Los Angeles County Residents Returning to School, Work After Winter Break Urged to Test for COVID-19, Mask for At Least 10 Days - 2,101 New Positive Cases and 24 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

As schools prepare to reopen after winter break and more people go back to work, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) strongly recommends that returning students and workers test for COVID-19 and wear a mask for at least 10 days to prevent a spike in transmission.

Public Health officials are asking for the community’s help in reducing the chances of another post-holiday surge and limiting the spread of new COVID-19 strains that could gain dominance in Los Angeles County. An increase in infection rates would disproportionately affect people over 50 and people with preexisting medical conditions or who are immunocompromised. All three groups are at higher risk for serious illness and death from COVID-19.

Los Angeles County currently remains in the Medium Community Level, based on its case and hospitalization rates. As people return to school and work after the winter holiday, they may unintentionally expose others to the disease, increasing outbreaks. It can take up to 10 days for a person who has COVID-19 to test positive or display symptoms of infection.

To limit the post-holiday spread of infection, county residents should test before going back to school or work and upon returning, wear a well-fitting, high-filtration mask indoors for at least 10 days, in addition to continuing to mask in indoor public spaces.

Wearing a mask during the 10-day incubation period for COVID-19 can slow transmission of the virus, minimize disruptions to work and learning, protect the people who are most vulnerable, and help make sure hospitals do not become overwhelmed.

In the past, as new COVID-19 strains have gained dominance, as XBB.1.5 is doing in many parts of the United States, there has been a spike in transmission, resulting in increased hospitalizations and deaths, especially among older people.

Older Los Angeles County residents remain the most vulnerable for hospitalization and deaths compared to other age groups. People age 50 and older accounted for the highest rates of cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Los Angeles County for the 30-day period that ended Dec. 28. The rates increase with age. Residents who are 80-years-old and older, for example, are three times more likely to be hospitalized and five times more likely to die from COVID-19. Residents ages 65-79 were three times more likely to be hospitalized and six times likely to die than residents ages 50-64. Further, people ages 50-64 were more than five times likely to die than people ages 30-49 (See chart below).

*30-Day Cumulative Crude Rates per 100,000*¹
*Age Group*	Case Rate	Hospitalization Rate	Death Rate
0 to 4	424.80	18.83	0^{^}
5 to 11	232.35	2.70	0^{^}
12 to 17	301.09	4.31	0.14^{^}
18 to 29	623.51	16.79	0.06^{^}
30 to 49	785.63	26.12	0.44^{^}
50 to 64	838.98	44.38	2.26
65 to 79	1013.11	137.11	13.96
80+	1349.00	389.58	64.63
1 Case rates are for the 30-day period ending January 1, 2023. Hospitalization and death rates are for the 30-day period ending December 28, 2022.
^ Rate is considered unstable if the relative standard error 23 percent or more of the rate estimate or if the frequency was less than 20.

In Los Angeles County, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 continue to be the dominant COVID-19 strains. However, XBB.1.5 is increasing in the United States, responsible for about 40% of cases nationally and an estimated 9% of COVID cases in California, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Given the rise of XBB.1.5 in other parts of the country, we expect we may start to see increases in XBB.1.5 in LA County as well

To keep safe and safeguard others, Los Angeles County residents should stay up to date on all vaccines, wash their hands, wear a mask indoors and in very crowded outdoor spaces, stay home when sick and seek treatment as soon as they have symptoms.

For information on how to access vaccinations and treatment in Los Angeles County:

Vaccinations: Primary series vaccinations, updated bivalent boosters, and flu vaccines are readily available at Public Health sites, pharmacies, and other locations across the county. Seniors and residents who can’t easily leave their home may arrange for at-home vaccinations or transportation to a vaccination center by calling Public Health telehealth services at (833) 540-0473, seven days a week, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Residents also may visit VaccinateLACounty.com to find nearby vaccination sites, request a mobile vaccination team for a worksite or community event, or an in-home visit if someone is homebound.

