Highly Infectious Omicron Variants Fueling Recent Increases in COVID-19 Cases - 12,966 New Positive Cases and 17 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County Since Saturday

Increases in new Omicron variants continue to fuel high transmission in LA County, with cases and hospitalizations currently much higher than they were at this time last year, showing just how infectious the current Omicron variants and sub-lineages are.

For specimens collected for the week ending May 21, 98% of specimens continue to be BA.2 and its sublineages. However, the proportion of the BA.2 Omicron variant itself, excluding its sublineages, appears to be plateauing, and continues to account for about half of the specimens sequenced in the County. The BA.2.3 Omicron sublineage has decreased, accounting for only about 3% of specimens in the most recent week. In contrast, BA.2.12.1 sublineage accounted for 42% of positive sequenced specimens, a small increase from the previous week. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that BA.2.12.1 will account for 62% of specimens collected the week ending June 4.

The BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants continue to remain rare in LA County, but a few cases are being detected every week. To date we have detected a total of 49 positive, sequenced specimens of these two subvariants - 27 of BA.4 and 22 of BA.5. The CDC estimated that, across the country, these two variants combined may have increased from about 1% to 13% of specimens collected in the past month. This suggests they may have the ability to outcompete other circulating variants. There is also concern that they may be able to cause re-infections in people who have already been infected by other Omicron subvariants.

The average number of daily new cases reported over the last seven days increased to 4,847 from one month ago when the average number of cases reported was 2,793 - an increase of 74%. The current high case numbers are also in stark contrast to the average number of cases last year, nearly 25 times higher in fact, as there were only 190 average daily new cases in the middle of June 2021.

The current seven-day average test positivity rate, at almost 5%, continues to be higher than it was a month ago when the seven-day average test positivity rate was 2.7%.

The highly infectious variants and sub-lineages fueling the recent higher case numbers have translated to more than double the number of people severely ill and needing to be hospitalized than a month ago.

Over the last seven days, the average number of COVID-positive patients per day in LA County hospitals was 580, an increase of 124% from one month ago when the average number of COVID-positive patients per day was 259.

Deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, while still low, are beginning to slightly increase at an average of seven deaths reported per day this past week. One month ago, on May 13, there was an average of four deaths reported for the previous seven days.

“As always, we extend our deepest sympathies and prayers for healing to everyone mourning the loss of a loved one from COVID,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “The highly infectious Omicron variants are providing uncertainty about the trajectory of this recent surge in cases. At this time last year, we benefitted from a much lower rate of transmission associated with a more stable virus. The concern with the rapidity of emerging highly infectious variants is that for each new variant, we need to reassess how much the new strain evades vaccine protection, causes severe illness, and avoids detection with current tests. And to be dominant, the new strains are likely to be even more infectious than the previous strains. Until we have a more precise understanding of how the new viral strains interact with us and our community, we need to remain vigilant and cautious. This includes layering protections to keep those most vulnerable as safe as possible, including wearing masks indoors, getting tested before gathering or attending events, and staying home if you are sick.”

Today, Public Health reported 17 additional deaths and 6,385 new positive cases for Saturday, 3,583 new cases for Sunday, and 2,998 new cases for Monday. The lower number of cases and deaths are likely to reflect reporting delays over the weekend. Of the 17 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 30-49, two people were between the ages of 50-64, five people were between the ages of 65-79, and eight people were aged 80 years or older. For information on the one death reported by the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov. Of the 17 newly reported deaths, 14 had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 32,218.

Public Health has reported a total of 3,038,588 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 4.8%.

There are 593 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,088,466 individuals, with 23% 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:

COVID-19 Daily Data (cases, deaths, testing, testing positivity rate, mortality rate, and hospitalizations)
Gender, Age, Race/Ethnicity and City/Community Cases and Deaths
Recovery Metrics
Contact Tracing Metrics
Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics
Citations due to Health Officer Order Noncompliance
Outbreaks:

Residential Congregate Settings
Non-Residential Settings
Homeless Service Settings

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

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health:
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/
California Department of Public Health:
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/nCOV2019.aspx
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Spanish https://espanol.cdc.gov/enes/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
LA County residents can also call 2-1-1

