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, 2023

With COVID-19 Transmission Increasing, Those at Higher Risk Should Adopt Simple Strategies to Reduce Exposure, Prevent Severe Illness

With COVID-19 transmissions and hospitalizations on the rise in Los Angeles County, residents at higher risk should consider employing simple strategies to reduce their exposures and prevent severe illness. Individuals who are older, those with weakened immune systems, and those with chronic health conditions continue to experience higher rates of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.

To reduce risks, especially as transmission of the virus is increasing, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) asks those more vulnerable to take precautions to reduce potential exposures, identify COVID infections early, and consult with a health care provider when infected to access appropriate therapeutics. Protective measures include wearing a well-fitting, high filtration mask when traveling via public transit, when in poorly ventilated and/or crowded indoor spaces, and when at health care facilities.

Those that provide services to individuals at higher risk of severe illness from COVID are also asked to take sensible steps to prevent transmission of COVID-19; this includes staying home and away from others if sick, testing before gathering indoors, and wearing a mask if providing patient care.

Even as hospitalizations from COVID-19 remain at near-record lows, older adults continue to be hospitalized at significantly higher rates than any other age group in Los Angeles County. Public Health data shows that people 80 years old and older were more than five times as likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people ages 50-79, during the 30-day period ending Aug. 5. Adults ages 50 to 79 were four times as likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 than people 30-49 years old during the same 30-day period.

Some of the people at highest risk of complications from COVID-19 live in skilled nursing facilities, where there has been an increase in COVID-19 outbreaks in recent weeks. Public Health opened 59 new outbreak investigations at skilled nursing facilities in Los Angeles County during the 30-day period ending Aug. 16, a significant increase from the 34 outbreak investigations opened during the previous 30 days.

One way to reduce outbreaks at skilled nursing facilities is to make sure residents, staff and visitors are up to date on their vaccinations. As of Aug. 15, 76 percent of all skilled nursing facility residents and half of all staff are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. Vaccines are a safe, highly effective and relatively simple to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

As fall approaches, all residents are encouraged to ask their health care provider what vaccines they should get to protect against COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are slated to consider authorizing a new COVID-19 vaccine next month. The yearly flu vaccine also is recommended for everyone 6 months old and older. Additionally, a new RSV vaccine has been approved for people ages 60 and older and other new RSV protections are now available for infants and young children.

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should talk to their health care provider about treatment options, such as Paxlovid, as soon as possible. Treatment must begin within five days of the onset of symptoms. To access free telehealth services for treatment, contact the Public Health Call Center, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., at 1-833-540-0473.

Los Angeles County remains in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Low Hospital Admission Level with 4.1 weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people, reported on Aug. 14 for the seven-day period ending Aug. 5.

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

8/16/2023

8/9/2023

8/2/2023

7/26/2023

Daily average cases

384

333

264

206

SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration as a percentage of the Winter 2022-2023 peak concentration value

22%

19%

12%

16%

Daily average of the percent of Emergency Department (ED) encounters classified as coronavirus-related

3.9%

3.5%

3.2%

2.7%

Daily average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations

330

293

245

228

Daily average deaths

1.0

1.7

0.7

2.6

Percent of all deaths due to COVID-19

0.9%

1.3%

0.8%

1.1%

All daily averages are 7-day averages. Data for past weeks are subject to change in future reports. Time periods covered by each metric: cases = week ending each Saturday; wastewater = week ending each Saturday, with a one-week lag; ED data = week ending each Sunday; hospitalizations = week ending each Saturday; deaths = week ending each Monday, with a three-week lag; death percentage = week ending Monday, with a one-week lag. Hospitalization counts do not include Prospect Hospitals, which on average make up 2% of hospitalizations in LA County.

Case data is presented by episode date, an approximation of the date the illness began, and death data is presented by date of death. This is a change from how case and death data were presented prior to July 26, 2023, which was by date of report. Daily average cases and deaths do not include Long Beach and Pasadena.

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)

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/2019https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.htmlncov/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 8/14/2023

Total Cases

Laboratory Confirmed Cases (includes LB and Pas through 6/27/23; excludes LB and Pas after 6/27/23)

3,772,815

Deaths (includes LB and Pas)

36,612

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

- 0 to 4

113,325

- 5 to 11

283,680

- 12 to 17

278,395

- 18 to 29

762,461

- 30 to 49

1,142,188

- 50 to 64

620,509

- 65 to 79

269,207

- over 80

95,488

- Under Investigation

2,569

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

- Female

1,842,431

- Male

1,634,331

- Other

1,858

- Under Investigation

89,202

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

- American Indian/Alaska Native

6,762

- Asian

266,421

- Black

188,404

- Hispanic/Latino

1,521,984

- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

17,854

- White

496,717

- Other

410,686

- Under Investigation

658,994

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

- Hospitalized (Ever)

