COVID-19 and Flu Transmission, Hospitalizations Remain Elevated as Residents Return to School, Work

COVID-19 and Flu Transmission, Hospitalizations Remain Elevated as Residents Return to School, Work

With respiratory virus transmission and hospitalizations remaining elevated in Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) is asking residents to help limit exposures and take common sense precautions.

Public Health data shows that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is widely circulating in the County, with wastewater concentrations of the virus at 60% of last year’s winter peak, up from 49% the week prior. COVID-19 hospitalizations also remain elevated, with an average of 806 COVID-positive patients per day for the week ending Jan. 6, an increase from 784 the week prior. Los Angeles County’s COVID-19 Hospital Admission Level, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), remains in Medium for the second consecutive week at 11.2 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people for data through Dec. 30.

This increase is likely driven in part by the rise of a new COVID-19 strain, JN.1. Local data shows JN.1 is gaining dominance rapidly in Los Angeles County and CDC modelling data predicts it accounts for 61% of sequenced specimens in Region 9, which includes California, for the two-week period ending Jan. 6.

Flu activity also remains elevated in Los Angeles County. There were 425 influenza-positive patients in the hospital on Dec. 30. For the week ending Dec. 30, 18.3% of specimens tested for influenza at sentinel surveillance laboratories were positive, a slight decline from the previous week yet still nearly double levels seen four weeks ago. Although the decline in the most recent week is an encouraging sign, it is still too soon to tell if flu activity has peaked for this season.

With respiratory viruses expected to remain in circulation for weeks to come, it’s not too late to get the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines. Both vaccines remain effective at reducing severe illness and are recommended for everyone 6 months and older. Find a vaccination site at myturn.ca.gov.

This week, Public Health released new instructions for COVID-19 cases and close contacts. The notable change is to the amount of time a COVID-19 case is required to isolate, which was made in alignment with updated isolation guidance released by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and with Cal/OSHA guidance for workplaces. As a reminder, all individuals who test positive need to wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask for a total of 10 days after their symptoms began or, if they do not have symptoms, the date of their initial positive test, whenever they are around others. This includes individuals who test positive and have no symptoms or only mild symptoms. Under the new instructions, individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and have symptoms can leave isolation once they are fever free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication AND other symptoms are mild and improving, provided they wear a well-fitting high-quality mask when around others for 10 days following symptom onset. Individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 and have no symptoms are not required to isolate provided they wear a well-fitting, high-quality respiratory mask whenever they are around other people for 10 days following their positive test result. It remains strongly recommended that an individual test for COVID-19 prior to ending isolation and extend isolation until day 10 if they continue to test positive. Previous guidance required individuals to isolate for at least five days if they tested positive regardless of symptoms.

Other aspects of the updated instructions largely mirror previous Public Health instructions. Key highlights include:

o Masking for persons who test positive for COVID-19 – When around others, all individuals who test positive need to wear a well-fitting, high-quality respiratory mask for 10 days after their symptoms began or, if they do not have symptoms, from the date of their initial positive test. This is because individuals who are positive for COVID-19 are considered infectious starting two days before their symptoms began and for 10 days after symptoms began or the first positive test if no symptoms.

o Testing for close contacts – With easy access to at-home testing for COVID-19, it is important for individuals to assess their status if they have respiratory symptoms or had a known exposure to a person infected with COVID-19. Public Health advises everyone who is a close contact to a confirmed case to test immediately if they have symptoms and within 3-5 days of their last exposure date if they are not symptomatic.

o Ability for more protective policies – Businesses, organizations and schools can continue to implement more protective policies to protect their employees, students and customers, including adhering to the prior guidance on isolation for those testing positive for COVID-19.

Additional details are available on our website.

Free at-home COVID-19 tests are readily available throughout Los Angeles County from libraries, community-based organizations, food banks and senior centers. They also are available through the federal government by mail and at retail pharmacies with a California health insurance plan. To find a free COVID-19 test, visit ph.lacounty.gov/COVIDtests.

