Despite Surging Transmission, Vaccines Still Prove to be the Best Protection from ICU Admission and Death - 21,790 New Positive Cases and 24 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

Although cases have increased among vaccinated people over the past few weeks, Public Health data suggests that vaccines remain extremely protective against the most severe outcomes from COVID infections.

Rate ratios are a key metric for evaluating the protection offered by vaccines. These ratios compare rates of an outcome in unvaccinated people with rates of the same outcome in fully vaccinated people; the higher the rate ratio, the more protective the vaccine is against the outcome.

From December 15-28th, the rate ratio for ICU admission was 21.3, indicating the risk of ICU admission was 21.3 times higher among unvaccinated individuals than among fully vaccinated individuals. For the week of December 19-25th, the age-adjusted death rate in unvaccinated people was 4.5 per 100,000 and 0.02 per 100,000 in vaccinated individuals, yielding a rate ratio for deaths of 22.3 overall. Of note, the rate ratio for deaths has held steady over the course of the latest surge. While increases in deaths generally lag behind transmission surges, increasing the number of people who are vaccinated will help reduce the worst outcomes of Covid infections.

“I send my heartfelt condolences to those families who have lost a loved one due to COVID-19,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Even as transmission surges, we are seeing that vaccines are doing what they were intended to do, which is protect people from getting severely ill due to Covid.”

“We are grateful to the 80% of eligible residents who have already received at least one dose of vaccine – and we hope that the almost 2 million people who have yet to be vaccinated take time to talk with their health care provider to receive additional information about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines,” Ferrer continued. “Choosing not to take the vaccine during this explosive winter surge is very risky since so many of those ill with Covid in the intensive care units at hospitals are unvaccinated, and tragically, some of these individuals will not survive. So, as we start this new year, please protect yourselves by getting vaccinated and boosted if eligible and give others around you the peace of mind that comes from reducing the risk of a terrible outcome as more and more people are infected with this virus.”

Today, Public Health confirmed 24 additional deaths and 21,790 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 24 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 18 and 29, two people were between the ages of 30 and 49, four were between the ages of 50-64, seven were between the ages of 65-79, and nine were over the age of 80 years old. Of the 24 newly reported deaths, 20 had underlying conditions. Information on the one death reported by the City of Pasadena is available at www.CityofPasdena.net To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 27,671.

