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 17, 2021

Los Angeles County Health Officer Order Modified to Require Masking at Outdoor Mega Events - 30 New Deaths and 2,907 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Health Officer Order has been modified to require universal masking at outdoor mega events regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status. Masks are required to be worn by everyone at all times except when actively eating or drinking at these events. Outdoor mega events are outdoor events with crowds greater than 10,000 attendees and include music or food festivals, car shows, large endurance events, marathons, parades, sporting events and concerts.

As the highly infectious Delta variant continues to spread, wearing masks regardless of vaccination status indoors and in crowded settings, including at outdoor mega events, reduces the risk of being infected with and transmitting COVID-19. Emerging data affirms that fully vaccinated people are well protected from severe infections with Delta variants. Although fully vaccinated people are less likely to become infected than unvaccinated people are, they can become infected and transmit infection to others.

Today, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) confirms 30 new deaths and 2,907 new cases of COVID-19. Case numbers may be lower today due to reporting issues. Of the 30 new deaths reported today, six people who passed away were over the age of 80, five people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 10 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, seven people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach. To date, Public Health identified 1,355,698 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,935 deaths.

There are 1,679 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 24% of these people are in the ICU.

Testing results are available for nearly 7,800,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 3.5%.

Public Health inspectors continue to visit businesses across the county every day to ensure compliance with Health Officer Order safety protocols and masking guidelines along with providing technical assistance. Between August 7 and August 13, Public Health inspectors visited a total of 1,614 businesses, including restaurants, bars, breweries, hotels, gyms, retail stores, shopping malls, personal care businesses and food and garment manufacturers. The most common violation is face masks not provided by employers and employees not wearing a face mask. Another common violation is businesses not posting signage instructing customers to wear a face mask. Overall, the compliance inspections revealed that while the majority of businesses were in compliance, there is some room for improvement, particularly at fitness centers and food and garment manufacturing plants.

"To the families and friends experiencing the sorrow of losing a loved one due to COVID-19, I send my deepest condolences,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Many businesses and worksites are doing their part and we thank all the establishments and businesses that are implementing safety recommendations, including requiring attendees to be vaccinated and layering masking and distancing. To reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant, universal masking is now required at all outdoor mega events where thousands of people from many different communities are crowded together, often for extended periods of time. The most sensible way to add protection is to please keep you mask on when in indoor public places or worksites and at outdoor mega events when not eating or drinking.”

L.A. County continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines at many different sites across the county that have weekends and evening hours. Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated against COVID-19. Many vaccination sites across the county, including all the County-run sites, are also offering third doses of vaccine to eligible immunocompromised people.

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. To find a vaccination site near you, make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound.

COVID-19 Sector Protocols, Best Practices, COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, 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.

Laboratory Confirmed Total Cases 1355698*

Deaths 24935

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. * 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.

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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