As COVID-19 Indicators Start to Decline, Public Health Recommends Older Residents Continue to Protect Themselves

Indicators for COVID-19 have started to decline from peak levels a few weeks ago, but still remain elevated, underscoring the need for continued precautions particularly for older residents.

Wastewater concentrations for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are at 64 percent of last year’s winter peak for the week ending Jan. 20, compared to 67 percent for one week earlier. Hospitalizations have also started to decline, with an average of 654 COVID-positive patients in the hospital the week ending Jan. 27, down from 726 a week earlier. Deaths have plateaued with an average of 5.0 deaths per day for the week ending Jan. 8, comparable to the 4.9 deaths per day reported the previous week. Influenza and RSV activity has declined compared to the peak, but both viruses continue to circulate at elevated levels.

Los Angeles County’s COVID-19 Hospital Admission Level, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has remained in the Low Level. Today, the CDC reported 6.7 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people for the week ending Jan. 27. As a result, Public Health is modifying the Health Officer Order that currently requires healthcare personnel and visitors to wear a mask while in contact with patients or working in patient-care areas in licensed healthcare facilities that provide inpatient care. Effective today, masking is no longer mandated for all staff and visitors at these facilities. Healthcare personnel in licensed healthcare facilities who have not received both the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines must continue to wear a mask while in contact with patients or working in patient-care areas for the duration of the respiratory virus season, which ends April 30^th for the purposes of this the Health Officer Order. Public Health continues to strongly recommend that all visitors to and staff working in licensed healthcare facilities wear a mask while in contact with patients or working in patient care areas.

Although major indicators suggest transmission is slowing, it remains important for all residents, and especially older residents, to continue practicing common sense precautions to protect themselves from COVID-19. These include staying home when sick, testing, seeking treatment and getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Older adults are more likely to get very sick, be hospitalized and die from COVID-19 than younger people. For the 90-day period ending Jan. 8, COVID-19 hospitalization rates were four times higher, and death rates were five times higher, among Los Angeles County residents ages 65-79 compared to those ages 50-64. Despite this increased risk, only about 1 in 4 Los Angeles County residents 65 and older have received the newly updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to protect against the severe effects of COVID-19. At least one dose of the vaccine that became available in September 2023 is recommended for everyone six months and older, even if they had earlier versions of the vaccine, had COVID-19 in the past or are in good health and don’t get sick often.

Because the COVID-19 virus changes over time, it’s important to get the updated dose that was formulated to offer better protection against new strains of the virus currently circulating in Los Angeles County. The new vaccine can also restore immunity that may have diminished over time and lessen the risk of getting long COVID and other post-COVID conditions. Unlike other respiratory diseases, COVID-19 circulates year-round, and we often see increases during the summer. Getting vaccinated now can help protect against viral spread that can happen even after respiratory virus season is over.

The updated COVID-19 vaccine remains free and easy to obtain in Los Angeles County. Residents can visit ph.lacounty.gov/vaccines or Myturn.ca.gov to find a vaccine site near them. Vaccines are also available through Public Health Centers across the County and at Public Health POD sites. A full list of vaccine sites can be found a ph.lacounty.gov/vaccines by clicking the links under the ‘Get Vaccinated’ section of the site.

Residents who are home-bound or have difficulty leaving their home safely can request an in-home vaccination by calling the Public Health InfoLine at 1-833-540-0473 or by completing an online request form at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/vaccine/vaxathome/. The Public Health InfoLine is free and available to Los Angeles County residents, regardless of their insurance or immigration status, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents can also contact their healthcare provider to schedule a vaccine appointment.

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.

Weekly COVID-19 Data Table
Metric	Date of Weekly Report
Metric	1/31/2024			1/24/2024	1/17/2024	1/10/2024
Daily average cases	376	422	462	483
SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration as a percentage of the Winter 2022-2023 peak concentration value³	64%	67%	66%	60%
Daily average of the percent of Emergency Department (ED) encounters classified as coronavirus-related	3.5%	4.1%	4.2%	4.5%
Daily average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations	654	726	770	825
Daily average deaths	5.0	4.9	5.6	3.7
Percent of all deaths due to COVID-19	3.6%	3.6%	3.2%	3.3%
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 do not include Long Beach and Pasadena; daily average deaths 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/COVIDdataincluding:

· COVID -19 Response Plan

· COVID -19 Vaccinations

· Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics

· Resp Watch: Viral Respiratory Surveillance for LA County

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

https://espanol.cdc.gov/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 01/29/2024
Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases (includes LB and Pas through 6/27/23; excludes LB and Pas after 6/27/23)	3,866,254
Deaths (includes LB and Pas)	37,311
Cases by Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	118,661
- 5 to 11	286,036
- 12 to 17	280,917
- 18 to 29	773,471
- 30 to 49	1,165,494
- 50 to 64	640,019
- 65 to 79	287,542
- over 80	106,475
- Under Investigation	2,646
Cases by Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1,895,163
- Male	1,674,180
- Other	1,962
- Under Investigation	89,956
Cases by Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	6,955
- Asian	274,926
- Black	196,186
- Hispanic/Latino	1,550,518
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	18,250
- White	515,320
- Other	424,851
- Under Investigation	674,255
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	195,586
Deaths by Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	83
- Asian	4,660
- Black	3,308
- Hispanic/Latino	17,109
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	116
- White	9,510
- Other	513
- Under Investigation	102
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	6610	31653
City of Alhambra	26570	30637
City of Arcadia	14418	24965
City of Artesia	6272	37344
City of Avalon	301	7780
City of Azusa	18016	36003
City of Baldwin Park	30522	39758
City of Bell	17327	47691
City of Bell Gardens	17486	40598
City of Bellflower	31691	40768
City of Beverly Hills	12102	35058
City of Bradbury	71	6642
City of Burbank	34193	31902
City of Calabasas	6196	25474
City of Carson	36379	38765
City of Cerritos	14025	28012
City of Claremont	10767	29512
City of Commerce*	5985	45795
City of Compton	41455	41495
City of Covina	20950	42727
City of Cudahy	12423	51025
City of Culver City	12540	31456
City of Diamond Bar	14209	24705
City of Downey	48056	42057
City of Duarte	7782	35347
City of El Monte	43986	37509
City of El Segundo	4275	25468
City of Gardena	22872	37305
City of Glendale	62623	30327
City of Glendora	15719	29791
City of Hawaiian Gardens	5162	35173
City of Hawthorne	30740	34622
City of Hermosa Beach	4943	25130
City of Hidden Hills	401	21217
City of Huntington Park	26806	45064
City of Industry	1069	244622
City of Inglewood	40231	35420
City of Irwindale	911	62440
City of La Canada Flintridge	4798	23187
City of La Habra Heights	216	3960
City of La Mirada	14781	29801
City of La Puente	16385	40261
City of La Verne	9557	28715
City of Lakewood	28120	34992
City of Lancaster*	66475	41143
City of Lawndale	10975	32650
City of Lomita	6417	30957
City of Lynwood*	32079	44525
City of Malibu	3017	23278
City of Manhattan Beach	7799	21664
City of Maywood	13136	46832
City of Monrovia	12352	31835
City of Montebello	26192	40687
City of Monterey Park	18248	29308
City of Norwalk	44222	41090
City of Palmdale	68955	43377
City of Palos Verdes Estates	2404	17778
City of Paramount	23316	41619
City of Pico Rivera	28802	44804
City of Pomona	67452	43258
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	8367	19573
City of Redondo Beach	16452	23949
City of Rolling Hills	318	16392
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1670	20584
City of Rosemead	15779	28508
City of San Dimas*	11463	33211
City of San Fernando	13143	53401
City of San Gabriel	12101	29548
City of San Marino	2556	19251
City of Santa Clarita	77287	35063
City of Santa Fe Springs	8079	43994
City of Santa Monica	28117	30415
City of Sierra Madre	2574	23423
City of Signal Hill	4262	36128
City of South El Monte	8622	41283
City of South Gate	48175	49081
City of South Pasadena	6600	25333
City of Temple City	11147	30577
City of Torrance	36324	24335
City of Vernon	362	173206
City of Walnut	7838	25671
City of West Covina	40852	37744
City of West Hollywood	11717	31710
City of Westlake Village	461	5514
City of Whittier	32162	36785
Los Angeles	1578894	39037
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	3287	40076
Los Angeles - Alsace	4675	37565
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	1	2500
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	862	34452
Los Angeles - Arleta	17392	50602
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	5253	35818
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	10751	34541
Los Angeles - Bel Air	2582	30632
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	3477	27760
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	4371	33182
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	41351	47593
Los Angeles - Brentwood	8831	28529
Los Angeles - Brookside	159	27367
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	2368	33254
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	26163	40073
Los Angeles - Carthay	4587	31936
Los Angeles - Central	17304	44378
Los Angeles - Century City	3958	30941
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	16744	49588
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	13533	36515
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	2692	29353
Los Angeles - Chinatown	3083	38437
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	5498	37779
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	5061	33399
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	5564	40234
Los Angeles - Crestview	4126	36295
Los Angeles - Del Rey	8850	29563
Los Angeles - Downtown*	16621	60425
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	14319	36169
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	9897	33793
Los Angeles - Echo Park	4622	32421
Los Angeles - El Sereno	17392	41600
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1893	33141
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	3685	36230
Los Angeles - Encino	15870	35132
Los Angeles - Exposition	1332	40048
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	18669	41563
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	1309	36361
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3904	44766
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	23338	49190
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	11365	35961
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	4351	40422
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	22522	38704
Los Angeles - Green Meadows #####