To reduce the risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses, residents should talk to a health care provider about oral antivirals soon after experiencing symptoms, such as coughing, sneezing, sore throat or fever. Medicine to treat flu and COVID-19 are readily available throughout Los Angeles County and reduce the risk of severe illness. Providers may prescribe antivirals for flu, including Tamiflu, ideally within 48 hours of symptom onset. Paxlovid, the antiviral medication that treats COVID-19 infection should be started

within five days of testing positive or developing symptoms of COVID-19.

Public Health continues to offer many free resources, such as vaccines, tests and treatment, to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, regardless of a person’s insurance or immigration status. Public Health staff remain available to answer questions about COVID-19 and help residents access community resources through the Public Health InfoLine at 1-833-540-0473, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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.

Weekly COVID-19 Data Table
Metric	Date of Weekly Report
Metric	1/10/2024	1/3/2024	12/27/2023	12/20/2023
Daily average cases	483	542	621	495
SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration as a percentage of the Winter 2022-2023 peak concentration value³	60%	49%	36%	39%
Daily average of the percent of Emergency Department (ED) encounters classified as coronavirus-related	4.5%	4.5%	4.8%	4.6%
Daily average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations	806	784	690	604
Daily average deaths	3.7	3.4	4.9	3.6
Percent of all deaths due to COVID-19	2.9%	3.8%	2.5%	2.0%
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. 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 do not include Long Beach and Pasadena. Daily average deaths include Long Beach and Pasadena for all weeks except 1/3/24. Long Beach and Pasadena are not included in the daily average death count for 1/3/24 because data was not available from CDPH due to the holiday.