Treatment: If a person tests positive for COVID-19 and has symptoms, such as fever, coughing, sneezing, unusual fatigue or muscle aches, oral antiviral medications are available by prescription. Medicines, such as Paxlovid, should be taken within five days of symptom onset to reduce the risk of hospitalization. To get a prescription, contact a health care provider or access telehealth services by calling (833) 540-0473, seven days a week, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Insurance is not required, and callers may be assisted in multiple languages, regardless of immigration status.

Test-to-treat sites, where tests and prescriptions for medications are located at one site, are also available in Los Angeles County. To find a site, or for more information, visit ph.lacounty.gov/covidmedicines.

“I offer my condolences to those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19. I know the pain is felt deeply and I hope you find peace,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “With XBB.1.5 rising across the country, I want to be aware that very soon we could see the new strain become more dominant here in LA County. I hope everyone will take action to help minimize the impact, especially knowing it will be felt most by those vulnerable to severe illness. Every day I see examples of how people in LA County care for others and this is one more way to do so. We have learned a lot over the past few years and it is important that we all put the knowledge to use to help protect our community.”

LA County continues to report a significant number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

The 7-day average case count in the county is 2,111, a nearly 11% decrease from one week ago when the 7-day average of 2,359 cases was reported.

And over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVID-positive patients in LA County hospitals is 1247, nearly the same as last week when the average number of COVID-positive patients per day was 1207.

The county is currently reporting an average of 20 deaths per day, about a 20% increase from the average of 16 deaths reported per day a week ago.

Today, Public Health reported 24 additional deaths and 2,101 new positive cases.

To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 34,807. There are 1,212 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized.

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)

· COVID-19 Locations & Demographics (data by demographic characteristics and geography, active outbreaks, and citations)

