Seniors, People Living in High Poverty Areas Remain Disproportionately Impacted by COVID-19 - 1,534 New Positive Cases and 25 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

Most COVID-19 metrics, except for the sobering rise in deaths, are better than anticipated at this point in the post-holiday season and when compared to past winters. The absence of a post winter holiday spike in cases and hospitalizations may reflect the new tools available to blunt the impact of COVID, and the preventative health measures taken by residents and workers.

Los Angeles County remains in the Medium Community level, with a case rate of 122 new cases per 100,000 people and a hospital admission rate of 11.9 per 100,000 people.

Yet despite these promising trendlines, some individuals are at significantly greater risk for serious outcomes should they become infected.

Hospitalization rates for people 80 and older are nearly three times higher than for people 65- to 79-years-old in Los Angeles County, according to the most recent 90-day data. And the death rate for that same age group is nearly five times higher when compared to people ages 65 to 79.

In addition, when compared to people ages 50 to 64, residents who are 65- to 79-years-old have hospitalization rates that are more than three times higher, and the number of deaths per 100,000 people is more than five times higher.

Residents who live in communities with high rates of poverty also are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Many are part of our essential workforce who, by the very nature of their jobs, are in close contact with other workers and customers, increasing their exposure to COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, particularly during times of high community transmission.

Hospitalization and death rates are nearly double for people living in the county’s poorest neighborhoods, where more than 30 percent of households live in poverty, compared to those residing in the wealthiest neighborhoods, according to data for the 90-day period ending Jan. 3.

To help minimize the impact of COVID-19, especially on the most vulnerable family, friends and community members, here are a few other simple steps everyone can take to protect themselves, the people they love and their community:

Vaccinations and Boosters: Being up to date on vaccinations and boosters is essential. The updated bivalent booster is readily available at Public Health sites, pharmacies, and other locations across the county. Seniors and residents who can’t easily leave their home may contact Public Health telehealth services at (833) 540-0473, seven days a week, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to arrange for at-home COVID-19 bivalent booster and primary series vaccinations or transportation to a vaccination center. Residents also may go to VaccinateLACounty.com or VacunateLosAngeles.com (en español).

Masking: Wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask (such as N95s, KN95s, and KN94s) in public indoor spaces. Mask for 10 days after engaging in high-risk activities, such as traveling, attending large gatherings, or being exposed to a confirmed case. Ten days is the average incubation period of COVID-19 when the virus can spread before a person has symptom.

Testing: Testing at home is critical before gatherings, after a known exposure to the virus, or if experiencing symptoms. For more information go to ph.lacounty.gov/COVIDtests. Each household can receive four free tests from the federal government by visiting COVIDtests.gov.

Treatment: If you have possible symptoms of COVID-19 or flu, speak to a health care provider to see if you are eligible for a therapeutics prescription. To be effective, Paxlovid for COVID should be started within five days of symptom onset and Tamiflu, to treat influenza or flu, should be started withing two days of first symptoms.

Providers are available to answer questions about symptoms, give advice, and prescribe medications if appropriate, which can be shipped to a resident’s home, via telehealth services. This service is available seven days a week, from 8 am to 8:30 pm, by calling the Public Health Call Center at 1-833-540-0473. For additional COVID treatment options, visit a local test to treat site. Locations can be found at ph.lacounty.gov/covidmedicines

“I offer my sincere condolences to families and friends who continue to be impacted by COVID-19 and the death of a loved one,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., director of the county Department of Public Health. “Every day we strive to make choices that are best for us, our families, and the communities we live in. The pandemic is not over; however, we have likely entered a new phase as we make use of all the advancements in vaccines, testing, and therapeutics. Lower transmission protects everyone, especially those who are more vulnerable to severe illness or death. There may be challenges ahead, but I am encouraged by the current situation, especially compared to last year at this time. And I remain grateful for the many people of LA County taking steps to minimize the disease’s impact.”

LA County is reporting declines in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and increases in deaths.

The 7-day average case count in the county is 1,776, a 15% decrease from one week ago when the 7-day average of 2,111 cases was reported. And over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVID-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals is 1,114, a decline of about 11% from last week when the average number of COVID-positive patients per day was 1,247.

The county is currently reporting an average of 23 deaths per day, an increase of 15% from the average of 20 deaths reported per day a week ago.

Today, Public Health reported 25 additional deaths and 1,534 new positive cases. To date, the total number of deaths in Los Angeles County is 34,969. There are 1,053 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized.

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)

· COVID-19 Locations & Demographics (data by demographic characteristics and geography, active outbreaks, and citations)

