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) 288-8144  |  media@ph.lacounty.gov

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For Immediate Release:

August 03, 2023

With Small Increase in COVID-19 Hospitalizations, Sensible Protections Can Reduce Spread of Infection, Severe Illness

As COVID-19 hospitalizations and emergency department visits increase slightly in Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) continues to ensure that residents have easy access to sensible protections, such as testing and treatment, to help reduce the spread of infection and prevent people from becoming very sick from COVID-19.

With reported COVID-19 hospitalizations rising slightly in Los Angeles County, Public Health officials remind residents to reduce risk from a COVID-19 infection by testing if exposed or experiencing symptoms such as fever or chills, coughing, runny nose, fatigue and body aches, and staying home and seeking treatment as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms.

Testing can reduce the spread of COVID-19 to others, especially people who are vulnerable to severe illness from the virus. Free at-home tests are widely available through community partners and at libraries and public health clinics throughout Los Angeles County. Public Health distributed 305,946 antigen test kits for the week ending July 30, 2023, bringing the total number of test kits distributed in Los Angeles County in June and July 2023 to more than 2 million. To find out how and where to get free test kits, visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/covidtests.

For people who have tested positive, treatment is easy to access in Los Angeles County. Public Health offers free telehealth services that include delivering medicine directly to the person who needs it. Beginning treatment within five days of the start of symptoms can prevent serious illness and reduce the amount of time a person may test positive for COVID-19. Early evidence also suggests that treatment may lower the risk of developing long COVID. For free telehealth services and other COVID-19 resources, contact the Public Health Call Center at 1-833-540-0473. It’s open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

With fall approaching, Los Angeles County residents also should begin talking with their health care provider about updating protection against COVID-19, flu and, if 60 years or older or a very young child, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are expected to issue vaccination guidance for the anticipated fall COVID-19 vaccine in the upcoming weeks. Once approved, Public Health will work with community partners to make sure that residents have easy access to the updated COVID-19 vaccine and other recommended vaccines to protect against severe illness during fall and winter.

With the lifting of the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) vaccine requirements for health care workers on Aug. 5, 2023, Los Angeles County will rescind the current Health Officer Order, COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Healthcare Workers. The COVID-19 vaccine will no longer be required for workers in health care settings; however, health care workers are encouraged to be fully up to date on COVID-19 vaccines. When workers in health care settings are up to date on their vaccines, there is both a reduced risk to patients and among health care workers themselves, as vaccines provide strong protection against severe illness that harms patients and staff.

Public Health will wait until the FDA and CDC issue vaccination guidance for the anticipated fall vaccine before updating appropriate vaccination safety protections for health care workers.

Health care workers should continue to wear a well-fitting mask when providing care to or working in-person with patients, clients and residents and when in patient care areas in health care and direct care settings in accordance with Health Officer Order, Required Masking of Workers in Healthcare and Direct Care Settings.

Public Health continues to monitor COVID-19 in Los Angeles County. If there are significant changes in level of transmission, hospitalizations or Early Alert Metrics, Public Health will review and revise current policies.

Los Angeles County remains in the CDC Low Hospital Admission Level with 3.0 weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people, reported on July 31 for the seven-day period ending July 22. Hospital Admission Levels replaced COVID-19 Community Levels.

Public Health reports COVID-19 data weekly. The following table shows case, wastewater, emergency department, hospitalization, and death data in Los Angeles County over the past four weeks.

Metric

Date of Weekly Report

8/2/2023

7/26/2023

7/19/2023

7/12/2023

Daily average cases

264

206

202

152

SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration as a percentage of the Winter 2022-2023 peak concentration value

12%

16%

10%

8%

Daily average of the percent of Emergency Department (ED) encounters classified as coronavirus-related

3.2%

2.7%

2.5%

2.4%

Daily average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations

245

228

221

213

Daily average deaths

0.7

2.6

2.3

3.4

Percent of all deaths due to COVID-19

1.4%

1.2%

0.5%

1.2%

All daily averages are 7-day averages. Data for past weeks are subject to change in future reports. Time periods covered by each metric: cases = week ending each Saturday; wastewater = week ending each Saturday, with a one-week lag; ED data = week ending each Sunday; hospitalizations = week ending each Saturday; deaths = week ending each Monday, with a three-week lag; death percentage = week ending Monday, with a one-week lag.

Case data is presented by episode date, an approximation of the date the illness began, and death data is presented by date of death. This is a change from how case and death data were presented prior to July 26, 2023, which was by date of report. Daily average cases and deaths do not include Long Beach and Pasadena.