· COVID-19 Response Plan

· COVID-19 Vaccinations

· Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics

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

Cases through 12:00pm 1/5/2022
	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	3,646,917
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	3,448,737
-- Long Beach	159,382
-- Pasadena	38,798
Deaths	34,807
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	33,013
-- Long Beach	1,356
-- Pasadena	438
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	108,678
- 5 to 11	279,632
- 12 to 17	274,413
- 18 to 29	744,258
- 30 to 49	1,108,495
- 50 to 64	595,101
- 65 to 79	250,229
- over 80	85,498
- Under Investigation	2,433
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1,776,481
- Male	1,582,519
- Other	1,712
- Under Investigation	88,025
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	6,556
- Asian	254,565
- Black	179,714
- Hispanic/Latino	1,480,903
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	17,404
- White	475,142
- Other	394,044
- Under Investigation	640,409
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	167,456
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	77
- Asian	4,248
- Black	3,101
- Hispanic/Latino	16,418
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	114
- White	8,595
- Other	375
- Under Investigation	85
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	6206	29718
City of Alhambra	24658	28433
City of Arcadia	13050	22596
City of Artesia	5770	34355
City of Avalon	286	7392
City of Azusa	17146	34265
City of Baldwin Park	28939	37696
City of Bell	16692	45943
City of Bell Gardens	16825	39063
City of Bellflower	29964	38546
City of Beverly Hills	11213	32483
City of Bradbury	69	6455
City of Burbank	31819	29687
City of Calabasas	5676	23336
City of Carson	33952	36178
City of Cerritos	12845	25656
City of Claremont	9838	26965
City of Commerce*	5725	43806
City of Compton	39369	39407
City of Covina	19682	40141
City of Cudahy	12030	49411
City of Culver City	11370	28521
City of Diamond Bar	13171	22900
City of Downey	45563	39876
City of Duarte	7252	32940
City of El Monte	41704	35563
City of El Segundo	3951	23537
City of Gardena	21294	34732
City of Glendale	58560	28359
City of Glendora	14618	27704
City of Hawaiian Gardens	4901	33395
City of Hawthorne	28756	32388
City of Hermosa Beach	4602	23396
City of Hidden Hills	377	19947
City of Huntington Park	25891	43526
City of Industry	979	224027
City of Inglewood	37646	33144
City of Irwindale	866	59356
City of La Canada Flintridge	4405	21287
City of La Habra Heights	207	3795
City of La Mirada	13761	27745
City of La Puente	15687	38546
City of La Verne	9044	27174
City of Lakewood	26175	32571
City of Lancaster*	62771	38851
City of Lawndale	10336	30749
City of Lomita	5878	28356
City of Lynwood*	30511	42349
City of Malibu	2793	21549
City of Manhattan Beach	7213	20037
City of Maywood	12604	44936
City of Monrovia	11542	29747
City of Montebello	24785	38501
City of Monterey Park	16966	27249
City of Norwalk	41795	38835
City of Palmdale	65620	41279
City of Palos Verdes Estates	2183	16144
City of Paramount	22211	39646
City of Pico Rivera	27263	42410
City of Pomona	63866	40958
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	7375	17253
City of Redondo Beach	15062	21925
City of Rolling Hills	279	14381
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1451	17885
City of Rosemead	14860	26847
City of San Dimas*	10824	31359
City of San Fernando	12542	50959
City of San Gabriel	11049	26979
City of San Marino	2334	17579
City of Santa Clarita	71598	32482
City of Santa Fe Springs	7692	41886
City of Santa Monica	25623	27717
City of Sierra Madre	2307	20994
City of Signal Hill	3968	33636
City of South El Monte	8237	39440
City of South Gate	46310	47180
City of South Pasadena	6093	23387
City of Temple City	10386	28490
City of Torrance	33022	22123
City of Vernon	355	169856
City of Walnut	7315	23958
City of West Covina	38484	35556
City of West Hollywood	10979	29712
City of Westlake Village	434	5191
City of Whittier	30413	34785
Los Angeles	1491619	36879
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	3133	38198
Los Angeles - Alsace	4389	35267
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	0	0
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	820	32774
Los Angeles - Arleta	16576	48228
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	4939	33677
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	9938	31929
Los Angeles - Bel Air	2378	28212
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	3253	25972
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	4114	31231
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	39779	45784
Los Angeles - Brentwood	8172	26400
Los Angeles - Brookside	149	25645
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	2256	31681
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	24751	37910
Los Angeles - Carthay	4220	29381
Los Angeles - Central	16829	43160
Los Angeles - Century City	3626	28346
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	16010	47415
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	12593	33979
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	2472	26955
Los Angeles - Chinatown	2819	35145
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	5182	35608
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	4799	31670