	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	3,038,588
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	2,876,079
-- Long Beach	131,612
-- Pasadena	30,897
Deaths	32,218
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	30,522
-- Long Beach	1,281
-- Pasadena	415
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	88174
- 5 to 11	255652
- 12 to 17	250680
- 18 to 29	638713
- 30 to 49	918717
- 50 to 64	475474
- 65 to 79	186444
- over 80	60112
- Under Investigation	2113
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1467209
- Male	1329202
- Other	1298
- Under Investigation	78370
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	5292
- Asian	189744
- Black	144679
- Hispanic/Latino	1283020
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	14609
- White	385020
- Other	319821
- Under Investigation	533894
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)***	140,229
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	73
- Asian	3822
- Black	2832
- Hispanic/Latino	15645
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	112
- White	7647
- Other	302
- Under Investigation	89
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	4876	23349
City of Alhambra	18715	21580
City of Arcadia	9233	15987
City of Artesia	4472	26627
City of Avalon	64	1654
City of Azusa	14384	28745
City of Baldwin Park	23859	31079
City of Bell	14428	39712
City of Bell Gardens	14540	33758
City of Bellflower	24475	31485
City of Beverly Hills	9317	26990
City of Bradbury	67	6268
City of Burbank	24940	23269
City of Calabasas	4530	18624
City of Carson	27592	29401
City of Cerritos	9451	18877
City of Claremont	7691	21080
City of Commerce*	4685	35848
City of Compton	34130	34163
City of Covina	15435	31479
City of Cudahy	10368	42584
City of Culver City	8571	21500
City of Diamond Bar	10157	17660
City of Downey	37718	33010
City of Duarte	5553	25223
City of El Monte	34352	29293
City of El Segundo	3245	19332
City of Gardena	17477	28506
City of Glendale	47724	23112
City of Glendora	12582	23846
City of Hawaiian Gardens	4315	29402
City of Hawthorne	23869	26883
City of Hermosa Beach	3785	19243
City of Hidden Hills	309	16349
City of Huntington Park	22768	38276
City of Industry	423	96796
City of Inglewood	30977	27273
City of Irwindale	557	38177
City of La Canada Flintridge	3409	16474
City of La Habra Heights	170	3116
City of La Mirada	11164	22509
City of La Puente	13201	32437
City of La Verne	7515	22580
City of Lakewood	20586	25617
City of Lancaster*	52841	32705
City of Lawndale	8587	25546
City of Lomita	4712	22731
City of Lynwood*	25595	35525
City of Malibu	2387	18417
City of Manhattan Beach	5821	16170
City of Maywood	10908	38889
City of Monrovia	8894	22923
City of Montebello	20152	31304
City of Monterey Park	12782	20529
City of Norwalk	34560	32112
City of Palmdale	54995	34595
City of Palos Verdes Estates	1734	12824
City of Paramount	19512	34829
City of Pico Rivera	22000	34223
City of Pomona	53893	34562
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	5656	13231
City of Redondo Beach	11693	17021
City of Rolling Hills	214	11031
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1126	13879
City of Rosemead	11650	21048
City of San Dimas*	8652	25067
City of San Fernando	10909	44324
City of San Gabriel	8317	20308
City of San Marino	1732	13045
City of Santa Clarita	58292	26445
City of Santa Fe Springs	6640	36158
City of Santa Monica	20170	21818
City of Sierra Madre	1715	15607
City of Signal Hill	3100	26278
City of South El Monte	6779	32459
City of South Gate	39915	40665
City of South Pasadena	4660	17887
City of Temple City	7003	19210
City of Torrance	25667	17195
City of Vernon	320	153110
City of Walnut	5444	17830
City of West Covina	31262	28883
City of West Hollywood	9026	24427
City of Westlake Village	314	3756
City of Whittier	25105	28714
Los Angeles	1258963	31127
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	2725	33224
Los Angeles - Alsace	3774	30325
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	6	15000
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	685	27378
Los Angeles - Arleta	14253	41469
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	3919	26722
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	8085	25976
Los Angeles - Bel Air	1803	21390
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	2711	21645
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	3396	25780
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	34502	39710
Los Angeles - Brentwood	6655	21499
Los Angeles - Brookside	117	20138
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	1991	27960
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	21293	32613
Los Angeles - Carthay	3334	23212
Los Angeles - Central	15284	39198
Los Angeles - Century City	2793	21834
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	13900	41166
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	10237	27622
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	1978	21568
Los Angeles - Chinatown	2168	27029
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	4331	29760
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	3947	26048
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	4285	30986
Los Angeles - Crestview	3146	27674
Los Angeles - Del Rey	6719	22445
Los Angeles - Downtown*	12950	47079
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	10455	26409
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	7819	26698
Los Angeles - Echo Park	3686	25856
Los Angeles - El Sereno	14084	33687
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1484	25980
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	2952	29024
Los Angeles - Encino	11719	25943
Los Angeles - Exposition	1045	31419
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	15242	33934
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	987	27417
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3154	36166
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	20068	42297
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	8771	27753
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	3363	31243
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	17382	29871
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	8827	41046
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	3808	22349
Los Angeles - Harbor City	7549	25968
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	12919	29631
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	488	20257
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	5388	29875
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	15508	40880
Los Angeles - Highland Park	13987	28904
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	4533	32682
Los Angeles - Hollywood	17620	25815
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	6024	20466
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	9736	34112
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	2667	33036
Los Angeles - Koreatown	13762	26623
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1343	29458
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	13156	31171
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	4831	36785
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	4608	30246
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	10695	32810
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	2556	31850
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	7313	25802
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1172	37408
Los Angeles - Longwood	1427	33155
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	4468	20678
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	2564	30037
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	625	20006
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	8427	19842
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	774	17752
Los Angeles - Melrose	21761	28008
Los Angeles - Mid-city	3779	25143
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	3898	21674
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	9905	41059
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	6834	28304
Los Angeles - North Hills	21097	34262
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	49216	32503
Los Angeles - Northridge	20693	29647
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	4002	18797
Los Angeles - Pacoima	33279	43231
Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands	754	19605
Los Angeles - Palms	9205	20979
Los Angeles - Panorama City	28250	37542
Los Angeles - Park La Brea	2531	18638
Los Angeles - Pico-Union	14315	34212
Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey	471	14737
Los Angeles - Playa Vista	2674	24427
Los Angeles - Porter Ranch	8232	23131
Los Angeles - Rancho Park	1715	26143
Los Angeles - Regent Square	711	25576
Los Angeles - Reseda	26121	34093
Los Angeles - Reseda Ranch	1495	32248
Los Angeles - Reynier Village	964	22800
Los Angeles - San Pedro*	21220	27192
Los Angeles - Shadow Hills	1049	23615
Los Angeles - Sherman Oaks	21426	24556
Los Angeles - Silverlake	10792	24481
#####