· COVID-19 Response Plan

· COVID-19 Vaccinations

· Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics

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 1/12/2022
	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	3,659,260
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	3,460,151
-- Long Beach	160,144
-- Pasadena	38,965
Deaths	34,969
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	33,168
-- Long Beach	1,361
-- Pasadena	440
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	109,004
- 5 to 11	279,915
- 12 to 17	274,752
- 18 to 29	746,124
- 30 to 49	1,111,908
- 50 to 64	597,748
- 65 to 79	251,804
- over 80	86,459
- Under Investigation	2,437
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1,782,831
- Male	1,587,431
- Other	1,725
- Under Investigation	88,164
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	6,577
- Asian	255,911
- Black	180,474
- Hispanic/Latino	1,485,065
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	17,444
- White	477,049
- Other	395,435
- Under Investigation	642,196
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	168,519
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	77
- Asian	4,274
- Black	3,114
- Hispanic/Latino	16,462
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	114
- White	8,663
- Other	376
- Under Investigation	88
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	6222	29795
City of Alhambra	24763	28554
City of Arcadia	13128	22731
City of Artesia	5823	34671
City of Avalon	287	7418
City of Azusa	17195	34363
City of Baldwin Park	29026	37810
City of Bell	16737	46067
City of Bell Gardens	16868	39163
City of Bellflower	30059	38669
City of Beverly Hills	11255	32604
City of Bradbury	69	6455
City of Burbank	31960	29819
City of Calabasas	5691	23398
City of Carson	34093	36329
City of Cerritos	12903	25771
City of Claremont	9856	27015
City of Commerce*	5739	43913
City of Compton	39479	39517
City of Covina	19750	40280
City of Cudahy	12051	49497
City of Culver City	11431	28674
City of Diamond Bar	13224	22992
City of Downey	45710	40004
City of Duarte	7294	33130
City of El Monte	41859	35695
City of El Segundo	3965	23621
City of Gardena	21365	34847
City of Glendale	58784	28468
City of Glendora	14672	27807
City of Hawaiian Gardens	4916	33497
City of Hawthorne	28872	32518
City of Hermosa Beach	4610	23437
City of Hidden Hills	378	20000
City of Huntington Park	25942	43612
City of Industry	985	225400
City of Inglewood	37782	33264
City of Irwindale	869	59561
City of La Canada Flintridge	4423	21374
City of La Habra Heights	208	3813
City of La Mirada	13819	27861
City of La Puente	15726	38642
City of La Verne	9061	27225
City of Lakewood	26289	32713
City of Lancaster*	62920	38943
City of Lawndale	10368	30844
City of Lomita	5900	28463
City of Lynwood*	30593	42463
City of Malibu	2807	21657
City of Manhattan Beach	7231	20087
City of Maywood	12631	45032
City of Monrovia	11588	29866
City of Montebello	24879	38647
City of Monterey Park	17046	27378
City of Norwalk	41935	38965
City of Palmdale	65771	41374
City of Palos Verdes Estates	2195	16233
City of Paramount	22293	39793
City of Pico Rivera	27400	42623
City of Pomona	64062	41084
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	7435	17393
City of Redondo Beach	15121	22011
City of Rolling Hills	282	14536
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1471	18131
City of Rosemead	14926	26967
City of San Dimas*	10877	31513
City of San Fernando	12570	51073
City of San Gabriel	11129	27174
City of San Marino	2343	17647
City of Santa Clarita	71849	32596
City of Santa Fe Springs	7714	42006
City of Santa Monica	25713	27814
City of Sierra Madre	2325	21158
City of Signal Hill	3984	33771
City of South El Monte	8268	39588
City of South Gate	46418	47291
City of South Pasadena	6118	23483
City of Temple City	10445	28652
City of Torrance	33223	22257
City of Vernon	356	170335
City of Walnut	7357	24096
City of West Covina	38637	35697
City of West Hollywood	11020	29823
City of Westlake Village	436	5215
City of Whittier	30556	34948
Los Angeles	1496094	36990
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	3149	38393
Los Angeles - Alsace	4408	35420
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	0	0
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	825	32974
Los Angeles - Arleta	16627	48376
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	4956	33792
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	9967	32022
Los Angeles - Bel Air	2390	28354
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	3262	26044
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	4126	31322
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	39863	45881
Los Angeles - Brentwood	8194	26471
Los Angeles - Brookside	149	25645
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	2261	31751
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	24825	38023
Los Angeles - Carthay	4236	29492
Los Angeles - Central	16855	43227
Los Angeles - Century City	3645	28494
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	16053	47542
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	12637	34098
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	2479	27031
Los Angeles - Chinatown	2831	35295
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	5202	35745
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	4818	31796
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	5225	37783
Los Angeles - Crestview	3865	33999
Los Angeles - Del Rey	8224	27472
Los Angeles - Downtown*	15810	57476
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	13423	33906
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	9359	31956
Los Angeles - Echo Park	4410	30934
Los Angeles - El Sereno	16651	39827
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1808	31653
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	3510	34510
Los Angeles - Encino	14891	32965
Los Angeles - Exposition	1237	37192
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	17949	39960
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	1239	34417
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3719	42644
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	22558	47546
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	10790	34141
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	4052	37644
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	21094	36250
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	9920	46129
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	4636	27208
Los Angeles - Harbor City	9217	31706
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	15405	35333
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	632	26235
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	6077	33696
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	17718	46706
Los Angeles - Highland Park	16874	34870
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	5416	39048
Los Angeles - Hollywood	21199	31059
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	7475	25396
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	11695	40976
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	3093	38313
Los Angeles - Koreatown	15972	30898
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1562	34262
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	15959	37812
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	6056	46113
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	5634	36981
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	12590	38623
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	2997	37346
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	8541	30134
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1434	45771
Los Angeles - Longwood	1748	40613
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	6222	28795
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	3147	36867
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	876	28041
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	10661	25102
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	940	21560
Los Angeles - Melrose	25776	33175
Los Angeles - Mid-city	4396	29248
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	4807	26728
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	11710	48541
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	8084	33481
Los Angeles - North Hills	24879	40404
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	58131	38390
Los Angeles - Northridge	25065	35911
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	4910	23061
Los Angeles - Pacoima	38320	49780
Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands	910	23661
Los Angeles - Palms	11714	26697
Los Angeles - Panorama City	33038	43904
Los Angeles - Park La Brea	3176	23387
Los Angeles - Pico-Union	16082	38435
Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey	585	18304
Los Angeles - Playa Vista	3347	30575
Los Angeles - Porter Ranch	10318	28993
Los Angeles - Rancho Park	2196	33476
Los Angeles - Regent Square	863	31043
Los Angeles - Resed #####