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	5209	37667
Los Angeles - Crestview	3862	33973
Los Angeles - Del Rey	8182	27332
Los Angeles - Downtown*	15772	57338
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	13375	33785
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	9327	31847
Los Angeles - Echo Park	4393	30815
Los Angeles - El Sereno	16615	39741
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1804	31583
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	3496	34372
Los Angeles - Encino	14819	32806
Los Angeles - Exposition	1238	37222
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	17902	39856
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	1232	34222
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3709	42530
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	22528	47482
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	10743	33993
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	4032	37458
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	21035	36148
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	9892	45999
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	4618	27103
Los Angeles - Harbor City	9179	31576
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	15376	35266
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	628	26069
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	6062	33612
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	17664	46564
Los Angeles - Highland Park	16813	34744
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	5399	38926
Los Angeles - Hollywood	21118	30940
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	7455	25328
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	11661	40857
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	3086	38226
Los Angeles - Koreatown	15933	30822
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1557	34152
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	15914	37706
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	6039	45983
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	5624	36915
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	12555	38516
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	2986	37209
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	8523	30071
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1433	45739
Los Angeles - Longwood	1743	40497
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	6205	28716
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	3134	36715
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	877	28073
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	10599	24956
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	933	21399
Los Angeles - Melrose	25686	33060
Los Angeles - Mid-city	4381	29148
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	4794	26656
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	11674	48392
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	8064	33398
Los Angeles - North Hills	24808	40289
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	57959	38277
Los Angeles - Northridge	25011	35834
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	4884	22939
Los Angeles - Pacoima	38226	49658
Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands	908	23609
Los Angeles - Palms	11673	26604
Los Angeles - Panorama City	32949	43786
Los Angeles - Park La Brea	3165	23306
Los Angeles - Pico-Union	16042	38339
Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey	581	18179
Los Angeles - Playa Vista	3338	30492
Los Angeles - Porter Ranch	10286	28903
Los Angeles - Rancho Park	2184	33293
Los Angeles - Regent Square	862	31007
Los Angeles - Reseda	31315	40872
Los Angeles - Reseda Ranch	1766	38093
Los Angeles - Reynier Village	1146	27105
Los Angeles - San Pedro*	25560	32753
Los Angeles - Shadow Hills	1276	28726
Los Angeles - Sherman Oaks	26936	30871
Los Angeles - Silverlake	12946	29367
Los Angeles - South Carthay	3183	30042
Los Angeles - South Park	16670	43913
Los Angeles - St Elmo Village	1841	40161
Los Angeles - Studio City	6862	30579
Los Angeles - Sun Valley	22806	43454
Los Angeles - Sunland	6729	32972
Los Angeles - Sycamore Square	208	32148
Los Angeles - Sylmar*	41400	50244
Los Angeles - Tarzana	10280	33294
Los Angeles - Temple-Beaudry	13305	33699
Los Angeles - Thai Town	2750	28035
Los Angeles - Toluca Lake	2495	28665
Los Angeles - Toluca Terrace	516	39510
Los Angeles - Toluca Woods	463	24919
Los Angeles - Tujunga	8812	31686
Los Angeles - University Hills	912	26597
Los Angeles - University Park	11428	41623
Los Angeles - Valley Glen	10993	36624
Los Angeles - Valley Village	8357	33807
Los Angeles - Van Nuys*	37023	39727
Los Angeles - Venice	8978	26495
Los Angeles - Vermont Knolls	7360	42791
Los Angeles - Vermont Square	3695	48256
Los Angeles - Vermont Vista	18381	44629
Los Angeles - Vernon Central	24445	47011
Los Angeles - Victoria Park	2780	33099
Los Angeles - View Heights	1087	29426
Los Angeles - Watts	19316	45264
Los Angeles - Wellington Square	1805	36724
Los Angeles - West Adams	10684	38668
Los Angeles - West Hills	12633	31158
Los Angeles - West Los Angeles	11250	29892
Los Angeles - West Vernon	24343	45379
Los Angeles - Westchester	13393	25954
Los Angeles - Westlake	20441	34439
Los Angeles - Westwood	16050	29662
Los Angeles - Wholesale District*	21186	58640
