LA County reminds residents to slow COVID spread this holiday

PUBLIC health officials in LA County are reminding residents to do their part in limiting the spread of COVID-19 during the holiday season as deaths and hospitalizations continue to rise.

This new alert comes as the numbers have surpassed those reported during the same period last year.

LA 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.

The county, however, witnessed a troubling doubling in the reported seven-day average of deaths per day from two weeks ago, currently to 16 this week, including the county’s 20th confirmed pediatric death.

Although the number of reported COVID-19 cases declined slightly in LA 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.”

On Friday, Dec. 16, 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 LA County is 34,410.

Public Health has reported a total of 3,598,453 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA 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. (AJPress)