For Immediate Release:

December 16, 2022

As deaths and hospitalizations continue to rise in Los Angeles County, surpassing numbers seen at this time last year, Public Health officials are asking residents to play an important role in limiting the spread of COVID-19 during the holiday season by updating their vaccines, masking indoors, testing before gatherings, and staying home when sick.

This week, Los Angeles County remains in the High Community Level based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) designation, despite a decrease in reported cases. There was an average of nearly 2,920 cases reported per day, a nearly 20% decrease from the 7-day average of 3,639 cases reported per day last week.

Los Angeles County, however, witnessed a troubling doubling in the reported 7-day average of deaths per day from 2 weeks ago, currently to 16 this week, including the county’s 20th confirmed pediatric death. This milestone is a somber reminder of the nearly 34,400 precious lives lost in Los Angeles County since the pandemic began.

Although the number of reported COVID-19 cases declined slightly in Los Angeles County, they remain more than 120% higher than numbers observed one month ago and wastewater data reaffirms that transmission of COVID is currently high. For the most recent week reported, the viral concentration of SARS-CoV-2 observed in wastewater was higher than it was during the peak concentration seen in July during our 2022 summer surge.

Over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVID-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals is 1,252, very slightly elevated from last week when the average number of COVID-positive patients per day was 1,245. Based on data collected from 90 hospitals that are polled daily by the LA County Emergency Medical Services Agency, as of Dec. 12, there were 242 available adult beds, including ward and ICU beds. The average number of available beds so far in December is the lowest number reported in the past four years. Contributing factors include high circulating rates of respiratory illnesses and less available staff.

To minimize the transmission and impact of illness during the holidays, residents should think ahead about steps they can take to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the flu and other respiratory viruses. Importantly, being up to date on vaccines and the new bivalent booster provides essential protection against severe illness associated with COVID and flu.

Of the nearly 7.5 million county residents eligible for the bivalent booster, just 1.35 million residents have received it. While the number remains low, more people are getting the new booster – up to 18% this week compared to 16% on Nov. 27.

The new specially formulated bivalent booster for children 6 months through age 4 is now available in Los Angeles County. Previously, this booster was authorized only for children ages 5 and older. To maximize protection against COVID-19, dosing and eligibility for this new pediatric booster is dependent on the primary series the child receives.

If you have questions about vaccinating your child, you can call the Department of Public Health Vaccine Call Center at 1-833-540-0473 open daily 8 am to 8:30 pm. Many vaccine sites received the new bivalent vaccines for young children this week. At the Public Health community sites, clinics, and mobile vaccine teams, staff are trained and have begun administering these new vaccines.

To find a vaccine site, visit ph.lacounty.gov/howtogetvaccinated or residents can reach out to their provider. As a note, many general pharmacies do not vaccinate children under three years old so please check the Public Health website or contact your provider to find a site able to vaccinate young children.

In addition to getting the bivalent booster and seasonal flu vaccine, it is important this holiday season to continue to have plenty of well-fitting, high-filtration masks on hand, preferably N95s, KN95s, or KF94s. When choosing activities or planning an event, it also makes sense to look for outdoor options. If it doesn’t work to be outside, open windows and doors to increase ventilation inside.

It’s also crucial to use COVID tests before gatherings. For more information on types of tests, where to get them, and how to interpret them go to ph.lacounty.gov/COVIDtests. Also, the federal government reopened its free COVID test program; each household can get four free tests shipped to their home. Tests can be ordered at COVIDtests.gov and shipping will begin the week of Dec. 19.

Finally, it’s important for family and friends to stay home when sick to prevent others from getting ill. If you test positive for COVID-19 and have symptoms, the therapeutics Paxlovid and Molnupiravir are both prescription antivirals that can be taken at home. Both should be started within 5 days of symptom onset. Contact your provider if you have a fever, coughing and sneezing, unusual fatigue, muscle aches, or other symptoms. If you do not have a provider, you can call the Public Health call center at 1-833-540-0473 to get answers to your questions and access free telehealth services.

“I extend my condolences to the all of the families that have been impacted by loss due to COVID,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Navigating the pandemic has been made much easier with the new tools at hand and the data we can look at to better understand risk. High numbers no longer mean shutting down events or gathering over Zoom. We have the strategies, information, and resources to celebrate in-person with friends and family in a safe way. I hope that over the next few weeks, everyone can use this information to keep each other protected. Simple efforts can lead to big returns, and this works best when people come together and act collectively. We all have a role to play to reduce COVID-19 transmission and I appreciate the inspiring efforts I have witnessed in the community. Your actions have personal impact, and also impact the people around you.”

Today, Public Health reported 20 additional deaths and 3,257 new positive cases. Of the 20 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 18-29, 10 people were between the ages of 65-79, and nine people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 20 newly reported deaths, 18 had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 34,410.

