LISTING OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH PRESS RELEASES
News Release
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313 N. Figueroa Street, Room 806  |  Los Angeles, CA 90012  |  (213) 240-8144  |  media@ph.lacounty.gov

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For Immediate Release:

March 15, 2021

Public Health Urges Caution as Sectors Reopen and Vaccination Eligibility Expands Today 6 New Deaths and 422 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 6 new deaths and 422 new cases of COVID-19. The lower number of deaths may reflect reporting delays over the weekend. To date, Public Health identified 1,210,663 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 22,475 deaths.

The seven-day average number of daily cases by episode date has decreased to 550 new cases per day as of March 7. As COVID-19 case rates, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to decrease, Public Health urges residents to proceed with caution, as effective today, Monday, March 15, the following re-openings are now permitted with required safety protocols for masking, distancing and infection control:

However, just because certain activities are allowed or certain reopening protocols are revised, does not mean that those activities are “safe” and without risk. We are still in the middle of a pandemic, and whenever there are more opportunities for interactions with people not in your household, there can be more transmission of the virus. We have the tools to protect ourselves from increased transmission; we just need to use them and not get complacent.

To keep yourself, your family, your friends and neighbors, and the broader community and local economy safe, continue following these core practices:

“Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who is mourning a loved one or friend who has passed away from COVID-19. We are so sorry for your loss," said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. "Tomorrow, March 16, will mark the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19-related Health Officer Order here in L.A. County and for the first time since the state created the Blueprint for a Safer Economy last summer, L.A. County has moved from the most restrictive purple tier to the red tier. That we are here today is not a miracle; our recovery represents the deep commitment by hundreds of thousands of individuals and many thousands of businesses to adhering to safety measures and making sacrifices to keep each other safe. I thank you L.A. County. As we move forward, let's remember that our re-openings are happening alongside holidays and spring break. Holiday traveling, gatherings indoors and large parties have in the past wrecked our recovery journey. Let’s not repeat past mistakes and let’s pledge to keep everyone alive until it is their turn to get vaccinated."

There are 893 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 28% of these people are in the ICU. Daily hospitalizations numbers continue to steadily decline.

Testing results are available for nearly 5,961,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive. Today's daily test positivity rate is 1.7%.

Of the six new deaths reported today, two people that passed away were over the age of 80, two people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, two people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49.

To date, nearly 2,742,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the county. Of those vaccinated, 899,527 people have received second doses.

Currently, people who are eligible for the vaccine include healthcare workers, residents and staff at long-term care facilities, people who are age 65 or older, education and childcare workers, food and agriculture workers, emergency service workers and law enforcement, and starting today – people with certain serious health conditions and disabilities.

As of last week, 61.2% of L.A. County residents 65 and older received at least 1 dose of the vaccine and 33.7% received both doses. As a reminder to residents 65 and older not yet vaccinated, please make your appointment as soon as you can. Many neighborhood pharmacies are now offering appointments. If you are unable to use the web-based appointment system, please call our call center at 833-540-0473 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. 7 days a week. They can assist you with making an appointment.

Today, vaccine eligibility expands to residents between the ages 16 through 64 who have underlying health conditions or disabilities that put them at the highest risk of becoming very sick from COVID-19. Persons with these conditions should check with their health care provider to see if they can be vaccinated by their health care provider. Vaccinations will also be available at community vaccination sites for those who can travel to these sites. More information and options are available online.

This week, there are over 384 vaccination sites receiving a portion of the 259,660 total doses allocated to L.A. County. The allocation for this week is lower as the County is not receiving Johnson & Johnson doses, and this may be true next week as well. Last week, we received over 312,000 doses, 54,000 of which were Johnson & Johnson.

Public Health is continuing to increase allocations to community sites serving hardest hit communities so that providers are able to vaccinate more people. This week, 79 mobile vaccination sites will be operating across L.A. County to vaccinate people living in senior centers and residential communities, and in hard-hit areas of the county.

Across vaccination providers, there continues to be much more capacity to vaccinate; this week alone there are over 627,000 appointment slots available, and we only have enough doses for about 259,000 appointments. Our large capacity vaccination sites alone could be providing 210,000 additional doses this week if there was sufficient supply.

As Public Health has done the last 2 weeks, vaccinations are scheduled on sector-specific days for eligible groups at the large capacity vaccination sites. A full breakdown of the occupations by sector and appointment days is available online.

At hundreds of vaccination sites across the county, including pharmacies and many community clinics, appointments are open to L.A. County residents or workers meeting the eligibility requirements. Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) for more information on who is eligible, how to make an appointment if it is your turn, and what verifications you will need when you show up for your vaccine. As a reminder, vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

County Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional actions you can take to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Please see additional information below:

Laboratory Confirmed Total Cases 1210663*

Deaths 22475

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

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

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

Hospitalization

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

CITY / COMMUNITY** Cases (Case Rate)

These numbers are subject to change based on further investigation. 24 cases and 5 deaths previously reported were not in Public Health's jurisdiction. * Means that case numbers include cases associated with correctional facility outbreaks located in the city/community. **Rate is crude and is per 100,000. This represents the number of cases per 100,000 people and allows for the proportional comparison of cities of different sizes.

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

The Department of Public Health is committed to promoting health equity and ensuring optimal health and well-being for all 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health comprises nearly 4,500 employees and has an annual budget of $1.2 billion. To learn more about Los Angeles County Public Health, please visit www.publichealth .lacounty.gov, and follow LA County Public Health on social media at twitter.com/lacounty.gov, and follow LA County Public Health on social media at twitter.com/lapublichealth, facebook.com/lapublichealth, instagram.com/lapublichealth and youtube.com/lapublichealth.



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