For Immediate Release:

May 25, 2023

Although overall COVID-19 transmission remains low in Los Angeles County, local data reveals the continued disproportionate impact of the disease, primarily in communities with higher poverty and among people of color, highlighting the need for targeted COVID-19 prevention and mitigation strategies that can address the gaps.

This disproportionality in case, hospitalization, and death rates, which are highest in neighborhoods with greater poverty and among Black and Brown residents, is the likely result of increased exposures to the COVID-19 virus, less access to the resources needed for good health, overcrowding, often combined with poor ventilation, in homes and at worksites, and differences in health status.

In areas of Los Angeles County where more than 30% of households live at or below the federal poverty line, COVID-19 hospitalization rates are nearly two-and-a-half times greater than in neighborhoods with less than 10% of households living in poverty and death rates are nearly three times higher comparatively in these same areas.

COVID-19 cumulative hospitalization rates among Black and Latinx residents in Los Angeles County are two times as high as among white residents. Deaths rates due to COVID-19 are nearly two-and-a-half times higher for Latinx residents and one-and-a-half times higher for Black residents compared to white residents.

To reduce the adverse health outcomes associated with COVID-19, Public Health and community partners can focus preparedness and mitigation efforts that ensure access to life-saving tools and improve the conditions in places where we work, learn or live.

It is important for residents to continue to utilize the COVID-19 resources available, including the bivalent vaccine, testing and treatment. However, investments in community-level infection control, including compliance with outbreak reporting and changes to work and learning environments, also reduce spread and impact of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses.

Increasing indoor air movement can help reduce the spread of disease. Those in charge of worksites, schools, and residential buildings should aim for a ventilation system that results in a total changeover of air at least five times an hour and use filters with Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 13, according to recent updated recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Details and resources can be found in the ‘ventilation’ section of ph.lacounty.gov/COVIDbusiness.

Simple actions can also help to improve ventilation, including opening windows when the weather allows, using fans, and adjusting settings on home heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems so that air does not recirculate.

As part of long-standing efforts to reduce risks associated with infectious diseases, including the transmission of COVID-19 in the community, Public Health continues to require businesses and facilities to report clusters of COVID-19 cases to Public Health. This serves as a vital alert that allows for early and effective intervention by Public Health outbreak investigators, reducing disruptions and transmission at sites.

In workplaces, educational settings, and residential congregate settings, such as shelters and correctional facilities, Public Health must be notified of all clusters of at least three linked cases occurring within 14 days. For workplaces and residential congregate settings with over 100 workers or residents, facilities must also report if 5% of workers or residents test positive, even if those cases are unlinked. All reporting must take place within 24 hours of when a facility knows that their cases have met Public Health’s reporting threshold. Case clusters can be reported to Public Health at 1-888-397-3993 or online at redcap.link/covidreport.

“To those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19, I offer my sincere condolences. May your memories help ease your pain and bring you comfort,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “While COVID remains a complex public health problem that requires us to be attentive and prepared, I do have a lot of optimism about the future. We know so much more than we did three years ago and we should all feel empowered to take simple actions to keep COVID transmission low. The pandemic highlighted the reality of health inequities in our community and identified critical activities we can do to safeguard those who are most impacted by the COVID-19, whether by race, age, or neighborhood. I regularly hear from individuals who are struggling with Long COVID or living with chronic health conditions that create significant risk about their need for continued support. Now that we have entered a new phase of significantly lower danger associated with COVID for many, I hope we aren’t too fatigued to continue to take advantage of available resources and practices that acknowledge the needs of those more vulnerable. We remain reliant on collective actions to ensure collective well-being.”

The most recent sequencing data shows XBB.1.5 remains the dominant strain in Los Angeles County, accounting for 78% of sequenced specimens for the two week period ending April 29, 2023. The second most dominant strains were XBB.1.9.1, XBB.1.16, and XBB.2.3, each accounting for 4% of sequenced specimens. Data modeling from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as of May 13 in California and surrounding states, XBB.1.5 remains the dominant strain while XBB.1.16 makes up 12% and XBB.1.9.1 accounts for about 10% of cases.