• 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 Response Plan

• COVID -19 Vaccinations

• Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics

• Resp Watch: Viral Respiratory Surveillance for LA County

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

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.htmlCDC Spanish https://espanol.cdc.gov/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 01/08/2024
	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases (includes LB and Pas through 6/27/23; excludes LB and Pas after 6/27/23)	3,853,575
Deaths (includes LB and Pas)	37,156
Cases by Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	117,937
- 5 to 11	285,673
- 12 to 17	280,588
- 18 to 29	772,136
- 30 to 49	1,162,363
- 50 to 64	637,340
- 65 to 79	285,028
- over 80	104,880
- Under Investigation	2,637
Cases by Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1,888,091
- Male	1,668,690
- Other	1,958
- Under Investigation	89,843
Cases by Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	6,944
- Asian	273,751
- Black	195,162
- Hispanic/Latino	1,546,905
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	18,200
- White	512,605
- Other	422,856
- Under Investigation	672,159
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	193,102
Deaths by Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	83
- Asian	4,637
- Black	3,296
- Hispanic/Latino	17,048
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	115
- White	9,465
- Other	499
- Under Investigation	114
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	6586	31538
City of Alhambra	26451	30500
City of Arcadia	14327	24807
City of Artesia	6252	37225
City of Avalon	292	7547
City of Azusa	17966	35903
City of Baldwin Park	30445	39658
City of Bell	17302	47622
City of Bell Gardens	17452	40519
City of Bellflower	31611	40665
City of Beverly Hills	12042	34884
City of Bradbury	71	6642
City of Burbank	34036	31756
City of Calabasas	6149	25281
City of Carson	36243	38620
City of Cerritos	13970	27903
City of Claremont	10733	29418
City of Commerce*	5965	45642
City of Compton	41378	41418
City of Covina	20871	42566
City of Cudahy	12401	50934
City of Culver City	12481	31308
City of Diamond Bar	14150	24602
City of Downey	47950	41965
City of Duarte	7736	35138
City of El Monte	43885	37423
City of El Segundo	4248	25307
City of Gardena	22791	37173
City of Glendale	62335	30187
City of Glendora	15703	29761
City of Hawaiian Gardens	5143	35044
City of Hawthorne	30643	34513
City of Hermosa Beach	4923	25028
City of Hidden Hills	398	21058
City of Huntington Park	26773	45009
City of Industry	1042	238444
City of Inglewood	40053	35264
City of Irwindale	897	61480
City of La Canada Flintridge	4770	23051
City of La Habra Heights	217	3978
City of La Mirada	14720	29678
City of La Puente	16357	40192
City of La Verne	9537	28655
City of Lakewood	28034	34885
City of Lancaster*	66250	41004
City of Lawndale	10937	32537
City of Lomita	6378	30768
City of Lynwood*	31998	44413
City of Malibu	3000	23146
City of Manhattan Beach	7744	21512
City of Maywood	13121	46779
City of Monrovia	12301	31704
City of Montebello	26119	40573
City of Monterey Park	18148	29148
City of Norwalk	44133	41007
City of Palmdale	68700	43216
City of Palos Verdes Estates	2389	17668
City of Paramount	23300	41590
City of Pico Rivera	28752	44727
City of Pomona	67318	43172
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	8277	19363
City of Redondo Beach	16355	23807
City of Rolling Hills	317	16340
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1656	20412
City of Rosemead	15719	28399
City of San Dimas*	11438	33138
City of San Fernando	13093	53198
City of San Gabriel	12051	29426
City of San Marino	2546	19176
City of Santa Clarita	76784	34835
City of Santa Fe Springs	8058	43879
City of Santa Monica	27940	30223
City of Sierra Madre	2559	23287
City of Signal Hill	4248	36009
City of South El Monte	8601	41183
City of South Gate	48103	49007
City of South Pasadena	6578	25249
City of Temple City	11051	30314
City of Torrance	36157	24223
City of Vernon	363	173684
City of Walnut	7817	25603
City of West Covina	40759	37658
City of West Hollywood	11683	31618
City of Westlake Village	459	5490
City of Whittier	32075	36686
Los Angeles	1573354	38900
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	3282	40015
Los Angeles - Alsace	4661	37453
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	1	2500
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	860	34373
Los Angeles - Arleta	17331	50425
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	5223	35613
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	10661	34252
Los Angeles - Bel Air	2564	30419
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	3464	27657
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	4352	33037
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	41276	47507
Los Angeles - Brentwood	8792	28403
Los Angeles - Brookside	158	27194
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	2360	33141
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	26084	39952
Los Angeles - Carthay	4572	31832
Los Angeles - Central	17281	44319
Los Angeles - Century City	3942	30816
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	16714	49499
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	13472	36351
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	2673	29146
