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 10, 2023

During Back-to-School Season, Testing, Hygiene, Reporting Exposures Recommended to Limit COVID-19 Transmission

While the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) reports small increases in COVID-19 indicators over the past four weeks indicating increased transmission, overall metrics remain at a low level of concern and spread can be limited in schools, health care facilities and elsewhere with simple precautions.

Even when rates of COVID-19 are low, the back-to-school season can bring greater risk of COVID-19 spread. Last August and September, TK-12 schools reported more than 1,100 COVID-19 clusters, groups of potentially connected cases, over an eight-week period. To help reduce transmission among students and staff, Public Health is working with schools to distribute COVID-19 tests and updated information about COVID-19 safety precautions. Public Health encourages staff and students, especially those with recent exposures, travel or any symptoms, to take an at-home antigen test the night before or the morning they return to school.

Families can help reduce transmission risk by making sure they talk to their children about common safety protections, like washing hands frequently, covering coughs, and following isolation and close contact guidance if children are infected or exposed. Parents should make sure their children are up to date on their vaccines and talk with their child’s health care provider about getting vaccinated for both COVID-19 and flu this fall.

If a student tests positive for COVID-19 and was at school two days prior to a positive test or the start of COVID symptoms, parents should immediately inform school officials. Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 must stay home and isolate regardless of symptoms and vaccination status. While those infected with COVID are required to isolate for a minimum of five days, it is not necessary to stay home away from others after an exposure to COVID unless you have symptoms and/or test positive after an exposure. Individuals who have been exposed should test as soon as possible after an exposure and again three to five days after exposure. Masking for 10 days after an exposure when indoors around others remains a best practice. Those who develop symptoms and test negative should repeat the test after 48 hours and remain away from others while symptomatic. Children who are sick should not attend school.

Since masking offers additional protections in settings where transmission is possible, those who are older, immunocompromised or with serious health conditions may want to use a well-fitting respirator mask when indoors, especially in areas that are crowded and/or poorly ventilated. No one can be prohibited from wearing a mask in any setting, and schools and businesses are allowed to require masking of both their employees and visitors/customers. However, with relatively lower rates of transmission and effective tools to reduce illness severity associated with COVID, masks are no longer required by a health officer order in most settings in Los Angeles County. Worksites need to comply with Cal/OSHA masking requirements for workers who have been exposed and during outbreaks.

As of August 11, 2023, the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order requiring employees in health care facilities to mask when providing care or when in patient care areas will be rescinded. Health care workers are strongly recommended to mask, in particular while providing care to vulnerable patients, including those who are older or immunocompromised, and to stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines. Individual health care facilities may maintain a masking policy.

This week, the World Health Organization named EG.5 as a variant of interest. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Nowcast modeling projects that for the week ending Aug. 5, EG.5 accounted for the largest proportion of COVID infections in the United States and was the second most dominant strain in the U.S. region that includes the state of California.

In Los Angeles County, Public Health tracks measured, rather than modelled, data which lags 3-4 weeks due to the time it takes for specimens to be sequenced. For the week ending July 8, EG.5 accounted for 7 percent of cases. COVID-19 strain XBB.1.5 accounted for 25 percent of sequenced specimens and XBB.2.3 accounted for 15 percent of sequenced specimens. XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.9.2 each accounted for 13 percent of sequenced cases.

COVID-19 strains currently circulating are descendants of Omicron XBB and it is expected that current protections will remain effective to prevent severe illness or death.

For residents who are concerned that they or a loved one have been exposed to COVID-19 or are seeking resources for increased protection, many options remain available in Los Angeles County. The Public Health Call Center is open seven days a week, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The free service will connect callers with a person who can answer their questions, coordinate free telehealth care to receive COVID-19 treatment and help make a vaccination appointment, including for people who are homebound. The number is 1-833-540-0473.

Los Angeles County is in the Low Hospital Admission Level with 3.4 weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people, reported on August 7 for the seven-day period ending July 29. The CDC has replaced COVID-19 Community Levels with Hospital Admission Levels, which can help individuals and communities decide which prevention actions they can take based on the most recent information.

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.

Public Health now reports case and death counts by episode date and date of death, a change from previously reported weekly counts that represented the number of cases and deaths newly confirmed as COVID-associated for the particular week.

Metric

Date of Weekly Report

8/9/2023

8/2/2023

7/26/2023

7/19/2023

Daily average cases

333

264

206

202

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

19%

12%

16%

10%

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

3.5%

3.2%

2.7%

2.5%

Daily average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations

293

245

228

221

Daily average deaths

1.7

0.7

2.6

2.3

Percent of all deaths due to COVID-19

1.2%

1.0%

1.0%

0.5%

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:

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/2019https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.htmlncov/index.html

• CDC 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 8/7/2023

Total Cases

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

3,769,010

Deaths (includes LB and Pas)

36,613

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

- 0 to 4

113,064

- 5 to 11

283,595

- 12 to 17

278,295

- 18 to 29

761,928

- 30 to 49

1,141,165

- 50 to 64

619,724

- 65 to 79

268,549

- over 80

95,128

- Under Investigation

2,569

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

- Female

1,840,267

- Male

1,632,710

- Other

1,857

- Under Investigation

89,183

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

- American Indian/Alaska Native

6,755

- Asian

266,053

- Black

188,041

- Hispanic/Latino

1,520,691

- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

17,839

- White

496,024

- Other

410,180

- Under Investigation

658,434

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

- Hospitalized (Ever)