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 01/03/2022
	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	1780154
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)*	1687740
-- Long Beach	75,455
-- Pasadena	16,959
Deaths	27671
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	26224
-- Long Beach	1075
-- Pasadena	372
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	45157
- 5 to 11	98431
- 12 to 17	107838
- 18 to 29	409633
- 30 to 49	568805
- 50 to 64	299648
- 65 to 79	116862
- over 80	40341
- Under Investigation	1025
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	853721
- Male	792999
- Other	815
- Under Investigation	40205
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	2919
- Asian	88251
- Black	88155
- Hispanic/Latino	817243
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	6976
- White	226210
- Other	154074
- Under Investigation	303912
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	111701	**DATA Under reported
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	61
- Asian	3383
- Black	2345
- Hispanic/Latino	13856
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	97
- White	6244
- Other	203
- Under Investigation	35
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate	Deaths
City of Agoura Hills	2010	9625	20
City of Alhambra	10339	11922	223
City of Arcadia	4505	7800	150
City of Artesia	2771	16499	81
City of Avalon	36	930	0
City of Azusa	8865	17716	137
City of Baldwin Park	16474	21459	349
City of Bell	8425	23189	129
City of Bell Gardens	9828	22818	124
City of Bellflower	15180	19528	219
City of Beverly Hills	5336	15458	36
City of Bradbury	46	4303	0
City of Burbank	14307	13349	268
City of Calabasas	2490	10237	34
City of Carson	14830	15802	275
City of Cerritos	5016	10019	63
City of Claremont	3705	10155	66
City of Commerce*	3040	23261	42
City of Compton	22126	22147	293
City of Covina	9525	19426	186
City of Cudahy	6015	24705	67
City of Culver City	4251	10663	117
City of Diamond Bar	5218	9072	94
City of Downey	23932	20945	333
City of Duarte	3324	15098	105
City of El Monte	21505	18338	470
City of El Segundo	1722	10259	10
City of Gardena	9580	15626	228
City of Glendale	30586	14812	729
City of Glendora	7517	14246	212
City of Hawaiian Gardens	2889	19685	27
City of Hawthorne	15095	17001	249
City of Hermosa Beach	2172	11042	11
City of Hidden Hills	189	10000	2
City of Huntington Park	13706	23041	192
City of Industry	223	51030	5
City of Inglewood	20009	17616	360
City of Irwindale	369	25291	7
City of La Canada Flintridge	1605	7756	17
City of La Habra Heights	135	2475	2
City of La Mirada	6629	13365	141
City of La Puente	8526	20950	137
City of La Verne	4610	13851	67
City of Lakewood	11660	14509	137
City of Lancaster*	33582	20785	368
City of Lawndale	5189	15437	60
City of Lomita	2468	11906	47
City of Lynwood*	16742	23238	265
City of Malibu	1092	8425	13
City of Manhattan Beach	3137	8714	19
City of Maywood	6320	22532	99
City of Monrovia	4992	12866	87
City of Montebello	13376	20778	243
City of Monterey Park	6862	11021	210
City of Norwalk	21570	20042	428
City of Palmdale	34358	21613	382
City of Palos Verdes Estates	951	7033	10
City of Paramount	12851	22939	180
City of Pico Rivera	14434	22453	296
City of Pomona	33852	21710	514
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	2930	6854	69
City of Redondo Beach	5973	8695	58
City of Rolling Hills	121	6237	3
City of Rolling Hills Estates	612	7543	8
City of Rosemead	6574	11877	169
City of San Dimas*	5020	14544	103
City of San Fernando	6903	28047	73
City of San Gabriel	4550	11110	220
City of San Marino	801	6033	10
City of Santa Clarita	34799	15787	310
City of Santa Fe Springs	4033	21961	49
City of Santa Monica	10391	11240	198
City of Sierra Madre	901	8199	14
City of Signal Hill	1835	15555	11
City of South El Monte	4323	20699	77
City of South Gate	23842	24290	267
City of South Pasadena	2413	9262	49
City of Temple City	3537	9702	130
City of Torrance	13075	8759	253
City of Vernon	156	74641	0
City of Walnut	2793	9148	41
City of West Covina	18626	17209	310
City of West Hollywood	5443	14730	45
City of Westlake Village	191	2285	1
City of Whittier	15519	17750	289
Los Angeles	725735	17943	10907
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	1568	19117	18
Los Angeles - Alsace	2180	17517	23
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	5	12500	0
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	420	16787	6
Los Angeles - Arleta	8879	25834	127
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	2201	15008	29
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	4455	14313	82
Los Angeles - Bel Air	910	10796	3
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	1461	11665	7
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	1873	14218	4
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	21236	24442	330
Los Angeles - Brentwood	3452	11152	21
Los Angeles - Brookside	66	11360	2
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	1075	15096	11
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	12626	19339	183
Los Angeles - Carthay	1912	13312	79
Los Angeles - Central	9124	23400	144
Los Angeles - Century City	1283	10030	16
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	8252	24439	114
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	5724	15445	92
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	984	10729	9
Los Angeles - Chinatown	1226	15285	16
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	2396	16464	29
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	2221	14657	84
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	2315	16740	36
Los Angeles - Crestview	1828	16080	47
Los Angeles - Del Rey	3663	12236	35
Los Angeles - Downtown*	7173	26077	58
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	5538	13989	123
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	4490	15331	135
Los Angeles - Echo Park	2149	15074	24
Los Angeles - El Sereno	8424	20149	118
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	837	14653	5
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	1747	17176	28
Los Angeles - Encino	6317	13984	76
Los Angeles - Exposition	533	16025	7
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	8424	18755	94
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	524	14556	3
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	1879	21546	32
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	11686	24631	138
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	4952	15669	64
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	2093	19444	35
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	9961	17118	207
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	5089	23664	57
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	2055	12061	7
Los Angeles - Harbor City	3907	13440	39
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	7045	16158	88
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	269	11166	2
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	3232	17921	73
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	9329	24592	112
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