Public Health Advises it has Never Been More Important for Residents to Get Immunized Against the Flu

Public Health Reports 27 New Deaths and 1,072 New Positive Cases of COVID-19

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) encourages residents to protect themselves from influenza this year by getting the flu immunization.

Because it is highly likely that both flu and COVID-19 will be present in L.A. County this year, it’s vital that we do all that we can to protect ourselves to prevent a serious flu season coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every year, tens of thousands of people nationwide are hospitalized or die from flu-related illness. Considering the toll COVID-19 has had on our communities and our healthcare system, now more than ever it is important to be protected from influenza by getting immunized. Immunizations are safe and provide protection against the harmful effects of influenza and can also help keep people out of the hospital freeing up critical hospital resources.

Everyone 6 months and older should be immunized against flu. Anyone can get flu (even healthy people), but people at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications include: people 65 years and older, pregnant women, children younger than 5 years and people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or HIV).

To get immunized for flu, visit your doctor, a pharmacy or a flu immunization clinic, where both walk-up and drive-thru service is available. To find a low-cost, or free, immunization, call 2-1-1 or go to PreventFluLA.com.

For a list of clinics and schedule that offer a no-cost flu immunization, click here.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 27 new deaths and 1,072 new cases of confirmed COVID-19. Today’s reported cases are an undercount due to a technical issue with the State’s data reporting system. To date, Public Health has identified 287,222 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 6,855 deaths.

There are 735 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 and 26% of these people are in the ICU.

“We send our deepest sympathies to everyone who has lost a loved one or friend to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As we enter the weekend, we remind residents that, if they are planning a private gathering, limit it to just your household and two others, and, in the foreseeable future, create a stable group with these households. All private gatherings must be outdoors. Wear a cloth face covering and practice physical distancing of at least 6 feet at all times, and do not share food with other households.  Limit your visit to no more than 2 hours and do not attend a private gathering if you are not feeling well. We all can take these steps to enjoy friends and family as safely as possible.”

Of the 27 new deaths reported today, 15 people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, six people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, four people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Twenty-four people who died had underlying health conditions including 14 people over the age of 80, six people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old and four people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old.

Ninety-two percent of the people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 6,451 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 51% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 23% among White residents, 14% among Asian residents, 10% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races. Upon further investigation, 33 cases and 6 deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

Testing results are available for more than 2,850,000 individuals with 9% of all people testing positive.

The best way to prevent getting and spreading COVID-19 is to put six feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household, and wear a face covering in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household. Face coverings protect other people in case you are infected and do not know it, as COVID-19 can spread to others even if someone does not feel sick. Please remember to also wash or sanitize your hands frequently. Isolating when you are positive for COVID-19 and quarantining if you have been exposed to someone who is positive are also important tools in preventing transmission of the virus.

The Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

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