The Number of Students Testing Positive Increases at K-12 Schools After Spring Break - 1,686 New Positive Cases and 10 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

With the highly infectious BA.2 subvariant dominating in LA County and increased gatherings over the Spring Break and holidays, more students and staff tested positive this past week than prior to Spring break.

For the week ending April 22, there were 1,842 positive tests among the 529,000 tests administered, resulting in a test positivity rate of 0.35%. There were 844 positive tests among 450,000 tests administered for the week ending April 8 and test positivity was 0.19%. While test positivity at schools remains very low, an increase in positive cases serves as a reminder that students and staff should continue to use common-sense safety measures

School-associated outbreaks also increased slightly from the week before Spring Break, with 13 outbreaks (six in elementary schools, one in a middle school, two in high schools, and four in youth sports) for the week ending April 23. The week before Spring Break, there were 11 outbreaks (seven in elementary schools, one in a middle school, and three in high schools) for the week ending April 9.

To promote safety at schools, Public Health is working with partners to continue easy access to COVID-19 vaccines at campuses with 744 school-based vaccination clinics scheduled for May. These sites offer pediatric doses for 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.

With high rates of virus transmission in the County and more individuals testing positive at schools, Public Health recommends a series of sensible steps that will provide layers of protection against COVID-19 and keep students in schools. It is important that asymptomatic students exposed to COVID-19 and remaining in school, follow updated testing and masking requirements.

The updated exposure guidance for K-12 schools is aligned with the quarantine safety protocols for the general public and requires that asymptomatic students who are close contacts remain masked indoors when around others, except while eating or drinking, for 10 days after last exposure. Asymptomatic exposed students are also required to test within three to five days after last exposure. These measures can help contain the spread of infection and curtail outbreaks.

“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 individuals return from Spring Break and celebrating Spring holidays, the highly infectious BA.2 subvariant is contributing to case and outbreak increases across the County. Those who have had a recent exposure to an infected individual should monitor themselves carefully for any signs of illness. If they are asymptomatic, they are not required to quarantine provided they wear a mask when indoors around others for 10 days after their last exposure and they get tested as soon as possible. This is particularly important at work and school sites, where individuals are often in close contact with others for extended periods of time. These simple steps reduce unnecessary risk for everyone and can break the chain of transmission. ”

Today, Public Health reported 10 additional deaths and 1,686 new positive cases of COVID-19. Of the 10 new deaths reported today, four were between the ages of 65-79, and five people were aged 80 years or older. Information on the one death reported by the city of Long Beach at: Longbeach.gov. Of the 10 newly reported deaths, eight had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 31,951.

Public Health has reported a total of 2,867,415 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 1.70%.

There are 235 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,835,043 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:

	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	2,867,415
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)*	2,712,698
-- Long Beach	126,086
-- Pasadena	28,631
Deaths	31,951
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	30,272
-- Long Beach	1,265
-- Pasadena	414
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	83368
- 5 to 11	241042
- 12 to 17	235246
- 18 to 29	604753
- 30 to 49	865583
- 50 to 64	449071
- 65 to 79	174766
- over 80	56837
- Under Investigation	2032
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1380043
- Male	1256527
- Other	1168
- Under Investigation	74960
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	4990
- Asian	168498
- Black	136266
- Hispanic/Latino	1234432
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	13715
- White	351913
- Other	300671
- Under Investigation	502213
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	137,332
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	73
- Asian	3779
- Black	2806
- Hispanic/Latino	15561
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	111
- White	7542
- Other	309
- Under Investigation	91
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	4260	20399
City of Alhambra	17150	19775
City of Arcadia	8217	14228
City of Artesia	4205	25037
City of Avalon	63	1628
City of Azusa	13772	27522
City of Baldwin Park	22951	29896
City of Bell	13895	38245
City of Bell Gardens	14184	32932
City of Bellflower	23400	30102
City of Beverly Hills	8524	24693
City of Bradbury	66	6174
City of Burbank	22632	21116
City of Calabasas	4064	16708
City of Carson	25720	27407
City of Cerritos	8522	17021
City of Claremont	7128	19537
City of Commerce*	4519	34578
City of Compton	33170	33202
City of Covina	14748	30078
City of Cudahy	10051	41282
City of Culver City	7558	18959
City of Diamond Bar	9251	16084
City of Downey	36098	31592
City of Duarte	5202	23628
City of El Monte	33159	28276
City of El Segundo	2844	16943
City of Gardena	16326	26629
City of Glendale	44819	21705
City of Glendora	11873	22502
City of Hawaiian Gardens	4180	28482
City of Hawthorne	22708	25576
City of Hermosa Beach	3374	17153
City of Hidden Hills	266	14074
City of Huntington Park	22105	37161
City of Industry	405	92677
City of Inglewood	29509	25980
City of Irwindale	538	36875
City of La Canada Flintridge	2946	14237
City of La Habra Heights	162	2970
City of La Mirada	10502	21174
City of La Puente	12719	31253
City of La Verne	7111	21366
City of Lakewood	19113	23784
City of Lancaster*	51055	31599
City of Lawndale	8147	24237
City of Lomita	4352	20995
City of Lynwood*	24854	34497
City of Malibu	2154	16619
City of Manhattan Beach	5085	14125
City of Maywood	10590	37755
City of Monrovia	8332	21474
City of Montebello	19293	29970
City of Monterey Park	11675	18751
City of Norwalk	33298	30940
City of Palmdale	53130	33422
City of Palos Verdes Estates	1541	11396
City of Paramount	18966	33854
City of Pico Rivera	21026	32708
City of Pomona	52195	33473
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	4980	11650
City of Redondo Beach	10225	14884
City of Rolling Hills	191	9845
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1016	12523
City of Rosemead	10893	19680
City of San Dimas*	8124	23537
City of San Fernando	10475	42561
City of San Gabriel	7674	18738
City of San Marino	1467	11049
City of Santa Clarita	54431	24694
City of Santa Fe Springs	6390	34796
City of Santa Monica	17561	18996
City of Sierra Madre	1551	14114
City of Signal Hill	2865	24286
City of South El Monte	6587	31539
City of South Gate	38487	39210
City of South Pasadena	4113	15787
City of Temple City	6306	17298
City of Torrance	23170	15522
City of Vernon	310	148325
City of Walnut	4939	16176
City of West Covina	29416	27178
City of West Hollywood	8186	22154
City of Westlake Village	282	3373
City of Whittier	23826	27251
Los Angeles	1182593	29239
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	2620	31943
Los Angeles - Alsace	3562	28622
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	6	15000
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	642	25659
Los Angeles - Arleta	13665	39759
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	3584	24437
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	7552	24263
Los Angeles - Bel Air	1518	18009
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	2419	19313
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	3101	23541
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	33357	38393
Los Angeles - Brentwood	5693	18391
Los Angeles - Brookside	99	17040
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	1846	25923
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	20217	30965
Los Angeles - Carthay	2973	20699
Los Angeles - Central	14900	38213
Los Angeles - Century City	2427	18973
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	13502	39987
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	9388	25331
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	1693	18460
Los Angeles - Chinatown	2008	25034
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	4081	28042
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	3677	24266
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	4009	28990
Los Angeles - Crestview	2898	25493
Los Angeles - Del Rey	6064	20257
Los Angeles - Downtown*	12025	43716
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	9374	23678
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	7386	25219
Los Angeles - Echo Park	3391	23786
Los Angeles - El Sereno	13337	31901
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1380	24160
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	2738	26920
Los Angeles - Encino	10490	23222
Los Angeles - Exposition	978	29405
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	14545	32382
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	911	25306
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3040	34858
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	19523	41149
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	8091	25601
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	3209	29812
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	16142	27740
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	8546	39740
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	3436	20166
Los Angeles - Harbor City	7061	24290
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	12205	27993
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	458	19012
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	5169	28661
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	15006	39557
Los Angeles - Highland Park	13082	27034
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	4293	30952
Los Angeles - Hollywood	16243	23798
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	5359	18207
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	9275	32497
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	2511	31104
Los Angeles - Koreatown	13050	25245
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1247	27352
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	12316	29181
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	4618	35163
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	4292	28172
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	10147	31129
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	2444	30455
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	6897	24334
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1107	35334
Los Angeles - Longwood	1347	31296
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	3906	18077
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	2402	28140
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	531	16997
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	7435	17506
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	680	15596
Los Angeles - Melrose	20285	26108
Los Angeles - Mid-city	3477	23134
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	3501	19466
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	9441	39135
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	6413	26560
Los Angeles - North Hills	20105	32651
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	46516	30720
Los Angeles - Northridge	19232	27554
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	3431	16115
Los Angeles - Pacoima	32131	41740
Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands	627	16303
Los Angeles - Palms	8144	18561
Los Angeles - Panorama City	27136	36061
Los Angeles - Park La Brea	2284	16819
Los Angeles - Pico-Union	13907	33237
Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey	419	13110
Los Angeles - Playa Vista	2316	21156
Los Angeles - Porter Ranch	7307	20532
Los Angeles - Rancho Park	1473	22454
Los Angeles - Regent Square	649	23345
Los Angeles - Reseda	24741	32292
Los Angeles - Reseda Ranch	1416	30544
Los Angeles - Reynier Village	869	20553
Los Angeles - San Pedro*	19758	25318
Los Angeles - Shadow Hills	982	22107
Los Angeles - Sherman Oaks	19128	21922
Los Angeles - Silverlake	9782	22190
Los Angeles - South Carthay	2331	22001
Los Angeles - South Park	14895	39238
Los Angeles - St Elmo Village	1538	33551
Los Angeles - Studio City	4714	21007
Los Angeles - Sun Valley	18840	35897
Los Angeles - Sunland	5116	25069
Los Angeles - Sycamore Square	116	17929
Los Angeles - Sylmar*	33607	40786
Los Angeles - Tarzana	7723	25013
Los Angeles - Temple-Beaudry	11105	28127
Los Angeles - Thai Town	2209	22520
Los Angeles - Toluca Lake	1727	19841
Los Angeles - Toluca Terrace	361	27642
Los Angeles - Toluca Woods	326	17546
Los Angeles - Tujunga	6778	24373 #####