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

twitter logo instagram logo facebook logo youtube logo Spotify logo

For Immediate Release:

December 07, 2020

Public Health Officials Urge Full Compliance with Straight-Forward Safety Measures to Slow the Surge - 27 New Deaths and 8,086 New Positive Cases of Confirmed COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 27 new deaths and 8,086 new cases of COVID-19.

Daily case numbers are unlike any we have ever seen in our county; because of this, activities we were able to do just a couple of weeks ago now present too much risk for virus transmission.

There are 2,988 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 24% of these people are in the ICU. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has surpassed all-time highs every day since December 1 and has increased nearly every day since November 1.

According to the State, as of December 6, the Southern California Region has 10.9% staffed adult ICU capacity remaining.

Public Health continues to closely track the number of positive cases among healthcare workers related to the COVID-19 pandemic response. As hospitalizations increase sharply, not only is our capacity at hospitals increasingly becoming a concern, increased cases in the community directly translates to higher case numbers among our healthcare workers. This week, we are reporting an additional 1,745 new cases among healthcare workers. This is more than twice the number reported last week and the highest weekly number ever reported.

Testing results are available for nearly 3,930,000 individuals with 11% of all people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 11.6%. Just one month ago, on November 7, the test positivity rate was 5%. As of last night, at 11:59 pm, the State’s new Stay at Home Order is in effect for the Southern California Region. The State Order will remain in effect for at least three weeks and prohibits private gatherings of any size, closes sector operations, limits occupancy at various businesses, and requires 100% masking and physical distancing. All residents need to stay at home except for essential activities and to provide or access essential services. Outdoor recreation with members of your household is allowed, and we encourage you to do so during this very difficult time. Being outdoors and getting exercise is very important for both physical and emotional wellbeing. When you are out of your home, wear a face covering and keep distance of at least 6 feet at all times from anyone not from your household. The Order also includes the following:

Businesses still open include:

Businesses that must temporarily suspend operations include:

Now more than ever, the County has asked our business partners to take extra steps to be fully compliant with the safeguards and modifications set forth in the Stay at Home Order and our existing Public Health protocols. Public Health's compliance teams continue to visit businesses across the County every day. During Public Health's recent business compliance checks only 59% of businesses inspected were in full compliance with required safety protocols. From November 23 through November 29, a total of 16 citations were issued to businesses including restaurants, gyms, and hotels for noncompliance with Health Officer Orders. Since the end of August, a total of 378 citations have been issued. A list of non-compliant businesses that received citations can be found online.

To date, Public Health identified 457,880 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 7,936 deaths. Upon further investigation, 57 cases reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

“For everyone who has lost a friend or loved one to COVID-19, we are wishing you healing and peace during this very sad time,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As we see the distressing surge in cases, we know that we can expect in the upcoming weeks alarming increases in hospitalizations and deaths. Actions taken by each of us will make or break our collective ability to prevent many people from becoming infected, seriously ill and potentially passing away from COVID-19. The new Stay at Home Order gives us an opportunity to place a pause on all non-essential activities that increase the risk of transmitting the virus so that we are able to get the surge under control. The most important action we can all take to stop the surge is to stay home as much as possible. Please, as we watch these numbers go up to levels we have never seen here in L.A. County, I ask everyone to make it their mission to do their part to prevent further transmission of the virus. We owe it to ourselves and to each other."

The University of Southern California’s Center for Social and Economic Research continues to conduct a weekly representative survey with LA County residents about their actions through the pandemic. From April, there has been an increase of people reporting they’ve recently visited another person’s home. It appears that the warnings of the surge in cases of late October and early November had limited impact on people’s willingness to visit another person’s home, with just a slight dip the week before Thanksgiving. Throughout the month of November, about one-third of respondents said they visited someone else’s home.

Of the 27 new deaths reported today, eight people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, 13 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, four people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Twenty-three people who died had underlying health conditions including eight people over the age of 80 years old, 11 people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, four people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and one person between the ages of 30 and 49 years.

Ninety-three percent of the people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 7,495 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 52% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 24% among White residents, 14% among Asian residents, 9% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races.

The Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional things you can do 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 457880 *

Deaths 7936

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 (Rate**)

These numbers are subject to change based on further investigation. 57cases 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.




#####