Los Angeles - Chinatown	3068	38250
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	5472	37600
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	5044	33287
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	5550	40133
Los Angeles - Crestview	4107	36128
Los Angeles - Del Rey	8822	29470
Los Angeles - Downtown*	16592	60319
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	14271	36048
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	9851	33636
Los Angeles - Echo Park	4613	32358
Los Angeles - El Sereno	17357	41516
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1885	33001
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	3672	36103
Los Angeles - Encino	15796	34969
Los Angeles - Exposition	1323	39778
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	18598	41405
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	1304	36222
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3896	44674
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	23302	49114
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	11325	35834
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	4339	40310
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	22424	38535
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	10318	47980
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	4883	28658
Los Angeles - Harbor City	9769	33605
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	16225	37213
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	666	27646
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	6295	34904
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	18481	48718
Los Angeles - Highland Park	17710	36598
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	5625	40555
Los Angeles - Hollywood	22349	32744
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	7934	26955
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	12363	43317
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	3243	40171
Los Angeles - Koreatown	16618	32147
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1639	35951
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	16812	39833
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	6348	48336
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	5986	39291
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	13129	40277
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	3122	38903
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	8866	31281
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1571	50144
Los Angeles - Longwood	1852	43030
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	6628	30674
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	3374	39527
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	951	30442
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	11483	27037
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	1002	22982
Los Angeles - Melrose	26996	34746
Los Angeles - Mid-city	4666	31045
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	5128	28513
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	12323	51082
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	8448	34989
Los Angeles - North Hills	26143	42457
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	60847	40184
Los Angeles - Northridge	26605	38118
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	5283	24813
Los Angeles - Pacoima	39757	51647
Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands	970	25221
Los Angeles - Palms	12581	28673
Los Angeles - Panorama City	34520	45874
Los Angeles - Park La Brea	3350	24669
Los Angeles - Pico-Union	16756	40046
Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey	636	19900
Los Angeles - Playa Vista	3600	32886
Los Angeles - Porter Ranch	11070	31106
Los Angeles - Rancho Park	2367	36082
Los Angeles - Regent Square	918	33022
Los Angeles - Reseda	33306	43471
Los Angeles - Reseda Ranch	1863	40186
Los Angeles - Reynier Village	1222	28903
Los Angeles - San Pedro*	27252	34921
Los Angeles - Shadow Hills	1357	30549
Los Angeles - Sherman Oaks	28834	33046
Los Angeles - Silverlake	13707	31094
Los Angeles - South Carthay	3420	32279
Los Angeles - South Park	17174	45241
Los Angeles - St Elmo Village	1918	41841
Los Angeles - Studio City	7344	32727
Los Angeles - Sun Valley	23850	45443
Los Angeles - Sunland	7138	34976
Los Angeles - Sycamore Square	215	33230
Los Angeles - Sylmar*	43446	52727
Los Angeles - Tarzana	11010	35659
Los Angeles - Temple-Beaudry	13817	34996
Los Angeles - Thai Town	2896	29524
Los Angeles - Toluca Lake	2652	30469
Los Angeles - Toluca Terrace	545	41730
Los Angeles - Toluca Woods	509	27395
Los Angeles - Tujunga	9287	33394
Los Angeles - University Hills	958	27938
Los Angeles - University Park	11811	43018
Los Angeles - Valley Glen	11534	38426
Los Angeles - Valley Village	8849	35797
Los Angeles - Van Nuys*	38787	41620
Los Angeles - Venice	9472	27953
Los Angeles - Vermont Knolls	7742	45012
Los Angeles - Vermont Square	3842	50176
Los Angeles - Vermont Vista	19182	46574
Los Angeles - Vernon Central	25108	48286
Los Angeles - Victoria Park	2897	34492
Los Angeles - View Heights	1163	31483
Los Angeles - Watts	20144	47204
Los Angeles - Wellington Square	1893	38515
Los Angeles - West Adams	11365	41133
Los Angeles - West Hills	13504	33306
Los Angeles - West Los Angeles	12213	32450