182,341

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

- American Indian/Alaska Native

79

- Asian

4,541

- Black

3,260

- Hispanic/Latino

16,938

- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

116

- White

9,268

- Other

429

- Under Investigation

92

CITY / COMMUNITY**

Cases

Case Rate

City of Agoura Hills

6407

30680

City of Alhambra

25723

29661

City of Arcadia

13857

23993

City of Artesia

6054

36046

City of Avalon

292

7547

City of Azusa

17629

35230

City of Baldwin Park

29882

38925

City of Bell

17092

47044

City of Bell Gardens

17274

40106

City of Bellflower

31036

39925

City of Beverly Hills

11683

33844

City of Bradbury

71

6642

City of Burbank

33157

30936

City of Calabasas

5912

24306

City of Carson

35287

37601

City of Cerritos

13528

27020

City of Claremont

10495

28766

City of Commerce*

5899

45137

City of Compton

40583

40622

City of Covina

20441

41689

City of Cudahy

12263

50368

City of Culver City

12100

30352

City of Diamond Bar

13807

24006

City of Downey

47143

41258

City of Duarte

7559

34334

City of El Monte

43037

36699

City of El Segundo

4136

24640

City of Gardena

22093

36035

City of Glendale

60813

29450

City of Glendora

15180

28770

City of Hawaiian Gardens

5036

34315

City of Hawthorne

29891

33666

City of Hermosa Beach

4780

24301

City of Hidden Hills

390

20635

City of Huntington Park

26474

44506

City of Industry

1021

233638

City of Inglewood

39050

34380

City of Irwindale

892

61138

City of La Canada Flintridge

4610

22278

City of La Habra Heights

215

3941

City of La Mirada

14374

28980

City of La Puente

16072

39492

City of La Verne

9318

27997

City of Lakewood

27335

34015

City of Lancaster*

64657

40018

City of Lawndale

10688

31796

City of Lomita

6171

29770

City of Lynwood*

31535

43770

City of Malibu

2914

22483

City of Manhattan Beach

7522

20895

City of Maywood

12898

45984

City of Monrovia

11972

30856

City of Montebello

25671

39877

City of Monterey Park

17652

28351

City of Norwalk

43398

40324

City of Palmdale

67275

42320

City of Palos Verdes Estates

2308

17068

City of Paramount

22904

40883

City of Pico Rivera

28306

44033

City of Pomona

66038

42351

City of Rancho Palos Verdes

7911

18507

City of Redondo Beach

15800

23000

City of Rolling Hills

303

15619

City of Rolling Hills Estates

1562

19253

City of Rosemead

15373

27774

City of San Dimas*

11203

32457

City of San Fernando

12854

52227

City of San Gabriel

11553

28210

City of San Marino

2451

18460

City of Santa Clarita

74271

33695

City of Santa Fe Springs

7953

43308

City of Santa Monica

26836

29029

City of Sierra Madre

2453

22322

City of Signal Hill

4127

34983

City of South El Monte

8483

40618

City of South Gate

47416

48307

City of South Pasadena

6392

24535

City of Temple City

10841

29738

City of Torrance

34824

23330

City of Vernon

358

171292

City of Walnut

7643

25033

City of West Covina

39869

36836

City of West Hollywood

11394

30835

City of Westlake Village

456

5455

City of Whittier

31564

36101

Los Angeles

1540254

38082

Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie

3229

39368

Los Angeles - Alsace

4570

36722

Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest

0

0

Los Angeles - Angelino Heights

851

34013

Los Angeles - Arleta

17015

49505

Los Angeles - Atwater Village

5127

34958

Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills

10349

33250

Los Angeles - Bel Air

2483

29458

Los Angeles - Beverly Crest

3379

26978

Los Angeles - Beverlywood

4249

32255

Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*

40696

46839

Los Angeles - Brentwood

8526

27543

Los Angeles - Brookside

158

27194

Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning

2317

32538

Los Angeles - Canoga Park

25555

39141

Los Angeles - Carthay

4459

31045

Los Angeles - Central

17105

43868

Los Angeles - Century City

3803

29730

Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove

16419

48626

Los Angeles - Chatsworth

13088

35315

Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills

2588

28219

Los Angeles - Chinatown

2967

36990

Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran

5381

36975

Los Angeles - Country Club Park

4939

32594

Los Angeles - Crenshaw District

5400

39048

Los Angeles - Crestview

4004

35222

Los Angeles - Del Rey

8544

28541

Los Angeles - Downtown*

16326

59352

Los Angeles - Eagle Rock

13948

35232

Los Angeles - East Hollywood

9629

32878

Los Angeles - Echo Park

4541

31853

Los Angeles - El Sereno

17044

40767

Los Angeles - Elysian Park

1857

32511

Los Angeles - Elysian Valley

3598

35375

Los Angeles - Encino

15419

34134

Los Angeles - Exposition

1289

38755

Los Angeles - Exposition Park

18371

40900

Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights

1282

35611

Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square

3823

43837

Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone

23000

48477

Los Angeles - Glassell Park

11097

35113

Los Angeles - Gramercy Place

4224

39242

Los Angeles - Granada Hills

21750

37377

Los Angeles - Green Meadows

10155

47222

Los Angeles - Hancock Park

4792

28124

Los Angeles - Harbor City

9514

32728

Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway

15849

36351

Los Angeles - Harbor Pines

654

27148

Los Angeles - Harvard Heights

6191

34328

Los Angeles - Harvard Park

18159

47869

Los Angeles - Highland Park

17376

35908

Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown

5548

40000

Los Angeles - Hollywood

21875

32049

Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills

7764

26378

Los Angeles - Hyde Park

12058

42248

Los Angeles - Jefferson Park

3178

39366

Los Angeles - Koreatown

16334

31598

Los Angeles - Lafayette Square

1610

35315

Los Angeles - Lake Balboa

16452

38980

Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace

6185

47095

Los Angeles - Leimert Park

5855

38431

Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights

12907

39596

Los Angeles - Little Armenia

3071

38268

Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh

8734

30815

Los Angeles - Little Tokyo

1525

48675

Los Angeles - Longwood

1810

42054

Los Angeles - Los Feliz

6486

30017

Los Angeles - Manchester Square

3283

38461

Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon

912

29193

Los Angeles - Mar Vista

11123

26190

Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula

974

22339

Los Angeles - Melrose

26532

34148

Los Angeles - Mid-city

4546

30246

Los Angeles - Miracle Mile





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