The CDC has replaced COVID-19 Community Levels with Hospital Admission Levels, which can help individuals and communities decide which prevention actions they can take based on the most recent information. Los Angeles County is in the Low Hospital Admission Level with 2.6 New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people.

The 7-day average number of COVID hospitalizations is 190 this week. Reported weekly deaths increased to 35 deaths reported this week. As of Tuesday, May 16, there have been a total of 36,338 deaths in Los Angeles County.

Vaccines remain one of the best tools individuals can use to protect themselves from severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Vaccines remain free and easily accessible in Los Angeles County at more than 1,200 sites; more than half of these sites are in areas most impacted by COVID-19. Everyone ages six months and older should have at least one dose of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine which provides substantial protection against newer Omicron strains. Residents can visit VaccinateLACounty.com or VacunateLosAngeles.com (en español) to find a vaccination location near them.

For residents who have difficulties leaving their home, Public Health offers free in-home COVID-19 vaccine and booster appointments. Appointments may be booked at ph.lacounty.gov/vaxathome, or ph.lacounty.gov/vacunacionencasa (en español) or by calling the Public Health COVID-19 Call Center at 1-833-540-0473.Public Health’s Call Center also connects eligible residents to free telehealth to get COVID-19 medications, information, and other resources. Residents are encouraged to call 1-833-540-0473, available daily between 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., to access these services.

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.

Metric	Date of Weekly Report
	5/24/2023	5/17/2023	5/10/2023	5/3/2023
Weekly cases reported1,2	2,157	2,323	2,266	2,533
SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration as a percentage of the Winter 2022-2023 peak concentration value3	9%	10%	11%	13%
7-day average of the percent of emergency department (ED) encounters classified as coronavirus-related3,4	2.7%	3.0%	2.8%	3.0%
7-day average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations3,4	190*	225*	260	260
Weekly deaths reported2	35	20	46	51
1) Case counts are an underrepresentation of the true number of infections, largely due to home tests which are not reported to DPH. Despite this, the trend in reported case counts from week to week is still an indicator of overall trends in transmission.
2) Weekly case and death counts represent the number of cases and deaths reported for the week ending each Tuesday. The date a case/death is reported by DPH is not the same as the date of testing or death.
3) Time periods covered by each metric: wastewater = week ending each Saturday, with a one-week lag; ED data = week ending each Sunday; hospitalizations = week ending each Sunday.
4) Data for past weeks is subject to change in future reports.
*Due to a reporting transition at the state level and subsequent underreporting from hospitals, this value is an undercount. Efforts are actively underway to address the underreporting.

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/COVIDdata including:

· COVID-19 Locations & Demographics (data by demographic characteristics and geography, active outbreaks, and citations) Demographics (data by demographic characteristics and geography, active outbreaks, and citations)