Los Angeles - West Vernon	25331	47221
Los Angeles - Westchester	14478	28057
Los Angeles - Westlake	21465	36164
Los Angeles - Westwood	17402	32161
Los Angeles - Wholesale District*	22950	63522
Los Angeles - Wilmington	24304	43026
Los Angeles - Wilshire Center	17527	34935
Los Angeles - Winnetka	20659	39893
Los Angeles - Woodland Hills	21599	31738
Unincorporated - Acton	2108	26446
Unincorporated - Agua Dulce	1037	24940
Unincorporated - Altadena	12297	28191
Unincorporated - Anaverde	433	28714
Unincorporated - Angeles National Forest	98	7871
Unincorporated - Arcadia	2355	29508
Unincorporated - Athens Village	2891	59036
Unincorporated - Athens-Westmont	18138	42736
Unincorporated - Avocado Heights	2803	41373
Unincorporated - Azusa	6507	40865
Unincorporated - Bassett	6368	42978
Unincorporated - Bouquet Canyon	221	20596
Unincorporated - Bradbury	156	144444
Unincorporated - Canyon Country	3925	50789
Unincorporated - Castaic*	10104	37159
Unincorporated - Cerritos	194	33049
Unincorporated - Charter Oak	10	50000
Unincorporated - Claremont	162	23077
Unincorporated - Covina	6454	38373
Unincorporated - Covina (Charter Oak)	5190	39486
Unincorporated - Del Aire	1266	28819
Unincorporated - Del Rey	152	47799
Unincorporated - Del Sur	726	30062
Unincorporated - Desert View Highlands	996	39952
Unincorporated - Duarte	2077	46906
Unincorporated - East Covina	92	27964
Unincorporated - East La Mirada	1697	32067
Unincorporated - East Lancaster	46	40351
Unincorporated - East Los Angeles	59878	47800
Unincorporated - East Pasadena	435	6794
Unincorporated - East Rancho Dominguez	6482	42344
Unincorporated - East Whittier	1484	27968
Unincorporated - El Camino Village	2848	32397
Unincorporated - El Monte	3	2069
Unincorporated - Elizabeth Lake	304	18302
Unincorporated - Florence-Firestone	30997	47905
Unincorporated - Franklin Canyon	2	16667
Unincorporated - Glendora	202	30606
Unincorporated - Hacienda Heights	17013	30421
Unincorporated - Harbor Gateway	4	4.00E+05
Unincorporated - Hawthorne	788	31344
Unincorporated - Hi Vista	175	15938
Unincorporated - Kagel/Lopez Canyons	361	25567
Unincorporated - La Crescenta-Montrose	4670	23585
Unincorporated - La Habra Heights	21	3107
Unincorporated - La Rambla	995	47952
Unincorporated - La Verne*	678	33235
Unincorporated - Ladera Heights	2187	30929
Unincorporated - Lake Hughes	213	31886
Unincorporated - Lake Los Angeles	4194	32276
Unincorporated - Lake Manor	483	29397
Unincorporated - Lakewood	27	23684
Unincorporated - Lennox	7890	35001
Unincorporated - Leona Valley	322	18389
Unincorporated - Littlerock	1460	36309
Unincorporated - Littlerock/Juniper Hills	372	28682
Unincorporated - Littlerock/Pearblossom	1356	37994
Unincorporated - Llano	114	12999
Unincorporated - Marina del Rey	2860	30390
Unincorporated - Miracle Mile	0	0
Unincorporated - Monrovia	1173	30224
Unincorporated - Newhall	109	49545
Unincorporated - North Lancaster	518	43239
Unincorporated - North Whittier	3243	38792
Unincorporated - Northeast San Gabriel	5589	23253
Unincorporated - Padua Hills	39	18140
Unincorporated - Palmdale	275	32660
Unincorporated - Palos Verdes Peninsula	137	22061
Unincorporated - Pearblossom/Llano	446	22802
Unincorporated - Pellissier Village	381	61551
Unincorporated - Placerita Canyon	25	5435
Unincorporated - Pomona	129	6656
Unincorporated - Quartz Hill	4040	31303
Unincorporated - Rancho Dominguez	1261	47388
Unincorporated - Roosevelt	289	31042
Unincorporated - Rosewood	532	41369
Unincorporated - Rosewood/East Gardena	567	47527
Unincorporated - Rosewood/West Rancho Dominguez	1401	41684
Unincorporated - Rowland Heights	12926	25334
Unincorporated - San Clemente Island	0	0
Unincorporated - San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon	47	5478
Unincorporated - San Jose Hills	8116	40136
Unincorporated - San Pasqual	91	4472
Unincorporated - Sand Canyon	64	20779
Unincorporated - Santa Catalina Island	605	226592
Unincorporated - Santa Monica Mountains*	4107	22056
Unincorporated - Saugus	365	235484
Unincorporated - Saugus/Canyon Country	152	42697
Unincorporated - South Antelope Valley	127	27912
Unincorporated - South El Monte	779	43398
Unincorporated - South San Gabriel	3381	38212
Unincorporated - South Whittier	22170	37435
Unincorporated - Southeast Antelope Valley	263	33675
Unincorporated - Stevenson Ranch	6301	30053
Unincorporated - Sun Village	2198	36415
Unincorporated - Sunrise Village	608	46914
Unincorporated - Twin Lakes/Oat Mountain	459	27684
Unincorporated - Val Verde	1267	38290
Unincorporated - Valencia	993	32324
Unincorporated - Valinda	9910	42403
Unincorporated - View Park/Windsor Hills	3805	32703
Unincorporated - Walnut Park	7582	46968
Unincorporated - West Antelope Valley	204	13501
Unincorporated - West Carson	8787	39785
Unincorporated - West Chatsworth	5	41667
Unincorporated - West LA	978	102731
Unincorporated - West Puente Valley	4353	44260
Unincorporated - West Rancho Dominguez	514	37822
Unincorporated - West Whittier/Los Nietos	11028	40958
Unincorporated - Westfield/Academy Hills	273	21000
Unincorporated - Westhills	209	24911
Unincorporated - White Fence Farms	971	26364
Unincorporated - Whittier	1033	27299
Unincorporated - Whittier Narrows	78	650000
Unincorporated - Willowbrook	17208	49288
Unincorporated - Wiseburn	2001	33201
Under Investigation	75064

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