As Schools Return from Spring Break and Holidays, Sensible Measures Strongly Recommended to Keep Schools Safe - 1,146 New Positive Cases and 15 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

As students return to campus after Spring Break and holidays, Public Health recommends a series of sensible safety steps that will keep staff, students, and families safe at schools. Given the rapid rise of the more infectious BA.2 subvariant across the U.S. and the world, residents need to remain vigilant and take actions to reduce transmission.

Given recent increases in cases of COVID, anyone with illness symptoms needs to stay home and get tested to be sure they aren’t infected. Parents are encouraged to use the test kits they received from their child’s school to test children before they return to class.

Masking and being fully vaccinated and boosted, if eligible, are also both strongly recommended and can prevent outbreaks, which typically increase after holidays with many gatherings.

With many school districts closed because of Spring Break, including Los Angeles Unified School District, there were far fewer tests administered, resulting in a higher positivity rate. For the week ending April 15, there were 311 positive tests among nearly 67,000 tests administered, resulting in a test positivity rate of 0.5%. By comparison, for the prior week ending April 8, nearly 450,000 tests were administered with 844 positive tests and a test positivity of 0.2%.

The number of new school-associated outbreaks was also lower due to many schools being closed. For the week ending April 16, there were six new school-associated outbreaks (three in elementary schools, one in a middle school, one in a high school, and one in youth sports). The week prior, there were 11 new school-associated outbreaks.

To promote safety at schools, Public Health is working with partners to ensure easy access to COVID-19 vaccines, and this week, there are 171 school-based clinics offering pediatric doses for those ages 5-11, as well as vaccines and boosters for eligible individuals 12 years of age and older. As a reminder, vaccines continue to provide the best protection against illness and hospitalizations and are the safest way to keep children in school and participating in other activities.

“I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost a loved one from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As schools re-open after the Spring Break and Spring holidays, additional precautions are warranted given the increased circulation of the more infectious BA.2 subvariant in LA County. Identifying those who are infected early so that they can isolate from others requires continued emphasis on testing. This is especially important at schools and we urge parents to take advantage of school sponsored testing opportunities, including using the antigen test kits sent home before the Spring break and allowing their children to participate in routine school-based testing. And while masking indoors is not required at most schools, safety at schools is significantly improved if students and staff are wearing high quality, well-fitting masks when indoors. This is particularly important at schools where testing after the spring break indicates significant numbers of infected students and staff. Families are also asked to follow isolation and quarantine guidance and are reminded that asymptomatic students remaining in school after an exposure to an infected person must wear a mask indoors for 10 days after their last exposure and must get tested as soon as possible after their exposure to make sure they aren’t infected.”

Today, Public Health reported 15 additional deaths and 1,146 new positive cases of COVID-19. Of the 15 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 50-64, five people were between the ages of 65-79, and eight people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 15 newly reported deaths, all had underlying health conditions. Additional information on the one death 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 31,899.

Public Health has reported a total of 2,855,687 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 2.5%. There are 230 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,797,600 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

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 including:

COVID-19 Daily Data (cases, deaths, testing, testing positivity rate, mortality rate, and hospitalizations)
Gender, Age, Race/Ethnicity and City/Community Cases and Deaths
Recovery Metrics
Contact Tracing Metrics
Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics
Citations due to Health Officer Order Noncompliance
Outbreaks:

Residential Congregate Settings
Non-Residential Settings
Homeless Service Settings

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
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

For more information:

Cases through 12:00pm 4/19/2022
	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	2,855,687
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)*	2,701,434
-- Long Beach	125,805
-- Pasadena	28,448
Deaths	31,899
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	30,223
-- Long Beach	1,264
-- Pasadena	412
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	83019
- 5 to 11	239974
- 12 to 17	234318
- 18 to 29	602111
- 30 to 49	861917
- 50 to 64	447345
- 65 to 79	174029
- over 80	56607
- Under Investigation	2114
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1374029
- Male	1251569
- Other	1122
- Under Investigation	74714
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	4968
- Asian	166779
- Black	135663
- Hispanic/Latino	1231589
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	13675
- White	349247
- Other	299504
- Under Investigation	500009
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	137,071
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	73
- Asian	3772
- Black	2800
- Hispanic/Latino	15533
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	111
- White	7527
- Other	312
- Under Investigation	95
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	4214	20179
City of Alhambra	17031	19638
City of Arcadia	8124	14067
City of Artesia	4185	24918
City of Avalon	63	1628
City of Azusa	13730	27438
City of Baldwin Park	22903	29834
City of Bell	13867	38167
City of Bell Gardens	14165	32888
City of Bellflower	23330	30012
City of Beverly Hills	8429	24418
City of Bradbury	66	6174
City of Burbank	22455	20951
City of Calabasas	4023	16540
City of Carson	25600	27279
City of Cerritos	8440	16857
City of Claremont	7042	19302
City of Commerce*	4516	34555
City of Compton	33123	33155
City of Covina	14687	29954
City of Cudahy	10029	41192
City of Culver City	7462	18718
City of Diamond Bar	9189	15977
City of Downey	35981	31490
City of Duarte	5182	23537
City of El Monte	33076	28205
City of El Segundo	2820	16800
City of Gardena	16252	26508
City of Glendale	44586	21592
City of Glendora	11817	22396
City of Hawaiian Gardens	4175	28448
City of Hawthorne	22621	25478
City of Hermosa Beach	3336	16960
City of Hidden Hills	264	13968
City of Huntington Park	22050	37069
City of Industry	401	91762
City of Inglewood	29420	25902
City of Irwindale	538	36875
City of La Canada Flintridge	2914	14082
City of La Habra Heights	162	2970
City of La Mirada	10467	21103
City of La Puente	12692	31187
City of La Verne	7086	21291
City of Lakewood	19032	23683
City of Lancaster*	50926	31519
City of Lawndale	8113	24136
City of Lomita	4334	20908
City of Lynwood*	24820	34450
City of Malibu	2133	16457
City of Manhattan Beach	5026	13961
City of Maywood	10566	37670
City of Monrovia	8289	21363
City of Montebello	19228	29869
City of Monterey Park	11575	18591
City of Norwalk	33240	30886
City of Palmdale	52995	33337
City of Palos Verdes Estates	1525	11278
City of Paramount	18925	33781
City of Pico Rivera	20979	32635
City of Pomona	52038	33372
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	4939	11554
City of Redondo Beach	10118	14728
City of Rolling Hills	190	9794
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1004	12375
City of Rosemead	10829	19565
City of San Dimas*	8083	23418
City of San Fernando	10444	42435
City of San Gabriel	7634	18640
City of San Marino	1451	10929
City of Santa Clarita	54163	24572
City of Santa Fe Springs	6372	34698
City of Santa Monica	17300	18714
City of Sierra Madre	1539	14005
City of Signal Hill	2850	24159
City of South El Monte	6581	31511
City of South Gate	38395	39117
City of South Pasadena	4055	15564
City of Temple City	6244	17128
City of Torrance	23000	15409
City of Vernon	308	147368
City of Walnut	4904	16062
City of West Covina	29316	27086
City of West Hollywood	8094	21905
City of Westlake Village	280	3349
City of Whittier	23746	27159
Los Angeles	1176742	29094
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	2614	31870
Los Angeles - Alsace	3542	28461
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	6	15000
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	635	25380
Los Angeles - Arleta	13629	39654
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	3553	24226
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	7518	24154
Los Angeles - Bel Air	1500	17796
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	2382	19018
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	3066	23275
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	33300	38327
Los Angeles - Brentwood	5624	18168
Los Angeles - Brookside	99	17040
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	1832	25727
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	20118	30814
Los Angeles - Carthay	2938	20455
Los Angeles - Central	14862	38116
Los Angeles - Century City	2384	18637
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	13477	39913
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	9314	25132
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	1661	18111
Los Angeles - Chinatown	1994	24860
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	4061	27905
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	3656	24127
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	3996	28896
Los Angeles - Crestview	2885	25378
Los Angeles - Del Rey	6009	20073
Los Angeles - Downtown*	11866	43138
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	9275	23428
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	7343	25073
Los Angeles - Echo Park	3366	23611
Los Angeles - El Sereno	13292	31793
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1376	24090
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	2724	26782
Los Angeles - Encino	10379	22977
Los Angeles - Exposition	975	29314
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	14474	32224
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	898	24944
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3027	34709
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	19493	41085
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	8046	25459
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	3201	29738
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	16041	27566
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	8529	39661
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	3406	19989
Los Angeles - Harbor City	7013	24125
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	12153	27874
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	457	18971
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	5154	28578
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	14975	39475
Los Angeles - Highland Park	13002	26869
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	4276	30829
Los Angeles - Hollywood	16115	23610
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	5306	18027
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	9244	32388
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	2507	31054
Los Angeles - Koreatown	12972	25094
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1242	27243
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	12266	29062
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	4604	35057
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	4257	27942
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	10099	30981
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	2439	30393
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	6858	24196
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1098	35046
Los Angeles - Longwood	1323	30739
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	3845	17794
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	2388	27976
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	522	16709
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	7353	17313
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	670	15367
Los Angeles - Melrose	20186	25981
Los Angeles - Mid-city	3442	22901
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	3455	19210
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	9409	39003
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	6375	26403
Los Angeles - North Hills	20019	32512
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	46299	30576
Los Angeles - Northridge	19101	27367
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	3358	15772
Los Angeles - Pacoima	32062	41650
Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands	618	16069
Los Angeles - Palms	8031	18303
Los Angeles - Panorama City	27059	35959
Los Angeles - Park La Brea	2254	16598
Los Angeles - Pico-Union	13867	33141
Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey	411	12860
Los Angeles - Playa Vista	2271	20745
Los Angeles - Porter Ranch	7219	20285
Los Angeles - Rancho Park	1436	21890
Los Angeles - Regent Square	641	23058
Los Angeles - Reseda	24637	32156
Los Angeles - Reseda Ranch	1413	30479
Los Angeles - Reynier Village	863	20412
Los Angeles - San Pedro*	19675	25212
Los Angeles - Shadow Hills	981	22085
Los Angeles - Sherman Oaks	18950	21718
Los Angeles - Silverlake	9672	21940
Los Angeles - South Carthay	2305	21756
Los Angeles - South Park	14866	39161
Los Angeles - St Elmo Village	1532	33421
Los Angeles - Studio City	4658	20758
Los Angeles - Sun Valley	18789	35800
Los Angeles - Sunland	5091	24946
Los Angeles - Sycamore Square	115	17774
Los Angeles - Sylmar*	33504	40661
Los Angeles - Tarzana	7691	24909
Los Angeles - Temple-Beaudry	11030	27937
Los Angeles - Thai Town	2200	22 #####