unincorporated - Athens Village

2268

Unincorporated - Avocado Heights

2202

Unincorporated - Azusa

4950

Unincorporated - Bassett

4775

Unincorporated - Bouquet Canyon

149

Unincorporated - Bradbury

70

Unincorporated - Canyon Country

2586

Unincorporated - Castaic*

7098

Unincorporated - Cerritos

136

Unincorporated - Charter Oak

2

Unincorporated - Claremont

99

Unincorporated - Covina

4768

Unincorporated - Covina (Charter Oak)

3581

Unincorporated - Del Aire

872

Unincorporated - Del Rey

89

Unincorporated - Del Sur

536

Unincorporated - Desert View Highlands

752

Unincorporated - Duarte

1512

Unincorporated - East Covina

76

Unincorporated - East La Mirada

1203

Unincorporated - East Lancaster

37

Unincorporated - East Los Angeles

47850

Unincorporated - East Pasadena

324

Unincorporated - East Rancho Dominguez

5093

Unincorporated - East Whittier

1064

Unincorporated - El Camino Village

1857

Unincorporated - El Monte

51

Unincorporated - Elizabeth Lake

204

Unincorporated - Florence-Firestone

26188

Unincorporated - Franklin Canyon

1

Unincorporated - Glendora

167

Unincorporated - Hacienda Heights

11667

Unincorporated - Harbor Gateway

4

Unincorporated - Hawthorne

600

Unincorporated - Hi Vista

131

Unincorporated - Kagel/Lopez Canyons

519

Unincorporated - La Crescenta-Montrose

2854

Unincorporated - La Habra Heights

17

Unincorporated - La Rambla

582

Unincorporated - La Verne*

496

Unincorporated - Ladera Heights

1254

Unincorporated - Lake Hughes

147

Unincorporated - Lake Los Angeles

3437

Unincorporated - Lake Manor

339

Unincorporated - Lakewood

1

Unincorporated - Lennox

6403

Unincorporated - Leona Valley

259

Unincorporated - Littlerock

1186

Unincorporated - Littlerock/Juniper Hills

277

Unincorporated - Littlerock/Pearblossom

1039

Unincorporated - Llano

101

Unincorporated - Marina del Rey

1645

Unincorporated - Miracle Mile

0

Unincorporated - Monrovia

861

Unincorporated - Newhall

87

Unincorporated - North Lancaster

339

Unincorporated - North Whittier

2365

Unincorporated - Northeast San Gabriel

4015

Unincorporated - Padua Hills

26

Unincorporated - Palmdale

213

Unincorporated - Palos Verdes Peninsula

66

Unincorporated - Pearblossom/Llano

319

Unincorporated - Pellissier Village

296

Unincorporated - Placerita Canyon

15

Unincorporated - Pomona

139

Unincorporated - Quartz Hill

3094

Unincorporated - Rancho Dominguez

923

Unincorporated - Roosevelt

217

Unincorporated - Rosewood

394

Unincorporated - Rosewood/East Gardena

407

Unincorporated - Rosewood/West Rancho Dominguez

1074

Unincorporated - Rowland Heights

8711

Unincorporated - San Clemente Island

0

Unincorporated - San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon

34

Unincorporated - San Jose Hills

6390

Unincorporated - San Pasqual

64

Unincorporated - Sand Canyon

48

Unincorporated - Santa Catalina Island

613

Unincorporated - Santa Monica Mountains*

2755

Unincorporated - Saugus

310

Unincorporated - Saugus/Canyon Country

89

Unincorporated - South Antelope Valley

88

Unincorporated - South El Monte

624

Unincorporated - South San Gabriel

2015

Unincorporated - South Whittier

17133

Unincorporated - Southeast Antelope Valley

185

Unincorporated - Stevenson Ranch

4013

Unincorporated - Sun Village

1802

Unincorporated - Sunrise Village

422

Unincorporated - Twin Lakes/Oat Mountain

304

Unincorporated - Val Verde

831

Unincorporated - Valencia

671

Unincorporated - Valinda

7442

Unincorporated - View Park/Windsor Hills

2431

Unincorporated - Walnut Park

6069

Unincorporated - West Antelope Valley

134

Unincorporated - West Carson

5489

Unincorporated - West Chatsworth

4

Unincorporated - West LA

550

Unincorporated - West Puente Valley

3215

Unincorporated - West Rancho Dominguez

385

Unincorporated - West Whittier/Los Nietos

8204

Unincorporated - Westfield/Academy Hills

163

Unincorporated - Westhills

127

Unincorporated - White Fence Farms

723

Unincorporated - Whittier

731

Unincorporated - Whittier Narrows

64

Unincorporated - Willowbrook

13710

Unincorporated - Wiseburn

1408

- Under Investigation

68001



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