Los Angeles - Wilmington	23242	41146
Los Angeles - Wilshire Center	16831	33548
Los Angeles - Winnetka	19522	37697
Los Angeles - Woodland Hills	20049	29460
Unincorporated - Acton	1969	24702
Unincorporated - Agua Dulce	971	23353
Unincorporated - Altadena	11296	25896
Unincorporated - Anaverde	415	27520
Unincorporated - Angeles National Forest	89	7149
Unincorporated - Arcadia	2177	27277
Unincorporated - Athens-Westmont	17196	40516
Unincorporated - Athens Village	2762	56402
Unincorporated - Avocado Heights	2688	39675
Unincorporated - Azusa	6256	39289
Unincorporated - Bassett	6080	41034
Unincorporated - Bouquet Canyon	198	18453
Unincorporated - Bradbury	124	114815
Unincorporated - Canyon Country	3667	47451
Unincorporated - Castaic*	9430	34681
Unincorporated - Cerritos	181	30835
Unincorporated - Charter Oak	10	50000
Unincorporated - Claremont	157	22365
Unincorporated - Covina	6114	36352
Unincorporated - Covina (Charter Oak)	4966	37781
Unincorporated - Del Aire	1190	27089
Unincorporated - Del Rey	143	44969
Unincorporated - Del Sur	689	28530
Unincorporated - Desert View Highlands	942	37786
Unincorporated - Duarte	1968	44444
Unincorporated - East Covina	88	26748
Unincorporated - East La Mirada	1612	30461
Unincorporated - East Lancaster	43	37719
Unincorporated - East Los Angeles	57553	45944
Unincorporated - East Pasadena	425	6638
Unincorporated - East Rancho Dominguez	6209	40560
Unincorporated - East Whittier	1396	26310
Unincorporated - El Camino Village	2668	30349
Unincorporated - El Monte	0	0
Unincorporated - Elizabeth Lake	282	16978
Unincorporated - Florence-Firestone	29958	46299
Unincorporated - Franklin Canyon	1	8333
Unincorporated - Glendora	195	29545
Unincorporated - Hacienda Heights	16171	28915
Unincorporated - Harbor Gateway	4	400000
Unincorporated - Hawthorne	746	29674
Unincorporated - Hi Vista	168	15301
Unincorporated - Kagel/Lopez Canyons	313	22167
Unincorporated - La Crescenta-Montrose	4346	21948
Unincorporated - La Habra Heights	19	2811
Unincorporated - La Rambla	866	41735
Unincorporated - La Verne*	646	31667
Unincorporated - Ladera Heights	2002	28313
Unincorporated - Lake Hughes	200	29940
Unincorporated - Lake Los Angeles	4018	30922
Unincorporated - Lake Manor	452	27511
Unincorporated - Lakewood	26	22807
Unincorporated - Lennox	7507	33302
Unincorporated - Leona Valley	304	17362
Unincorporated - Littlerock	1396	34718
Unincorporated - Littlerock/Juniper Hills	356	27448
Unincorporated - Littlerock/Pearblossom	1312	36761
Unincorporated - Llano	105	11973
Unincorporated - Marina del Rey	2635	27999
Unincorporated - Miracle Mile	0	0
Unincorporated - Monrovia	1097	28266
Unincorporated - Newhall	105	47727
Unincorporated - North Lancaster	507	42321
Unincorporated - North Whittier	3087	36926
Unincorporated - Northeast San Gabriel	5176	21534
Unincorporated - Padua Hills	36	16744
Unincorporated - Palmdale	264	31354
Unincorporated - Palos Verdes Peninsula	122	19646
Unincorporated - Pearblossom/Llano	425	21728
Unincorporated - Pellissier Village	365	58966
Unincorporated - Placerita Canyon	24	5217
Unincorporated - Pomona	119	6140
Unincorporated - Quartz Hill	3857	29885
Unincorporated - Rancho Dominguez	1180	44344
Unincorporated - Roosevelt	276	29646
Unincorporated - Rosewood	503	39114
Unincorporated - Rosewood/East Gardena	524	43923
Unincorporated - Rosewood/West Rancho Dominguez	1314	39096
Unincorporated - Rowland Heights	12126	23766
Unincorporated - San Clemente Island	0	0
Unincorporated - San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon	44	5128
Unincorporated - San Jose Hills	7809	38618
Unincorporated - San Pasqual	89	4373
Unincorporated - Sand Canyon	59	19156
Unincorporated - Santa Catalina Island	579	216854
Unincorporated - Santa Monica Mountains*	3820	20514
Unincorporated - Saugus	336	216774
Unincorporated - Saugus/Canyon Country	124	34831
Unincorporated - South Antelope Valley	119	26154
Unincorporated - South El Monte	745	41504
Unincorporated - South San Gabriel	3102	35059
Unincorporated - South Whittier	21184	35770
Unincorporated - Southeast Antelope Valley	247	31626
Unincorporated - Stevenson Ranch	5822	27769
Unincorporated - Sun Village	2117	35073
Unincorporated - Sunrise Village	575	44367
Unincorporated - Twin Lakes/Oat Mountain	426	25694
Unincorporated - Val Verde	1199	36235
Unincorporated - Valencia	920	29948
Unincorporated - Valinda	9452	40443
Unincorporated - View Park/Windsor Hills	3477	29884
Unincorporated - Walnut Park	7321	45351
Unincorporated - West Antelope Valley	185	12244
Unincorporated - West Carson	8010	36267
Unincorporated - West Chatsworth	5	41667
Unincorporated - West LA	825	86660
Unincorporated - West Puente Valley	4172	42420
Unincorporated - West Rancho Dominguez	490	36056
Unincorporated - West Whittier/Los Nietos	10560	39220
Unincorporated - Westfield/Academy Hills	245	18846
Unincorporated - Westhills	193	23004
Unincorporated - White Fence Farms	913	24790
Unincorporated - Whittier	962	25423
Unincorporated - Whittier Narrows	76	633333
Unincorporated - Willowbrook	16394	46957
Unincorporated - Wiseburn	1841	30546
- Under Investigation	69230
* --Case and death numbers include cases identified among persons detained at correctional facilities located in the city/community
** --These numbers are subject to change based on further investigation.

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