Los Angeles County COVID-19 Response Plan Updated to Align with Current Phase of the Pandemic
Monitoring Hospital Admissions, Early Alert Signals Will Shape Future Guidance

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) updated its COVID-19 Response Plan this week to align with the new phase of the pandemic and the recent lifting of emergency declarations. While no longer operating under a Public Health Emergency, important planning and preparedness continues to protect the health of those who are most at risk of severe outcomes due to COVID-19 and to keep Los Angeles County prepared in the case of future increases in COVID-19 transmission.

The Response Plan utilizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 hospital admission levels, a new framework introduced last month to replace the CDC Community Levels. A 7-day total of less than 10 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people is considered Low Hospital Admission Level. Between 10.0-19.9 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people is considered Medium Hospital Admission Level and over 20 per 100,000 people is considered High. Los Angeles County is currently in the Low Hospital Admission Level with a 7-day total of 3.0 COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people.

The local CDC Hospital Admission Level will guide recommendations and requirements to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, keeping in mind the disproportionate impact of the virus on vulnerable populations. Meanwhile, Public Health’s eight COVID-19 Early Alert Metrics, which include wastewater and variant monitoring, emergency department visits, and outbreaks in more susceptible settings, play a critical role in anticipating the possibility of future COVID-19 waves. Currently, all eight Early Alert metrics are in low.

Public Health also monitors 12 preparedness metrics, designed to track how prepared the county is to respond to potential changes in COVID-19 transmission. Across the 12 metrics, two are currently classified as “needs improvement.” They are the number of positive case specimens that are sequenced in the most recent two-week period and the percentage of residents 65 and older who have received the bivalent booster. Increasing the number of specimens sequenced will help provided more information about potential new variants gaining dominance locally. Higher booster rates among older residents can reduce severe illness and death among this vulnerable population. Just 40% of all eligible Los Angeles County residents, ages 65 and older, have received the bivalent booster. To meet the threshold for “adequate,” at least 60% would have to be boosted.

Within the Response Plan, residents can find recommended guidance on masking, testing and other appropriate mitigation measures for individuals, including for those who have been exposed to COVID-19 or tested positive. It also includes guidance for sites with higher risk of outbreaks or where populations are more susceptible to severe impact from COVID-19, such as skilled nursing facilities, health care and congregate care facilities, correctional and detention facilities, homeless and emergency shelters, and public transit. The full response plan is available at ph.lacounty.gov/COVIDresponseplan.

“To those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19, please accept my deepest sympathies. I hope you are surrounded by love and support during this difficult time,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “While lower numbers of hospitalizations and deaths bring relief to many, it is important to acknowledge that people continue to be impacted by COVID-19 on a daily basis. In Los Angeles County we remain prepared to support those most vulnerable by ensuring access to life-saving tools (including vaccines, tests, and therapeutics) and providing accurate information. Measures in response to COVID-19 will continue to be data driven as we observe rates of hospitalization and emergency room encounters, as well as outbreaks among vulnerable groups. We also are aligning preparedness resources to partner with residents and businesses should we need to implement protective actions that support the health of LA County residents and workers.”

The 7-day average number of COVID hospitalizations is 189 this week. Reported weekly deaths this week is 40, an increase from 35 one week prior. As of Tuesday, May 30, there have been a total of 36,378 deaths in Los Angeles County.

Vaccines remain one of the best tools individuals can use to protect themselves from severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Vaccines remain free and easily accessible in Los Angeles County. Everyone ages six months and older should have at least one dose of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine which provides substantial protection against newer Omicron strains. Residents can visit VaccinateLACounty.com or VacunateLosAngeles.com (en español) to find a vaccination location near them.

For residents who have difficulties leaving their home, Public Health offers free in-home COVID-19 vaccine and booster appointments. Appointments may be booked at ph.lacounty.gov/vaxathome, or ph.lacounty.gov/vacunacionencasa (en español) or by calling the Public Health COVID-19 Call Center at 1-833-540-0473.