181,974

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

- American Indian/Alaska Native

79

- Asian

4,543

- Black

3,260

- Hispanic/Latino

16,940

- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

116

- White

9,265

- Other

429

- Under Investigation

92

CITY / COMMUNITY**

Cases

Case Rate

City of Agoura Hills

6401

30652

City of Alhambra

25688

29620

City of Arcadia

13839

23962

City of Artesia

6045

35993

City of Avalon

290

7495

City of Azusa

17595

35162

City of Baldwin Park

29852

38885

City of Bell

17081

47014

City of Bell Gardens

17257

40066

City of Bellflower

31006

39887

City of Beverly Hills

11670

33806

City of Bradbury

71

6642

City of Burbank

33116

30898

City of Calabasas

5901

24261

City of Carson

35231

37541

City of Cerritos

13509

26982

City of Claremont

10489

28750

City of Commerce*

5895

45107

City of Compton

40534

40573

City of Covina

20399

41603

City of Cudahy

12257

50343

City of Culver City

12083

30310

City of Diamond Bar

13793

23982

City of Downey

47105

41225

City of Duarte

7548

34284

City of El Monte

42990

36659

City of El Segundo

4130

24604

City of Gardena

22065

35989

City of Glendale

60746

29418

City of Glendora

15146

28705

City of Hawaiian Gardens

5029

34267

City of Hawthorne

29858

33629

City of Hermosa Beach

4776

24281

City of Hidden Hills

390

20635

City of Huntington Park

26457

44478

City of Industry

1021

233638

City of Inglewood

39000

34336

City of Irwindale

890

61001

City of La Canada Flintridge

4603

22244

City of La Habra Heights

215

3941

City of La Mirada

14353

28938

City of La Puente

16059

39460

City of La Verne

9312

27979

City of Lakewood

27295

33965

City of Lancaster*

64587

39975

City of Lawndale

10678

31767

City of Lomita

6166

29746

City of Lynwood*

31512

43738

City of Malibu

2912

22467

City of Manhattan Beach

7511

20864

City of Maywood

12890

45955

City of Monrovia

11956

30814

City of Montebello

25652

39848

City of Monterey Park

17626

28309

City of Norwalk

43357

40286

City of Palmdale

67210

42279

City of Palos Verdes Estates

2305

17046

City of Paramount

22890

40858

City of Pico Rivera

28296

44017

City of Pomona

65979

42313

City of Rancho Palos Verdes

7893

18464

City of Redondo Beach

15774

22962

City of Rolling Hills

303

15619

City of Rolling Hills Estates

1556

19179

City of Rosemead

15360

27751

City of San Dimas*

11185

32405

City of San Fernando

12843

52182

City of San Gabriel

11539

28176

City of San Marino

2444

18408

City of Santa Clarita

74154

33642

City of Santa Fe Springs

7942

43248

City of Santa Monica

26795

28984

City of Sierra Madre

2450

22295

City of Signal Hill

4125

34967

City of South El Monte

8481

40608

City of South Gate

47390

48281

City of South Pasadena

6381

24492

City of Temple City

10830

29708

City of Torrance

34763

23289

City of Vernon

358

171292

City of Walnut

7635

25007

City of West Covina

39830

36800

City of West Hollywood

11385

30811

City of Westlake Village

456

5455

City of Whittier

31539

36073

Los Angeles

1538705

38043

Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie

3226

39332

Los Angeles - Alsace

4563

36665

Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest

0

0

Los Angeles - Angelino Heights

851

34013

Los Angeles - Arleta

17000

49462

Los Angeles - Atwater Village

5123

34931

Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills

10338

33214

Los Angeles - Bel Air

2481

29434

Los Angeles - Beverly Crest

3376

26954

Los Angeles - Beverlywood

4244

32217

Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*

40679

46820

Los Angeles - Brentwood

8510

27492

Los Angeles - Brookside

158

27194

Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning

2314

32495

Los Angeles - Canoga Park

25512

39075

Los Angeles - Carthay

4457

31031

Los Angeles - Central

17102

43860

Los Angeles - Century City

3796

29675

Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove

16395

48555

Los Angeles - Chatsworth

13068

35261

Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills

2584

28176

Los Angeles - Chinatown

2964

36953

Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran

5368

36886

Los Angeles - Country Club Park

4936

32574

Los Angeles - Crenshaw District

5387

38954

Los Angeles - Crestview

4003

35213

Los Angeles - Del Rey

8526

28481

Los Angeles - Downtown*

16313

59305

Los Angeles - Eagle Rock

13941

35214

Los Angeles - East Hollywood

9621

32851

Los Angeles - Echo Park

4538

31832

Los Angeles - El Sereno

17031

40736

Los Angeles - Elysian Park

1855

32475

Los Angeles - Elysian Valley

3595

35346

Los Angeles - Encino

15400

34092

Los Angeles - Exposition

1287

38695

Los Angeles - Exposition Park

18364

40884

Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights

1278

35500

Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square

3823

43837

Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone

22977

48429

Los Angeles - Glassell Park

11084

35072

Los Angeles - Gramercy Place

4217

39177

Los Angeles - Granada Hills

21735

37351

Los Angeles - Green Meadows

10147

47184

Los Angeles - Hancock Park

4786

28089

Los Angeles - Harbor City

9503

32690

Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway

15817

36278

Los Angeles - Harbor Pines

654

27148

Los Angeles - Harvard Heights

6190

34322

Los Angeles - Harvard Park

18152

47850

Los Angeles - Highland Park

17362

35879

Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown

5544

39971

Los Angeles - Hollywood

21865

32035

Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills

7755

26347

Los Angeles - Hyde Park

12049

42216

Los Angeles - Jefferson Park

3170

39267

Los Angeles - Koreatown

16326

31583

Los Angeles - Lafayette Square

1607

35249

Los Angeles - Lake Balboa

16440

38952

Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace

6177

47034

Los Angeles - Leimert Park

5850

38398

Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights

12895



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