Two Years After the First Case of COVID-19 was Identified in LA County, Sensible Public Health Measures Contribute to Slowing the Spread - 20,866 New Positive Cases and 91 New Deaths Due to COVID- 19 in Los Angeles County; Including One 15-Month-Old

On the two-year anniversary of LA County’s first confirmed COVID-19 case, Public Health reports an additional 91 deaths due to COVID-19, which tragically includes a 15-month-old. This is the youngest resident to die of COVID-19 since the pandemic began and a stark reminder that the virus can cause devastating outcomes among those most vulnerable, including young children not yet eligible for vaccinations.

To protect school-aged children, Public Health and LA County schools have implemented safety measures that are resulting in fewer cases among students and staff. For the week ending January 23rd, schools conducted 555,879 tests and confirmed 40,694 positive tests, with a test positivity of 7%. This is a 33% decrease from the prior week, when test positivity was 11%. Of note, most of these tests (70%) are conducted by LAUSD alone. In the week ending January 23rd, LAUSD conducted approximately 389,000 tests, detected 30,379 positive tests, and had a test positivity of 7.8%.

Despite declines in cases, the number of school outbreaks increased reflecting the highly infectious Omicron variant. Between January 16^th-22^nd, there were 11 new school outbreaks opened (9 in elementary schools, 1 in a high school, and 1 in youth sports). These numbers remain relatively low given the high numbers of new cases and suggest that schools continue to successfully implement public health measures that reduce spread.

The comprehensive approach utilized by schools to reduce transmission includes school-based vaccine clinics, testing, and upgraded mask requirements for staff to help maintain a safe school environment. This week there are nearly 190 school-based vaccine clinics scheduled, offering first, second and third doses. Public Health is also distributing an additional nearly 1 million home test kits to school districts over the next 2 weeks, facilitating increased response testing capacity at many schools.

Parents are reminded that the COVID-19 vaccine is the very best way to protect their child from COVID-19 and that already more than 15 million children ages five and older have safely received the vaccine across this country. For more information about the vaccine, parents can visit VaccineLACounty.com or VacunateLosAngeles.com.

“As we mark the two-year anniversary of the first case detected in LA County, I send my heartfelt condolences and wishes of healing to the family who suffered the devastating loss of their small child, and to the countless people who have lost a loved one to this pandemic,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Prioritizing and ensuring safety at schools during a surge is only possible if all those at the school commit to complying fully with public health measures; this cannot be accomplished by staff alone. Wearing a high- grade face mask both indoors and outdoors when around others is absolutely essential for staff and highly recommended for students, as all evidence points to the effectiveness of well-fitting high-quality masks in limiting spread of virus particles,” Ferrer continued. “Frequent testing can help identify asymptomatic individuals before they have a lot of opportunities to transmit to others, so parents are urged to allow their children to participate in school testing programs. And everyone infected and exposed will need to follow the school-based isolation and quarantine rules that are meant to reduce school outbreaks. Without everyone working together to minimize exposures, there could be more disruptions affecting school communities across the county.”

Today, Public Health confirmed 91 additional deaths and 20,866 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 91 new deaths reported today, one person who died was between the ages of 0-4, one person was between the ages of 18 and 29, eight people were between the ages of 30 and 49, 14 were between the ages of 50 and 64, 34 were between the ages of 65-79, and 30 were over the age of 80 years old. Of the 91 newly reported deaths, 79 had underlying conditions. Information on the three deaths reported by the City of Long Beach is available at www.longbeach.gov To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 28,630.

Public Health has identified a total 2,560,768 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 13.6%.

There are 4,534 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 10,947,900 individuals, with 21% of people testing positive.

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

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

Remain home when sick, isolate if positive and quarantine when in close contact.

Residents are legally required to be isolated if they have a positive COVID test result and are vaccinated. Close contacts with symptoms and unvaccinated close contacts need to be quarantined.

