Nearly All Skilled Nursing Facilities Administered First Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine

Public Health Reports 88 New Deaths and 9,927 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) confirmed 88 new deaths and 9,927 new cases of COVID-19.  The number of new cases and deaths reported today reflects a reporting lag from over the weekend and holiday.

To date, Public Health has reported a total of 1,024,190 confirmed COVID-19 cases across Los Angeles County and a total of 13,936 deaths.

There are 7,328 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 23% of these people are in the ICU. According to the State, the Southern California Region continues to have 0% available ICU capacity.

Of the 88 new deaths reported today, 26 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 32 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 22 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and seven people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49.

Public Health is pleased to report 335 of 340 (nearly 99%) of all skilled nursing facilities in the County received and administered their first doses of COVID-19 vaccine.  Nearly 39,000 doses have been administered to staff and residents. The remaining facilities are currently vaccinating or are scheduling vaccinations this week.  Additionally, for facilities that completed their first doses, Public Health is supporting distribution and administration of their second doses of vaccine.

All skilled nursing facilities in the County conduct weekly testing of residents and staff. For the week of January 2, more than 70,000 COVID-19 tests were completed among staff and residents.  A total of 2,532 people tested positive for COVID-19; 1,423 new cases among residents and 1,109 new cases among staff; this is a positivity rate of just under 4% and significantly lower than the positivity rate among the general public (15%).

Public Health remains in regular contact with skilled nursing facilities and provides facilities with technical assistance, guidance, emergency supplies of personal protective equipment, and COVID-19 vaccine and testing support.  The proportion of deaths occurring among residents at skilled nursing facilities has dropped from 50% last summer to under 7% this winter.

Public Health will host a COVID-19 Vaccine Virtual Town Hall tomorrow, Tuesday, January 19, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  Join the town hall to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, how it was developed, where it will be distributed in our communities, and when it will be made available to the general public. The town hall will be streamed live on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube @lapublichealth. For more information and to submit a question, visit:  http://tinyurl.com/askcovidtownhall

“We wish healing and peace to those grieving a loved one who passed away from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As we honor the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today, we are reminded that, together, we can make change for the better.  We are closer and closer to ending this pandemic, and collective action is what makes the difference in how many more people die. It will take a few more months before there is enough vaccine supply available and enough people vaccinated to provide us with the level of protection needed to end the pandemic. Given the emergence of variants that may be more easily transmissible, now would be the time to figure out how you should modify your current activities to reduce exposure to others since many people who are out and about are infected with COVID-19. Please continue to stay home as much as possible, wear a face covering and stay at least 6 feet away from people you do not live with at all times.”

If you have symptoms or test positive for COVID-19, isolate immediately from your family and others. Individuals with underlying health conditions and those that are older should remain in their home and ask others living with you to wear a face covering when they are nearby.  If you are having severe symptoms including difficulty breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, inability to wake or stay awake and/or bluish lips or face, go to an emergency room or call 911.

Testing results are available for nearly 5,250,000 individuals with 18% of people testing positive.

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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