Public Health Increases Outreach to Businesses and Institutions to Prevent COVID-19 Outbreaks; New COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certificate Program Launches

42 New Deaths and 1,239 New Positive Cases of Confirmed COVID-19 In Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 42 new deaths and 1,239 new cases of confirmed COVID-19. To date, Public Health has identified 251,024 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 6,128 deaths.

Beginning in July, the County experienced sharp increases in outbreaks at workplaces. To reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19, Public Health increased outreach and inspections of these facilities.

This past Labor Day weekend, Public Health inspectors visited a total of 331 businesses, including restaurants, markets, hair salons and barbershops, hotels and gyms.  The compliance checks revealed reasonably good compliance with many aspects of Public Health protocols, but also that there is room for improvement. Inspectors noted many gyms and hotels need to work on ensuring that their patrons are wearing a face covering and many restaurants need to work on physical distancing.

Public Health’s compliance team continues to visit businesses across the County every day. Inspectors review County reopening protocols with business owners and ensure they are familiar with all requirements related to disinfection, the use of face coverings, physical distancing, and any other specific required modifications. These compliance checks are focused on educating business owners that they have a responsibility to their employees and patrons to open responsibly, but can also result in citations for non-compliance where appropriate. Since Public Health began issuing citations (on August 28), 30 citations have been issued and $23,000 in fines have been imposed.

There is a new program offered by the County for LA County business owners called COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certificate Program. The program is a no-cost online training course that educates business owners on the essentials of the County Health Officer’s Orders and what they need to do to ensure that their business practices are aligned and in compliance with infection control and physical distancing requirements. After completing the training, businesses will receive a COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certificate that can be posted on storefronts. The training will be available in 13 languages and can be accessed online through the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 website.

This training is not mandatory. All businesses must still comply with the required protocols.

“We send our deepest sympathies to the friends and families that are grieving the loss of a loved one to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “I encourage all businesses and institutions to reach out to Public Health if they need assistance complying with Health Officer Orders and offering services to the community as safely as possible. Business and institutional compliance is a cornerstone of our efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus in the County.”

Today, the Superior Court of the State of California, Central District, issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting Grace Community Church from conducting indoor services and authorizing Public Health inspectors to enter onto church premises to verify compliance.  Public Health looks forward to working with church leaders on a plan to move services outdoors with distancing and the use of face coverings, in a manner that protects the congregation and is consistent with public health directives. This not only protects worshipers, but the entire County community.

Of the 42 new deaths reported today (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena), 14 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 14 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, 10 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and four people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Thirty-one people had underlying health conditions including 14 people over the age of 80 years old, nine people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, six people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old and two people between the ages of 30 and 49.

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 5,765 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 51% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 24% among White residents, 15% 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, 74 cases and four deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

Testing results are available for nearly 2,406,000 individuals with 10% of all people testing positive. There are 940 confirmed cases currently hospitalized and 33% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU.

The Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Data Dashboard, Recovery Metrics, 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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