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, connecting 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 12:00pm 01/25/2022
	Total Cases	NEW
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	2,560,768	20866
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)*	2,420,665	18123
-- Long Beach	114,905	2461
-- Pasadena	25,198	282
Deaths	28,630	91
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	27,140	88
-- Long Beach	1,112	3
-- Pasadena	378	0
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	71966
- 5 to 11	206711
- 12 to 17	205317
- 18 to 29	549263
- 30 to 49	778482
- 50 to 64	403314
- 65 to 79	154084
- over 80	49883
- Under Investigation	1645
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1229068
- Male	1123008
- Other	895
- Under Investigation	67694
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	4298
- Asian	136937
- Black	122190
- Hispanic/Latino	1117735
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	12388
- White	307295
- Other	263861
- Under Investigation	455961
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	122106	**DATA Under reported
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	64
- Asian	3469
- Black	2460
- Hispanic/Latino	14228
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	97
- White	6541
- Other	230
- Under Investigation	51
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	2816	13485
City of Alhambra	14870	17146
City of Arcadia	7019	12153
City of Artesia	3722	22161
City of Avalon	56	1447
City of Azusa	12542	25064
City of Baldwin Park	21128	27522
City of Bell	12331	33940
City of Bell Gardens	12589	29228
City of Bellflower	21181	27248
City of Beverly Hills	7337	21254
City of Bradbury	55	5145
City of Burbank	19917	18583
City of Calabasas	3456	14209
City of Carson	22967	24473
City of Cerritos	7444	14868
City of Claremont	5378	14741
City of Commerce*	4045	30951
City of Compton	30274	30303
City of Covina	13467	27466
City of Cudahy	8970	36842
City of Culver City	6531	16383
City of Diamond Bar	8057	14009
City of Downey	32682	28602
City of Duarte	4690	21303
City of El Monte	29665	25297
City of El Segundo	2486	14810
City of Gardena	14647	23890
City of Glendale	40331	19531
City of Glendora	10661	20205
City of Hawaiian Gardens	3798	25879
City of Hawthorne	20776	23400
City of Hermosa Beach	3014	15323
City of Hidden Hills	227	12011
City of Huntington Park	19773	33241
City of Industry	309	70709
City of Inglewood	27051	23816
City of Irwindale	490	33585
City of La Canada Flintridge	2555	12347
City of La Habra Heights	153	2805
City of La Mirada	9397	18946
City of La Puente	11558	28400
City of La Verne	6469	19437
City of Lakewood	16848	20965
City of Lancaster*	45776	28332
City of Lawndale	7404	22027
City of Lomita	3827	18462
City of Lynwood*	22302	30955
City of Malibu	1840	14196
City of Manhattan Beach	4407	12242
City of Maywood	9319	33224
City of Monrovia	7379	19018
City of Montebello	17554	27268
City of Monterey Park	10132	16273
City of Norwalk	30270	28126
City of Palmdale	47975	30179
City of Palos Verdes Estates	1342	9925
City of Paramount	17101	30525
City of Pico Rivera	18983	29530
City of Pomona	46868	30057
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	4330	10129
City of Redondo Beach	8958	13040
City of Rolling Hills	171	8814
City of Rolling Hills Estates	862	10625
City of Rosemead	9465	17100
City of San Dimas*	7219	20915
City of San Fernando	9579	38920
City of San Gabriel	6556	16008
City of San Marino	1206	9083
City of Santa Clarita	49426	22423
City of Santa Fe Springs	5767	31404
City of Santa Monica	15000	16226
City of Sierra Madre	1339	12185
City of Signal Hill	2611	22133
City of South El Monte	5988	28671
City of South Gate	34299	34944
City of South Pasadena	3551	13630
City of Temple City	5454	14961
City of Torrance	20074	13448
City of Vernon	249	119139
City of Walnut	4234	13867
City of West Covina	26587	24564
City of West Hollywood	7150	19350
City of Westlake Village	248	2967
City of Whittier	21317	24381
Los Angeles	1051002	25985
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	2303	28079
Los Angeles - Alsace	3177	25528
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	6	15000
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	556	22222
Los Angeles - Arleta	12589	36628
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	3191	21758
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	6702	21533
Los Angeles - Bel Air	1285	15245
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	2053	16391
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	2676	20314
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	29808	34308
Los Angeles - Brentwood	4849	15665
Los Angeles - Brookside	83	14286
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	1652	23199
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	18172	27833
Los Angeles - Carthay	2568	17879
Los Angeles - Central	13376	34304
Los Angeles - Century City	1977	15455
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	12297	36418
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	8352	22536
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	1394	15200
Los Angeles - Chinatown	1761	21955
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	3567	24510
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	3164	20880
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	3512	25396
Los Angeles - Crestview	2540	22343
Los Angeles - Del Rey	5389	18002
Los Angeles - Downtown*	10428	37910
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	8047	20326
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	6465	22075
Los Angeles - Echo Park	2953	20714
Los Angeles - El Sereno	11950	28583
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1212	21218
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	2403	23626
Los Angeles - Encino	9152	20260
Los Angeles - Exposition	866	26037
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	12561	27965
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	782	21722
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	2755	31590
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	17657	37216
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	7121	22532
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	2930	27220
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	14423	24786
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	7723	35913
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	2938	17243
Los Angeles - Harbor City	6255	21517
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	10981	25186
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	427	17725
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	4543	25190
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	13565	35759
Los Angeles - Highland Park	11634	24042
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	3813	27491
Los Angeles - Hollywood	14199	20803
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	4629	15727
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	8279	29007
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	2228	27598
Los Angeles - Koreatown	11030	21338
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1100	24128
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	11159	26439
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	4227	32186
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	3815	25041
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	9155	28085
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	2101	26181
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	5714	20160
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	931	29716
Los Angeles - Longwood	1185	27533
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	3308	15309
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	2188	25633
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	457	14629
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	6400	15069
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	577	13234
Los Angeles - Melrose	17605	22659
Los Angeles - Mid-city	3033	20180
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	3036	16881
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	8679	35977
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	5652	23409
Los Angeles - North Hills	18199	29556
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	42062	27778
Los Angeles - Northridge	17115	24521
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	2690	12634
Los Angeles - Pacoima	29418	38216
Los Angeles - Palisades Highland #####