Public Health’s Call Center also connects eligible residents to free telehealth to get COVID-19 medications, information, and other resources. Residents are encouraged to call 1-833-540-0473, available daily between 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., to access these services.

Public Health reports COVID-19 data weekly. The following table shows case, wastewater, emergency department, hospitalization, and death data in Los Angeles County over the past four weeks.

Metric	Date of Weekly Report
	5/31/2023	5/24/2023	5/17/2023	5/10/2023
Weekly cases reported^1,2	1,801	2,157	2,323	2,266
SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration as a percentage of the Winter 2022-2023 peak concentration value³	11%	9%	10%	11%
7-day average of the percent of Emergency Department (ED) encounters classified as coronavirus-related^3,4	2.3%	2.7%	3.0%	2.8%
7-day average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations^3,4	189*	191*	225*	260
Weekly deaths reported²	40	35	20	46
1) Case counts are an underrepresentation of the true number of infections, largely due to home tests which are not reported to DPH. Despite this, the trend in reported case counts from week to week is still an indicator of overall trends in transmission.
2) Weekly case and death counts represent the number of cases and deaths reported for the week ending each Tuesday. The date a case/death is reported by DPH is not the same as the date of testing or death.
3) Time periods covered by each metric: wastewater = week ending each Saturday, with a one-week lag; ED data = week ending each Sunday; hospitalizations = week ending each Sunday.
4) Data for past weeks is subject to change in future reports.
*Due to a reporting transition at the state level and subsequent underreporting from hospitals, this value is an undercount. Efforts are actively underway to address the underreporting.

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 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

