Healthcare Worker and Skilled Nursing Home Cases Significantly Decline as Vaccinations Increase

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or Public Health has confirmed 75 new deaths and 897 new cases of COVID-19. To date, Public Health identified 1,211,733 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 22,580 deaths. Public Health has tragically confirmed one of the reported COVID-19 deaths is a young person, under the age of 18. Details about underlying health conditions is unknown for this person. This brings the total number of deaths among children from COVID-19 to 2.  

The seven-day average number of daily cases by episode date has decreased to 524 new cases per day as of March 9; the lowest since April 2.

There are 857 people with COVID-19 hospitalized and 28% of these people are in the ICU. Average daily hospitalizations are now under 1,000, at pre-surge early-November levels.

Testing results are available for more than 5,972,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive.  Today’s daily test positivity rate is 1.9%.

The 7-day average number of daily deaths as of March 9, is 24. On Feb. 9, the average number of daily deaths was 118.

Of the 75 new deaths reported today, 27 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 29 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 12 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, four people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and one youth under the age of 18. Two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach.

The first group of people to be vaccinated in L.A. County were those serving on the frontlines at the hospitals, in healthcare facilities, and in the homes of those requiring constant care. Since late December, when healthcare workers began to be vaccinated, we have seen their cases plummet.  During the last week of December, there were 1,730 new cases of COVID-19 among healthcare workers. In the past three weeks, there have been less than 100 new cases across the entire county each week, the smallest number of weekly cases seen among healthcare workers during the pandemic.  This is the lowest number of new cases of COVID-19 among healthcare workers since last March and, in part, reflects that the vast majority of our healthcare workers are vaccinated. 

Currently, 79% of skilled nursing home staff and 78% of residents received at least a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 74% of all staff and 69% of residents received their second dose and are fully vaccinated. It’s important to note that there is high turnover rate among residents in these facilities, and this number only reflects rates among current residents, not the total number of residents who have been vaccinated. When the vaccine first was administered to residents at skilled nursing homes in L.A. County in late December, the average daily number of cases was over 200 a day and has dropped to 3 a day as of March 9.  This is excellent evidence that these vaccines are working.

To date, Public Health has confirmed a total of 55 cases of COVID-19 U.K. variant, two cases of the B.1.525 variant, which was also first identified in the U.K., 21 cases of the New York variant and 1 case of the P.2 variant from Brazil in Los Angeles County. There have been no cases identified of the South African variant. In addition, there have been 35 California variant B.1.427 cases identified and 276 of the California Variant B.1.429.  The B.1.427 and the B.1.429 are both, slightly different sequences of what is commonly called the California variant. Variants remain a concern, even as more and more people are vaccinated. As the county plans for additional re-openings, it is clear that if there is more transmission of the COVID-19, there is more risk of variants dominating.  It is important for each person to continue to do everything they can to reduce transmission, including masking and maintaining physical distance whenever you are outside of your home and around others.

As of March 16, 1,810 schools are providing on-campus services for high needs students. This includes over 99,000 students and over 36,000 staff. A total of 55 school districts and 466 individual private and charter schools are approved for in-person instruction of students in grades TK through 12. Public Health is surveying schools to assess which schools have already opened for in class instruction and are scheduling site visits as appropriate.

School staff have been eligible to be vaccinated since March 1. Many partners including school districts, schools, providers, unions, and health care providers worked together to coordinate closed pods for every single school district and additional vaccination sites for independent schools.  To date, 102,730 vaccine doses have been allocated to teachers and staff in K-12 public and independent schools through closed pods. Public Health also continues to set aside appointments at the large capacity county sites for teachers and school staff.  On March 21, there will be vaccinations available for teachers and staff of independent schools at all five county large vaccination sites.

Last week, the state hit its goal of vaccinating 2 million people who are living in communities across the state with the lowest scored on the Healthy Places Index (HPI). The state has set an additional goal of vaccinating 4 million people in these areas. L.A. County is vaccinating a larger percent of people in communities with fewer resources when compared to California overall. Last week, 32% of the people vaccinated in L.A. County, were people who live in communities with the lowest HPI score, compared to the state, where 19% of people vaccinated live in the communities with the lowest HPI score. 

Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com  (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com  (Spanish) for more information on who is eligible, how to make an appointment if it is your turn, and what verifications you will need when you show up for your vaccine. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.
Details: www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.