Public Health Modifies Health Officer Order to Add Additional Masking Requirements for Indoor Employees - 26,754 New Positive Cases and 27 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

As cases continue to surge as a result of the increased circulation of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, Public Health has modified its Health Officer Order to include additional safety measures to reduce transmission risks knowing that vaccinations alone are not sufficient to prevent spread of Omicron. As soon as possible, but no later than January 17th, employers are required to provide their employees who work indoors in close contact with others with well-fitting medical grade masks, surgical masks, or higher-level respirators, such as N95 or KN95 masks. These upgraded masks are better at blocking virus particles from going through the mask.

The new modifications include an alignment with the State Public Health Officer Order changing attendance thresholds at mega events; for outdoor mega events, the new attendance threshold has been lowered to 5,000 attendees, and for indoor mega events, the new threshold is 500 attendees. Operators of mega events, performance venues, movie theaters, and entertainment venues are responsible for the messaging, signage, and compliance of masking requirements unless spectators or customers are actively eating or drinking. Additionally, Public Health recommends that food and drink be consumed in designated dining areas.

Lastly, food and drinks are prohibited at card room gaming tables and masks must always be worn while indoors at card rooms, except for when actively eating or drinking in designated dining areas.

These modifications recognize the importance of wearing well-fitting, high-quality masks that do the best job filtering out virus when in close contact with others.

“I send my heartfelt condolences to everyone mourning the loss of a loved one due to COVID-19,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Given the explosive spread of the virus, activities that put us in close contact with many other people now have an increased risk. As such, everyone needs to be sensible about how to protect themselves and those they love by layering on protections whenever around non-household members. At work, this means upgrading your mask if you work indoors and you are in contact with other workers or members of the public. At entertainment venues, this means limiting the time you spend without wearing your upgraded mask. And for other activities, this may mean postponing your participation until community transmission is much reduced.”

Today, Public Health confirmed 27 additional deaths and 26,754 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 27 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 18 and 29, three were between the ages of 30 and 49, six were between the ages of 50-64, seven were between the ages of 65-79, and six were over the age of 80 years old. Of the 27 newly reported deaths, 18 had underlying conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 27,698. Information on the three deaths reported by the City of Long Beach and the one death reported by the City of Pasadena are available at: www.Longbeach.gov and www.Cityofpasadena.net

Public Health has identified a total 1,806,828 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 22.4%.

There are 2,240 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 10,159,295 individuals, with 16% of people testing positive.

Public Health is reminding residents to avoid visiting the emergency room unless they need emergency medical care. Residents should not be visiting the emergency department solely to get a COVID test or for minor complaints that could be resolved through their primary care physician. Emergency room visits should be reserved for those patients who are feeling severely ill – for example, those who are short of breath – or who have serious concerns about their health and who require immediate emergency care.

To keep workplaces and schools open, residents and workers are asked to:

· Get tested to help reduce the spread, especially if you traveled for the holidays, have had a possible exposure, or have symptoms, or are gathering with people not in your household

· Adhere to masking requirements when indoors or at crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status

Residents are legally required to be isolated if they have a positive COVID test result and that vaccinated close contacts with symptoms and unvaccinated close contacts need to be quarantined.

For updated isolation and quarantine guidance, please visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are recommended for everyone 5 years old and older to help protect against COVID-19. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites and many community sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

To find a vaccination site near you, or to make an appointment, please visit:

www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

If you need assistance, you can also call 1-833-540-0473 for help:

Finding an appointment

Connect to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or

Schedule a home visit if you are homebound.

For more information regarding COVID-19 in LA County you can also visit the Public Health website at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov here you will find information on:

COVID-19 sector protocols & best practices,

COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboards, and

COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive and, Recovery Dashboards

Please see additional information below:

Cases through 6:00pm 01/04/2022
	Total Cases	NEW
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	1806828	26754
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)*	1713051	25391
-- Long Beach	76,543	1088
-- Pasadena	17,234	275
Deaths	27698	27
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	26247	23
-- Long Beach	1078	3
-- Pasadena	373	1
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	45968
- 5 to 11	100311
- 12 to 17	110217
- 18 to 29	415716
- 30 to 49	577235
- 50 to 64	303758
- 65 to 79	118139
- over 80	40664
- Under Investigation	1043
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	866963
- Male	804137
- Other	821
- Under Investigation	41130
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	2951
- Asian	90286
- Black	89766
- Hispanic/Latino	825331
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	7234
- White	229689
- Other	157988
- Under Investigation	309806
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	111719	**DATA Under reported
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	62
- Asian	3384
- Black	2348
- Hispanic/Latino	13865
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	97
- White	6253
- Other	203
- Under Investigation	35
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	2066	9893
City of Alhambra	10552	12167
City of Arcadia	4617	7994
City of Artesia	2788	16600
City of Avalon	39	1008
City of Azusa	9014	18014
City of Baldwin Park	16642	21678
City of Bell	8501	23398
City of Bell Gardens	9895	22974
City of Bellflower	15339	19732
City of Beverly Hills	5430	15730
City of Bradbury	46	4303
City of Burbank	14584	13607
City of Calabasas	2533	10414
City of Carson	15055	16042
City of Cerritos	5099	10184
City of Claremont	3780	10361
City of Commerce*	3071	23498
City of Compton	22312	22333
City of Covina	9700	19783
City of Cudahy	6068	24923
City of Culver City	4378	10982
City of Diamond Bar	5335	9276
City of Downey	24200	21179
City of Duarte	3394	15416
City of El Monte	21800	18590
City of El Segundo	1763	10503
City of Gardena	9716	15847
City of Glendale	31073	15048
City of Glendora	7675	14546
City of Hawaiian Gardens	2925	19930
City of Hawthorne	15333	17269
City of Hermosa Beach	2231	11342
City of Hidden Hills	195	10317
City of Huntington Park	13810	23216
City of Industry	227	51945
City of Inglewood	20336	17904
City of Irwindale	375	25703
City of La Canada Flintridge	1726	8341
City of La Habra Heights	136	2493
City of La Mirada	6731	13571
City of La Puente	8617	21174
City of La Verne	4717	14173
City of Lakewood	11818	14706
City of Lancaster*	34029	21061
City of Lawndale	5287	15729
City of Lomita	2518	12147
City of Lynwood*	16871	23417
City of Malibu	1203	9282
City of Manhattan Beach	3228	8967
City of Maywood	6364	22689
City of Monrovia	5099	13142
City of Montebello	13553	21053
City of Monterey Park	7005	11251
City of Norwalk	21781	20238
City of Palmdale	34915	21964
City of Palos Verdes Estates	978	7233
City of Paramount	12947	23110
City of Pico Rivera	14604	22718
City of Pomona	34378	22047
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	3027	7081
City of Redondo Beach	6148	8949
City of Rolling Hills	126	6495
City of Rolling Hills Estates	630	7765
City of Rosemead	6675	12060
City of San Dimas*	5136	14880
City of San Fernando	6986	28385
City of San Gabriel	4640	11330
City of San Marino	829	6244
City of Santa Clarita	35552	16129
City of Santa Fe Springs	4104	22348
City of Santa Monica	10647	11517
City of Sierra Madre	917	8345
City of Signal Hill	1856	15733
City of South El Monte	4383	20986
City of South Gate	24014	24465
City of South Pasadena	2470	9481
City of Temple City	3632	9963
City of Torrance	13351	8944
City of Vernon	165	78947
City of Walnut	2851	9338
City of West Covina	18887	17450
City of West Hollywood	5519	14936
City of Westlake Village	191	2285
City of Whittier	15736	17998
Los Angeles	735837	18193
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	1583	19300
Los Angeles - Alsace	2223	17863
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	5	12500
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	423	16906
Los Angeles - Arleta	8989	26154
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	2242	15287
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	4521	14525
Los Angeles - Bel Air	925	10974
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	1489	11888
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	1909	14492
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	21473	24715
Los Angeles - Brentwood	3529	11400
Los Angeles - Brookside	68	11704
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	1093	15349
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	12743	19518
Los Angeles - Carthay	1936	13479
Los Angeles - Central	9197	23587
Los Angeles - Century City	1318	10303
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	8313	24619
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	5828	15725
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	1000	10904
Los Angeles - Chinatown	1235	15397
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	2438	16753
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	2254	14875
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	2358	17051
Los Angeles - Crestview	1858	16344
Los Angeles - Del Rey	3740	12493
Los Angeles - Downtown*	7313	26586
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	5649	14269
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	4558	15563
Los Angeles - Echo Park	2174	15250
Los Angeles - El Sereno	8564	20484
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	869	15214
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	1770	17402
Los Angeles - Encino	6436	14248
Los Angeles - Exposition	543	16326
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	8564	19066
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	532	14778
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	1901	21798
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	11800	24871
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	5044	15960
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	2135	19835
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	10113	17379
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	5122	23818
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	2094	12289
Los Angeles - Harbor City	3972	13664
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	7143	16383
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	276	11457
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	3258	18065
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	9442	24890
Los Angeles - Highland Park	8313	17179
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	2744	19784
Los Angeles - Hollywood	10561	15473
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	3479	11820
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	5645	19779
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	1574	19497
Los Angeles - Koreatown	7560	14625
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	757	16605
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	7824	18538
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	3123	23780
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	2608	17118
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	6673	20471
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	1544	19240
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	3903	13771
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	631	20140
Los Angeles - Longwood	832	19331
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	2331	10788
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	1532	17948
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	315	10083
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	4402	10365
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	408	9358
Los Angeles - Melrose	13029	16769
Los Angeles - Mid-city	2065	13739
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	2182	12132
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	6063	25133
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	4097	16968
Los Angeles - North Hills	12503	20305
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	30236	19968
Los Angeles - Northridge	11584	16597
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	1906	8952
Los Angeles - Pacoima	21582	28036
Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands	337	8762
Los Angeles - Palms	4927	11229
Los Angeles - Panorama City	17206	22865
Los Angeles - Park La Brea	1309	9639
Los Angeles - Pico-Union	8766	20950
Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey	280	8761
Los Angeles - Playa Vista	1386	12661
Los Angeles - Porter Ranch	4343	12204
Los Angeles - Rancho Park	847	12912
Los Angeles - Regent Square	425	15288
Los Angeles - Reseda	15990	20870
Los Angeles - Reseda Ranch	934	20147
Los Angeles - Reynier Village	480	11353
Los Angeles - San Pedro*	11850	15185
Los Angeles - Shadow Hills	660	14858
Los Angeles - Sherman Oaks	11776	13496
Los Angeles - Silverlake	5882	13343
Los Angeles - South Carthay	1488	14044
Los Angeles - South Park	9179	24180
Los Angeles - St Elmo Village	899	19612
Los Angeles - Studio City	2854	12718
Los Angeles - Sun Valley	12568	23947
Los Angeles - Sunland	3405	16685
Los Angeles - Sycamore Square	75	11592
Los Angeles - Sylmar*	21962 #####