· COVID-19 Response Plan

· COVID-19 Vaccinations

· Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics

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

· CDC Spanish https://espanol.cdc.gov/enes/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 5/22/2023
	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	3,745,379
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	3,540,920
-- Long Beach	164,185
-- Pasadena	40,274
Deaths	36,338
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	34,481
-- Long Beach	1,410
-- Pasadena	447
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	111,911
- 5 to 11	283,059
- 12 to 17	277,821
- 18 to 29	758,905
- 30 to 49	1,134,945
- 50 to 64	614,574
- 65 to 79	264,287
- over 80	92,875
- Under Investigation	2,543
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1,827,409
- Male	1,622,714
- Other	1,794
- Under Investigation	89,003
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	6,716
- Asian	263,745
- Black	185,974
- Hispanic/Latino	1,513,614
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	17,720
- White	491,724
- Other	406,296
- Under Investigation	655,131
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	177,657
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	80
- Asian	4,494
- Black	3,235
- Hispanic/Latino	16,860
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	119
- White	9,188
- Other	414
- Under Investigation	91
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	6341	30364
City of Alhambra	25487	29389
City of Arcadia	13693	23709
City of Artesia	6001	35731
City of Avalon	288	7444
City of Azusa	17512	34996
City of Baldwin Park	29704	38693
City of Bell	17011	46821
City of Bell Gardens	17108	39720
City of Bellflower	30796	39617
City of Beverly Hills	11585	33560
City of Bradbury	71	6642
City of Burbank	32856	30655
City of Calabasas	5839	24006
City of Carson	34955	37247
City of Cerritos	13351	26666
City of Claremont	10422	28566
City of Commerce*	5867	44892
City of Compton	40232	40271
City of Covina	20290	41381
City of Cudahy	12209	50146
City of Culver City	11950	29976
City of Diamond Bar	13693	23808
City of Downey	46837	40991
City of Duarte	7515	34134
City of El Monte	42740	36446
City of El Segundo	4080	24306
City of Gardena	21880	35687
City of Glendale	60341	29222
City of Glendora	15033	28491
City of Hawaiian Gardens	5009	34131
City of Hawthorne	29624	33365
City of Hermosa Beach	4737	24082
City of Hidden Hills	383	20265
City of Huntington Park	26328	44261
City of Industry	1015	232265
City of Inglewood	38755	34121
City of Irwindale	884	60589
City of La Canada Flintridge	4542	21949
City of La Habra Heights	214	3923
City of La Mirada	14240	28710
City of La Puente	15988	39285
City of La Verne	9249	27790
City of Lakewood	27072	33688
City of Lancaster*	64205	39738
City of Lawndale	10590	31505
City of Lomita	6110	29476
City of Lynwood*	31211	43320
City of Malibu	2891	22305
City of Manhattan Beach	7450	20695
City of Maywood	12789	45595
City of Monrovia	11865	30580
City of Montebello	25488	39593
City of Monterey Park	17511	28125
City of Norwalk	43059	40009
City of Palmdale	66907	42088
City of Palos Verdes Estates	2275	16824
City of Paramount	22744	40598
City of Pico Rivera	28161	43807
City of Pomona	65671	42115
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	7781	18202
City of Redondo Beach	15614	22729
City of Rolling Hills	298	15361
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1537	18945
City of Rosemead	15237	27528
City of San Dimas*	11123	32226
City of San Fernando	12783	51938
City of San Gabriel	11474	28017
City of San Marino	2407	18129
City of Santa Clarita	73562	33373
City of Santa Fe Springs	7905	43046
City of Santa Monica	26490	28655
City of Sierra Madre	2417	21995
City of Signal Hill	4111	34848
City of South El Monte	8430	40364
City of South Gate	47197	48084
City of South Pasadena	6341	24339
City of Temple City	10767	29535
City of Torrance	34376	23030
City of Vernon	357	170813
City of Walnut	7581	24830
City of West Covina	39606	36593
City of West Hollywood	11313	30616
City of Westlake Village	453	5419
City of Whittier	31390	35902
Los Angeles	1529408	37814
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	3210	39137
Los Angeles - Alsace	4516	36288
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	0	0
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	849	33933
Los Angeles - Arleta	16927	49249
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	5093	34727
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	10249	32929
Los Angeles - Bel Air	2453	29102
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	3343	26691
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	4225	32073
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	40503	46617
Los Angeles - Brentwood	8437	27256
Los Angeles - Brookside	157	27022
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	2301	32313
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	25354	38833
Los Angeles - Carthay	4419	30767
Los Angeles - Central	17052	43732
Los Angeles - Century City	3764	29425
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	16310	48303
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	12970	34996
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	2560	27914
Los Angeles - Chinatown	2930	36529
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	5333	36645
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	4919	32462
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	5342	38629
Los Angeles - Crestview	3971	34931
Los Angeles - Del Rey	8446	28214
Los Angeles - Downtown*	16226	58989
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	13851	34987
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	9559	32639
Los Angeles - Echo Park	4515	31671
Los Angeles - El Sereno	16958	40562
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1846	32318
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	3576	35159
Los Angeles - Encino	15285	33837
Los Angeles - Exposition	1283	38575
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	18288	40715
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	1270	35278
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3803	43607
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	22891	48247
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	11028	34894
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	4176	38796
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	21591	37104
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	10074	46845
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	4760	27936
Los Angeles - Harbor City	9430	#####