LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or Public Health has confirmed 119 new deaths and 1,514 new cases of COVID-19. To date, Public Health identified 1,206,713 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 22,213 deaths. Cases reported today include a few hundred backlogged cases from faxed provider reports.
The seven-day average number of cases by episode date has decreased to less than 700 per day as of March 2.
To date, Public Health has confirmed a total of 47 cases of COVID-19 U.K. variant, 9 cases of New York variant and one case of the P.2 Brazil variant in Los Angeles County. All the cases of the U.K. variant have been identified since Jan 15, and the first case of the P.2 variant from Brazil was identified two weeks ago. All 9 cases of the NY variant were identified since March 3. There have been 262 California variant cases identified, with the vast majority of these cases identified since Dec. 1 of last year. There have been no cases identified in L.A. County with the South African variant. This latest analysis of specimens is the first time the New York variant was identified in Los Angeles County.
Public Health continues to work with the Board of Supervisors and sector partners to prepare modifications to the Health Officer Order to permit additional activities allowed in the red tier.
L.A. County schools will be able to open on-site learning for grades 7 through 12 once the county moves into the red tier. One effective strategy for reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is for schools to create stable learning groups. A stable learning group is a fixed group of students and staff that stays together minimizing any mixing with any other groups for any activities. Creating and maintaining stable groups is required for students attending in person instruction in grades TK through 6 and strongly recommended for in-person learning for students in grades 7 through 12. Schools all need to maintain distancing, masking and infection control practices for re-openings to happen with as much safety as possible. While vaccinations and testing are additional available tools, they are not a substitute for core public health practices that, when used with fidelity, significantly limit virus transmission.
Vaccine Eligibility
Custodians and janitors, public transit workers, and airport ground crew workers are all now eligible to be vaccinated, as directed by the State. Emergency responders like social workers who handle cases of violence, abuse or neglect and foster parents providing emergency housing for young people, are also eligible to be vaccinated. Public Health is coordinating with unions and employers to set up vaccination sites and make appointments at large county sites available for these groups. For the janitorial and custodial workers, Public Health is in the process of creating appointments this weekend — both Saturday and Sunday at the Forum and on Saturday at the LACOE/Downey vaccination site.
On March 15, vaccine eligibility will open up to people ages 16 through 64 who have underlying health conditions or disabilities that put them at the highest risk of becoming very sick from COVID-19. These conditions include:
Cancer, with a current weakened immune system
Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or above
Chronic pulmonary disease, oxygen dependent
Down syndrome
Solid organ transplant, leading to a weakened immune system
Pregnancy
Sickle cell disease
Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (but not hypertension)
Severe obesity with a BMI of more than 40
Type 2 diabetes with A1c level greater than 7.5%
Or Having a disability that: makes serious illness from COVID-19 likely; would, if positive for COVID-19, limit the person’s ability to received care vital to their well-being and survival; or would make the treatment for COVID-19 particularly challenging.
Providers and healthcare facilities are working to use their health record systems to identify patients who have these conditions and reach out to them so they can be vaccinated. It is the understanding of Public Health that the state will be releasing guidance on other ways people with these conditions can verify their eligibility to be vaccinated.
Throughout the pandemic, people living in low-resourced neighborhoods and people of color have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. While cases are dropping overall, there remains a gap between Latino/Latinx residents and other groups, though this gap is narrowing. The rate dropped from a peak of 2,452 new cases per 100,000 people in early January for Latino/Latinx residents to 139 new cases per 100,000 people as of Feb. 27. Black/African American residents have the second highest case rate of 78 new cases per 100,000 people. White residents have a case rate of 73 new cases per 100,000 people and Asian residents have a case rate of 63 new cases per 100,000 people.
For information about vaccine appointments in L.A. County and when your turn is coming up, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. L.A. County sites are only vaccinating people who either live or work in L.A. County. If you do not live or work in L.A. County, please do not make a vaccination appointment at an L.A. County site, and if you have an appointment at an L.A. County site, please cancel it, you will be turned away if you come to the appointment.
Details:www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.