With Pediatric Hospitalizations Increasing and In-Person Learning Resuming this Week, Parents and Children Are Urged to Take Precaution Amid Surging Transmission; 16,269 New Positive Cases and 8 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

According to Public Health data, pediatric hospitalizations increased by nearly 190% between December 4th and December 25th. And while the numbers of children hospitalized remain very small, those 0-4 years old saw the biggest rise in rates with a 3.25-fold increase, followed by 12-to-17- year- old teens, who had a 3.0-fold increase, and 5-to-11 -year- old, who saw an increase of 1.5-fold. Cases among children have also increased by 197% from the two-week period starting on November 8^th to the two-week period ending on December 26th.

With pediatric cases and hospitalizations rising and many children returning to in-person learning this week, Public Health asks that everyone focus on following the public health safety measures that reduce spread including wearing a medical grade mask indoors and in outdoor crowded spaces; testing all staff and students before or during the first few days of schools reopening; and strictly adhering to the revised quarantine and isolation requirements outlined in the LA County Health Officer Order issued on December 31. Along with getting vaccinated and boosted, these are critical steps to help reduce transmission in the community and at our schools.

This week, in an effort to increase capacity at schools to offer testing to returning students, LA County Public Health and the LA County Office of Education are working to distribute at-home test kits provided by the state for the county’s 1.4 million school aged students. Additionally, the L.A. County Home Test Collection program is offering free, at-home COVID nasal swab test kits via mail to all L.A. County residents who have experienced COVID-19 symptoms or believe they may have been exposed. These kits are free of charge and can be requested through the program’s website at www.covid19.lacounty.gov/hometest.

“I send my heartfelt condolences to everyone mourning the loss of a loved one to COVID-19,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As students return to the classroom, we all need to follow the public health safety measures in place to ensure our schools can open safely after the winter break. Because higher community transmission creates additional challenges at our schools, everyone needs to do their part to slow the spread of the virus.”

“Most importantly, given that vaccinations and boosters provide the most protection against COVID-19, reducing transmission and disruptions in learning at schools, families need to act urgently to get their school-aged children vaccinated,” Ferrer continued. “Additionally, staff, teachers and older teens should be getting their boosters as soon as they are eligible. An important protection from transmission of this airborne virus are well-fitting, higher-grade masks and these should be worn by everyone at schools when indoors and in outdoor crowded spaces. And where possible, children and staff should have a negative COVID-19 test the first week they return to the classroom. I am grateful to the state, our partners at LACOE, and school district administrators and staff for everything they are doing to distribute these test kits to the students so that there is an additional layer of safety as schools reopen for a new semester.”

Today, Public Health confirmed 8 additional deaths and 16,269 new cases of COVID-19. Today’s number of cases and deaths reflect the weekend reporting delays. Of the 8 new deaths reported today, two people were between the ages of 30 and 49, one was between the ages of 50-64, three were between the ages of 65-79, and two were over the age of 80 years old. Of the 8 newly reported deaths, 7 had underlying conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 27,647.

Public Health has identified a total 1,757,522 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 22.5%.

There are 1,792 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 10,113,300 individuals, with 16% of people testing positive.

While we continue to experience the surge in cases, Public Health is reminding residents to avoid visiting the emergency room unless they need emergency medical care. Residents should not be visiting the emergency department solely to get a COVID test or for minor complaints that could be resolved through their primary care physician. Emergency room visits should be reserved for those patients who are feeling severely ill – for example, those who are short of breath – or who have serious concerns about their health and who require immediate emergency care.

To keep workplaces and schools open, residents and workers are asked to:

Get tested to help reduce the spread, especially if you traveled for the holidays, have had a possible exposure, or have symptoms, or are gathering with people not in your household

Adhere to masking requirements when indoors or at crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status

Residents are legally required to be isolated if they have a positive COVID test result and that vaccinated close contacts with symptoms and unvaccinated close contacts need to quarantine. For updated isolation and quarantine guidance, please visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are recommended for everyone 5 years old and older to help protect against COVID-19. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites and many community sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

To find a vaccination site near you, or to make an appointment, please visit:

www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

If you need assistance, you can also call 1-833-540-0473 for help:

Finding an appointment

Connect to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or

Schedule a home visit if you are homebound.

For more information regarding COVID-19 in LA County you can also visit the Public Health website at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov here you will find information on:

COVID-19 sector protocols & best practices,

COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboards, and

COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive and, Recovery Dashboards

Please see additional information below:

Cases through 6:00pm 01/02/2022
	Total Cases	NEW
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	1757522	16269
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)*	1667963	16269
-- Long Beach	73,646	0
-- Pasadena	15,913	0
Deaths	27647	8
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	26201	8
-- Long Beach	1075	0
-- Pasadena	371	0
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	44427
- 5 to 11	97111
- 12 to 17	106414
- 18 to 29	404798
- 30 to 49	561801
- 50 to 64	296470
- 65 to 79	115815
- over 80	40111
- Under Investigation	1016
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	843050
- Male	784186
- Other	808
- Under Investigation	39919
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	2887
- Asian	86749
- Black	86875
- Hispanic/Latino	810181
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	6829
- White	223283
- Other	151548
- Under Investigation	299611
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	111646	**DATA Under reported
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	61
- Asian	3380
- Black	2343
- Hispanic/Latino	13845
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	97
- White	6238
- Other	202
- Under Investigation	35
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	1959	9381
City of Alhambra	10191	11751
City of Arcadia	4420	7653
City of Artesia	2748	16362
City of Avalon	36	930
City of Azusa	8711	17408
City of Baldwin Park	16185	21083
City of Bell	8374	23049
City of Bell Gardens	9754	22646
City of Bellflower	14973	19262
City of Beverly Hills	5250	15209
City of Bradbury	46	4303
City of Burbank	14109	13164
City of Calabasas	2445	10052
City of Carson	14615	15573
City of Cerritos	4925	9837
City of Claremont	3654	10015
City of Commerce*	3005	22993
City of Compton	21898	21919
City of Covina	9331	19030
City of Cudahy	5918	24307
City of Culver City	4174	10470
City of Diamond Bar	5102	8871
City of Downey	23609	20662
City of Duarte	3269	14848
City of El Monte	21323	18183
City of El Segundo	1673	9967
City of Gardena	9479	15461
City of Glendale	30289	14668
City of Glendora	7373	13974
City of Hawaiian Gardens	2857	19467
City of Hawthorne	14915	16799
City of Hermosa Beach	2139	10874
City of Hidden Hills	182	9630
City of Huntington Park	13622	22900
City of Industry	219	50114
City of Inglewood	19799	17431
City of Irwindale	362	24812
City of La Canada Flintridge	1584	7655
City of La Habra Heights	134	2456
City of La Mirada	6540	13186
City of La Puente	8397	20633
City of La Verne	4519	13578
City of Lakewood	11486	14293
City of Lancaster*	33283	20600
City of Lawndale	5114	15214
City of Lomita	2438	11761
City of Lynwood*	16578	23010
City of Malibu	1043	8047
City of Manhattan Beach	3100	8611
City of Maywood	6273	22364
City of Monrovia	4930	12706
City of Montebello	13232	20555
City of Monterey Park	6772	10877
City of Norwalk	21307	19798
City of Palmdale	34056	21423
City of Palos Verdes Estates	934	6907
City of Paramount	12733	22728
City of Pico Rivera	14255	22175
City of Pomona	33418	21431
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	2864	6700
City of Redondo Beach	5864	8536
City of Rolling Hills	117	6031
City of Rolling Hills Estates	596	7346
City of Rosemead	6516	11772
City of San Dimas*	4922	14260
City of San Fernando	6836	27775
City of San Gabriel	4502	10993
City of San Marino	782	5890
City of Santa Clarita	34139	15488
City of Santa Fe Springs	3968	21607
City of Santa Monica	10245	11082
City of Sierra Madre	889	8090
City of Signal Hill	1803	15284
City of South El Monte	4275	20469
City of South Gate	23631	24075
City of South Pasadena	2374	9112
City of Temple City	3479	9543
City of Torrance	12869	8621
City of Vernon	155	74163
City of Walnut	2737	8964
City of West Covina	18294	16902
City of West Hollywood	5385	14573
City of Westlake Village	190	2273
City of Whittier	15342	17547
Los Angeles	718380	17761
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	1555	18959
Los Angeles - Alsace	2151	17284
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	5	12500
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	416	16627
Los Angeles - Arleta	8778	25540
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	2174	14823
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	4397	14127
Los Angeles - Bel Air	892	10583
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	1436	11465
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	1851	14051
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	21078	24260
Los Angeles - Brentwood	3388	10945
Los Angeles - Brookside	65	11188
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	1068	14998
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	12500	19146
Los Angeles - Carthay	1885	13124
Los Angeles - Central	9083	23295
Los Angeles - Century City	1253	9795
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	8197	24276
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	5624	15175
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	959	10457
Los Angeles - Chinatown	1215	15148
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	2359	16210
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	2200	14519
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	2287	16538
Los Angeles - Crestview	1809	15913
Los Angeles - Del Rey	3623	12102
Los Angeles - Downtown*	7112	25855
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	5465	13804
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	4454	15208
Los Angeles - Echo Park	2130	14941
Los Angeles - El Sereno	8336	19939
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	832	14566
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	1725	16960
Los Angeles - Encino	6200	13725
Los Angeles - Exposition	527	15845
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	8358	18608
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	514	14278
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	1863	21362
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	11633	24519
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	4885	15457
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	2065	19184
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	9813	16863
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	5061	23534
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	2033	11931
Los Angeles - Harbor City	3862	13285
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	6990	16032
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	263	10917
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	3207	17782
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	9266	24426
Los Angeles - Highland Park	8090	16718
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	2692	19409
Los Angeles - Hollywood	10329	15133
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	3368	11443
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	5512	19313
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	1541	19088
Los Angeles - Koreatown	7430	14373
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	743	16297
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	7634	18087
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	3039	23140
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	2528	16593
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	6533	20042
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	1524	18991
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	3835	13531
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	614	19598
Los Angeles - Longwood	810	18820
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	2243	10380
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	1485	17397
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	301	9635
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	4236	9974
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	393	9014
Los Angeles - Melrose	12748	16408
Los Angeles - Mid-city	1982	13187
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	2137	11882
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	5875	24353
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	3999	16562
Los Angeles - North Hills	12211	19831
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	29564	19524
Los Angeles - Northridge	11265	16140
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	1813	8515
Los Angeles - Pacoima	21106	27418
Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands	321	8346
Los Angeles - Palms	4786	10908
Los Angeles - Panorama City	16864	22411
Los Angeles - Park La Brea	1284	9455
Los Angeles - Pico-Union	8632	20630
Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey	267	8354
Los Angeles - Playa Vista	1320	12058
Los Angeles - Porter Ranch	4184	11757
Los Angeles - Rancho Park	817	12454
Los Angeles - Regent Square	409	14712
Los Angeles - Reseda	15652	20429
Los Angeles - Reseda Ranch	919	19823
Los Angeles - Reynier Village	463	10951
Los Angeles - San Pedro*	11487	14720
Los Angeles - Shadow Hills	635	14295
Los Angeles - Sherman Oaks	11341	12998
Los Angeles - Silverlake	5718	12971
Los Angeles - South Carthay	1446	13648
Los Angeles - South Park	9057	23859 #####