· CDC 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 5/29/2023
	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	3,747,583
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	3,543,038
-- Long Beach	164,260
-- Pasadena	40,285
Deaths	36,378
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	34,521
-- Long Beach	1,410
-- Pasadena	447
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	111,986
- 5 to 11	283,128
- 12 to 17	277,865
- 18 to 29	759,162
- 30 to 49	1,135,482
- 50 to 64	615,103
- 65 to 79	264,682
- over 80	93,085
- Under Investigation	2,545
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1,828,540
- Male	1,623,687
- Other	1,794
- Under Investigation	89,017
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	6,717
- Asian	263,955
- Black	186,119
- Hispanic/Latino	1,514,300
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	17,731
- White	492,057
- Other	406,773
- Under Investigation	655,386
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	177,677
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	80
- Asian	4,502
- Black	3,237
- Hispanic/Latino	16,877
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	119
- White	9,202
- Other	414
- Under Investigation	90
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	6344	30379
City of Alhambra	25510	29415
City of Arcadia	13701	23723
City of Artesia	6003	35743
City of Avalon	288	7444
City of Azusa	17521	35014
City of Baldwin Park	29711	38702
City of Bell	17033	46882
City of Bell Gardens	17121	39751
City of Bellflower	30817	39644
City of Beverly Hills	11592	33581
City of Bradbury	71	6642
City of Burbank	32876	30674
City of Calabasas	5845	24031
City of Carson	34972	37265
City of Cerritos	13362	26688
City of Claremont	10427	28580
City of Commerce*	5871	44923
City of Compton	40270	40309
City of Covina	20300	41402
City of Cudahy	12224	50207
City of Culver City	11960	30001
City of Diamond Bar	13706	23830
City of Downey	46857	41008
City of Duarte	7517	34143
City of El Monte	42772	36473
City of El Segundo	4083	24324
City of Gardena	21894	35710
City of Glendale	60387	29244
City of Glendora	15039	28502
City of Hawaiian Gardens	5009	34131
City of Hawthorne	29641	33384
City of Hermosa Beach	4739	24093
City of Hidden Hills	383	20265
City of Huntington Park	26352	44301
City of Industry	1015	232265
City of Inglewood	38779	34142
City of Irwindale	884	60589
City of La Canada Flintridge	4544	21959
City of La Habra Heights	214	3923
City of La Mirada	14247	28724
City of La Puente	15996	39305
City of La Verne	9254	27805
City of Lakewood	27093	33714
City of Lancaster*	64241	39760
City of Lawndale	10597	31526
City of Lomita	6116	29505
City of Lynwood*	31244	43366
City of Malibu	2893	22321
City of Manhattan Beach	7451	20698
City of Maywood	12827	45731
City of Monrovia	11875	30606
City of Montebello	25504	39618
City of Monterey Park	17524	28146
City of Norwalk	43075	40024
City of Palmdale	66932	42104
City of Palos Verdes Estates	2277	16839
City of Paramount	22766	40637
City of Pico Rivera	28176	43831
City of Pomona	65711	42141
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	7787	18216
City of Redondo Beach	15622	22740
City of Rolling Hills	299	15412
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1539	18970
City of Rosemead	15244	27541
City of San Dimas*	11126	32234
City of San Fernando	12788	51958
City of San Gabriel	11480	28031
City of San Marino	2407	18129
City of Santa Clarita	73601	33391
City of Santa Fe Springs	7910	43073
City of Santa Monica	26510	28676
City of Sierra Madre	2418	22004
City of Signal Hill	4113	34865
City of South El Monte	8441	40417
City of South Gate	47212	48099
City of South Pasadena	6344	24350
City of Temple City	10771	29546
City of Torrance	34401	23046
City of Vernon	357	170813
City of Walnut	7587	24849
City of West Covina	39627	36612
City of West Hollywood	11318	30630
City of Westlake Village	453	5419
City of Whittier	31413	35928
Los Angeles	1530272	37835
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	3213	39173
Los Angeles - Alsace	4522	36336
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	0	0
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	849	33933
Los Angeles - Arleta	16933	49267
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	5096	34747
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	10256	32951
Los Angeles - Bel Air	2455	29126
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	3348	26731
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	4225	32073
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	40526	46644
Los Angeles - Brentwood	8439	27262
Los Angeles - Brookside	157	27022
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	2302	32327
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	25366	38852
Los Angeles - Carthay	4423	30794
Los Angeles - Central	17063	43760
Los Angeles - Century City	3766	29440
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	16316	48321
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	12982	35029
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	2563	27947
Los Angeles - Chinatown	2939	36641
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	5337	36673
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	4919	32462
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	5345	38651
Los Angeles - Crestview	3973	34949
Los Angeles - Del Rey	8452	28234
Los Angeles - Downtown*	16239	59036
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	13860	35010
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	9565	32660
Los Angeles - Echo Park	4516	31678
Los Angeles - El Sereno	16965	40578
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1846	32318
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	3579	35188
Los Angeles - Encino	15297	33864
Los Angeles - Exposition	1284	38605
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	18298	40737
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	1270	35278
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3805	43630
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	22905	48277
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	11035	34916
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	4180	38833
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	21606	37129
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	10083	46887
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	4762	27948
Los Angeles - Harbor City	9440	32473
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	15733	36085
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	650	26982
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	6164	34178
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	18063	47616
Los Angeles - Highland Park	17280	35709
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	5521	39805
Los Angeles - Hollywood	21745	31859
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	7708	26187
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	11988	42003
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	3155	39081
Los Angeles - Koreatown	16253	31441
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1600	35095
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	16339	38713
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	6155	46867
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	5812	38149
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	12842	39396
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	3061	38143
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	8690	30660
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1484	47367
Los Angeles - Longwood	1792	41636
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	6437	29790
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	3266	38261
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	903	28905
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	10996	25891
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	963	22087

Los Angeles County COVID-19 Response Plan Updated to Align with Current Phase of the Pandemic Monitoring Hospital Admissions, Early Alert Signals Will Shape Future Guidance

Los Angeles County COVID-19 Response Plan Updated to Align with Current Phase of the Pandemic
Monitoring Hospital Admissions, Early Alert Signals Will Shape Future Guidance