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/COVIDdata including:

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



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Cases through 12:00pm 7/31/2023

Total Cases

Laboratory Confirmed Cases (includes LB and Pas through 6/27/23; excludes LB and Pas after 6/27/23)

3,765,692

Deaths (includes LB and Pas)

36,585

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

- 0 to 4

112,849

- 5 to 11

283,515

- 12 to 17

278,231

- 18 to 29

761,495

- 30 to 49

1,140,201

- 50 to 64

619,038

- 65 to 79

267,983

- over 80

94,820

- Under Investigation

2,567

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

- Female

1,838,403

- Male

1,631,274

- Other

1,856

- Under Investigation

89,166

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

- American Indian/Alaska Native

6,747

- Asian

265,740

- Black

187,718

- Hispanic/Latino

1,519,594

- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

17,817

- White

495,367

- Other

409,746

- Under Investigation

657,970

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

- Hospitalized (Ever)

181,516

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

- American Indian/Alaska Native

79

- Asian

4,538

- Black

3,259

- Hispanic/Latino

16,937

- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

116

- White

9,261

- Other

428

- Under Investigation

91

CITY / COMMUNITY**

Cases

Case Rate

City of Agoura Hills

6388

30589

City of Alhambra

25655

29582

City of Arcadia

13826

23939

City of Artesia

6041

35969

City of Avalon

290

7495

City of Azusa

17585

35142

City of Baldwin Park

29833

38861

City of Bell

17077

47003

City of Bell Gardens

17252

40055

City of Bellflower

30976

39848

City of Beverly Hills

11658

33772

City of Bradbury

71

6642

City of Burbank

33073

30857

City of Calabasas

5890

24216

City of Carson

35182

37489

City of Cerritos

13483

26930

City of Claremont

10481

28728

City of Commerce*

5893

45091

City of Compton

40493

40532

City of Covina

20388

41581

City of Cudahy

12253

50327

City of Culver City

12066

30267

City of Diamond Bar

13781

23961

City of Downey

47070

41194

City of Duarte

7542

34257

City of El Monte

42955

36629

City of El Segundo

4125

24574

City of Gardena

22034

35939

City of Glendale

60687

29389

City of Glendora

15128

28671

City of Hawaiian Gardens

5028

34260

City of Hawthorne

29827

33594

City of Hermosa Beach

4767

24235

City of Hidden Hills

389

20582

City of Huntington Park

26439

44447

City of Industry

1020

233410

City of Inglewood

38961

34302

City of Irwindale

890

61001

City of La Canada Flintridge

4593

22196

City of La Habra Heights

215

3941

City of La Mirada

14334

28900

City of La Puente

16053

39445

City of La Verne

9302

27949

City of Lakewood

27256

33917

City of Lancaster*

64526

39937

City of Lawndale

10662

31719

City of Lomita

6154

29688

City of Lynwood*

31487

43703

City of Malibu

2910

22452

City of Manhattan Beach

7505

20848

City of Maywood

12883

45930

City of Monrovia

11934

30758

City of Montebello

25641

39831

City of Monterey Park

17617

28295

City of Norwalk

43325

40257

City of Palmdale

67161

42248

City of Palos Verdes Estates

2302

17024

City of Paramount

22871

40824

City of Pico Rivera

28274

43983

City of Pomona

65926

42279

City of Rancho Palos Verdes

7868

18406

City of Redondo Beach

15751

22928

City of Rolling Hills

302

15567

City of Rolling Hills Estates

1554

19154

City of Rosemead

15346

27725

City of San Dimas*

11172

32368

City of San Fernando

12836

52153

City of San Gabriel

11529

28151

City of San Marino

2442

18393

City of Santa Clarita

74043

33591

City of Santa Fe Springs

7938

43226

City of Santa Monica

26755

28941

City of Sierra Madre

2444

22240

City of Signal Hill

4123

34950

City of South El Monte

8479

40599

City of South Gate

47373

48263

City of South Pasadena

6372

24458

City of Temple City

10825

29694

City of Torrance

34704

23249

City of Vernon

358

171292

City of Walnut

7626

24977

City of West Covina

39809

36780

City of West Hollywood

11377

30789

City of Westlake Village

456

5455

City of Whittier

31524

36055

Los Angeles

1537332

38009

Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie

3225

39320

Los Angeles - Alsace

4556

36609

Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest

0

0

Los Angeles - Angelino Heights

851

34013

Los Angeles - Arleta

16990

49433

Los Angeles - Atwater Village

5121

34917

Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills

10322

33163

Los Angeles - Bel Air

2477

29387

Los Angeles - Beverly Crest

3370

26906

Los Angeles - Beverlywood

4241

32195

Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*

40654

46791

Los Angeles - Brentwood

8498

27453

Los Angeles - Brookside

158

27194

Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning

2313

32481

Los Angeles - Canoga Park

25484

39033

Los Angeles - Carthay

4454

31010

Los Angeles - Central

17095

43842

Los Angeles - Century City

3791

29636

Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove

16380

48510

Los Angeles - Chatsworth

13056

35228

Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills

2582

28154

Los Angeles - Chinatown

2963

36941

Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran

5364

36858

Los Angeles - Country Club Park

4933

32555

Los Angeles - Crenshaw District

5381

38911

Los Angeles - Crestview

3998

35169

Los Angeles - Del Rey

8514

28441

Los Angeles - Downtown*

16298

59250

Los Angeles - Eagle Rock

13927

35179

Los Angeles - East Hollywood

9617

32837

Los Angeles - Echo Park

4532

31790

Los Angeles - El Sereno

17019

40708

Los Angeles - Elysian Park

1851

32405

Los Angeles - Elysian Valley

3594

35336

Los Angeles - Encino

15386

34061

Los Angeles - Exposition

1286

38665

Los Angeles - Exposition Park

18354

40862

Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights

1275

35417

Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square

3820

43802

Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone

22964

48401