Public Health has reported a total of 3,598,453 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 10.9%. There are 1,261 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,784,124 individuals, with 25% 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
• 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

Cases through 12:00pm 12/15/2022
	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	3,598,453
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	3,403,491
-- Long Beach	156,858
-- Pasadena	38,104
Deaths	34,410
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	32,631
-- Long Beach	1,342
-- Pasadena	437
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	107,187
- 5 to 11	278,647
- 12 to 17	273,239
- 18 to 29	737,197
- 30 to 49	1,094,047
- 50 to 64	584,589
- 65 to 79	243,793
- over 80	82,382
- Under Investigation	2,410
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1,751,411
- Male	1,562,871
- Other	1,690
- Under Investigation	87,519
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	6,485
- Asian	249,283
- Black	176,664
- Hispanic/Latino	1,464,214
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	17,193
- White	467,508
- Other	388,375
- Under Investigation	633,769
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	163,763
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	78
- Asian	4,171
- Black	3,052
- Hispanic/Latino	16,296
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	113
- White	8,468
- Other	372
- Under Investigation	81
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	6188	29632
City of Alhambra	23983	27654
City of Arcadia	12577	21777
City of Artesia	5688	33867
City of Avalon	66	1706
City of Azusa	16988	33949
City of Baldwin Park	28566	37210
City of Bell	16371	45059
City of Bell Gardens	16529	38376
City of Bellflower	29288	37677
City of Beverly Hills	11020	31924
City of Bradbury	67	6268
City of Burbank	31118	29033
City of Calabasas	5560	22859
City of Carson	33330	35516
City of Cerritos	12531	25028
City of Claremont	9431	25850
City of Commerce*	5500	42084
City of Compton	39224	39262
City of Covina	18477	37684
City of Cudahy	11826	48573
City of Culver City	11011	27621
City of Diamond Bar	12818	22286
City of Downey	44756	39169
City of Duarte	7025	31909
City of El Monte	41031	34989
City of El Segundo	3891	23180
City of Gardena	21051	34335
City of Glendale	57535	27863
City of Glendora	15252	28906
City of Hawaiian Gardens	4962	33810
City of Hawthorne	28373	31956
City of Hermosa Beach	4533	23045
City of Hidden Hills	379	20053
City of Huntington Park	25865	43482
City of Industry	539	123341
City of Inglewood	36741	32348
City of Irwindale	641	43934
City of La Canada Flintridge	4322	20886
City of La Habra Heights	179	3281
City of La Mirada	13465	27148
City of La Puente	15697	38570
City of La Verne	8914	26783
City of Lakewood	25516	31751
City of Lancaster*	61742	38214
City of Lawndale	10229	30431
City of Lomita	5700	27498
City of Lynwood*	29674	41187
City of Malibu	2790	21526
City of Manhattan Beach	7021	19503
City of Maywood	12458	44415
City of Monrovia	11164	28773
City of Montebello	24311	37765
City of Monterey Park	16530	26549
City of Norwalk	40947	38047
City of Palmdale	64136	40345
City of Palos Verdes Estates	2095	15493
City of Paramount	22475	40117
City of Pico Rivera	26609	41393
City of Pomona	62895	40335
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	7182	16801
City of Redondo Beach	14726	21436
City of Rolling Hills	269	13866
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1435	17688
City of Rosemead	14697	26553
City of San Dimas*	10603	30719
City of San Fernando	12347	50167
City of San Gabriel	10790	26347
City of San Marino	2282	17188
City of Santa Clarita	70239	31865
City of Santa Fe Springs	7701	41935
City of Santa Monica	25279	27345
City of Sierra Madre	2232	20311
City of Signal Hill	3904	33093
City of South El Monte	7941	38023
City of South Gate	45717	46576
City of South Pasadena	6057	23249
City of Temple City	9504	26070
City of Torrance	32470	21753
City of Vernon	352	168421
City of Walnut	7166	23470
City of West Covina	38043	35149
City of West Hollywood	10747	29084
City of Westlake Village	371	4438
City of Whittier	29872	34166
Los Angeles	1469761	36339
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	3083	37588
Los Angeles - Alsace	4338	34857
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	6	15000
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	796	31815
Los Angeles - Arleta	16355	47585
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	4754	32415
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	9736	31280
Los Angeles - Bel Air	2314	27453
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	3201	25557
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	3970	30137
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	39109	45013
Los Angeles - Brentwood	8124	26245
Los Angeles - Brookside	142	24441
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	2281	32032
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	24581	37650
Los Angeles - Carthay	4124	28713
Los Angeles - Central	16645	42688
Los Angeles - Century City	3546	27720
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	15627	46280
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	12310	33216
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	2424	26431
Los Angeles - Chinatown	2688	33512
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	5012	34440
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	4684	30911
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	5067	36640
Los Angeles - Crestview	3738	32882
Los Angeles - Del Rey	8146	27211
Los Angeles - Downtown*	15429	56091
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	13082	33045
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	9179	31342
Los Angeles - Echo Park	4357	30563
Los Angeles - El Sereno	16449	39344
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1756	30742
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	3494	34353
Los Angeles - Encino	14564	32241
Los Angeles - Exposition	1236	37162
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	17386	38707
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	1211	33639
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3625	41566
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	22247	46890
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	10568	33439
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	3966	36845
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	20728	35621
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	9804	45589
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	4528	26574
Los Angeles - Harbor City	9018	31022
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	15153	34755
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	606	25156
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	6017	33363
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	17426	45936
Los Angeles - Highland Park	16630	34366
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	5180	37347
Los Angeles - Hollywood	20790	30460
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	7335	24920
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	11360	39802
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	3060	37904
Los Angeles - Koreatown	15777	30521
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1577	34591
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	15658	37099
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	5649	43014
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	5471	35911
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	12374	37961
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	2962	36910
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	8504	30004
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1438	45898
Los Angeles - Longwood	1733	40265
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	5544	25657
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	3095	36258
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	761	24360
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	10385	24452
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	946	21697
Los Angeles - Melrose	25389	32677
Los Angeles - Mid-city	4492	29887
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	4755	26439
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	11472	47554
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	8073	33435
Los Angeles - No #####