Los Angeles County to Align with State Health Officer Order Reopening Key Sectors, Including Outdoor Dining on Friday Public Health Reports 43 New Deaths and 6,642 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

Today, the State lifted the Regional Stay Home Order and moved all counties back into the Blueprint for a Safer Economy color-coded tiers.  Los Angeles County, along with the majority of the State, is in the most restrictive purple tier.

With the lifting of the Regional Stay Home Order, the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order that was issued on Nov. 25 is now in effect until a new Health Officer Order is issued later this week to more fully align with the sector openings permitted in the purple tier.

The following is allowed starting today with adherence to all of the sector specific directives to ensure distancing, wearing of face coverings, and infection control:

• Private gatherings outdoors up to 3 households and up to a total of 15 people
• Museums, zoos, aquariums outdoor operations at 50% occupancy
• Cardrooms outdoor operations at 50% occupancy
• Miniature golf, go karts, batting cages outdoor operations at 50% occupancy
• Outdoor recreational activities are open
• Hotels & motels for tourism and individual travel allowed
• Fitness facilities open for outdoor operations
• Personal care services open indoors at 25% capacity
• Indoor mall, shopping center, lower-risk retail open at 25% indoor capacity; food courts and common areas closed

The following restrictions remain in effect until January 29:

• Restaurants, wineries and breweries remain open for pick-up, delivery, and take-out only.
• Non-essential businesses closed from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

Residents are advised to stay home as much as possible and always wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when they are outside their household and around others.

Today, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) confirmed 43 new deaths and 6,642 new cases of COVID-19.  Today’s number of new cases and deaths reflect a reporting lag from over the weekend. To date, Public Health identified 1,079,396 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 15,303 deaths.

The seven-day average number of daily cases peaked on January 8 with more than 15,000 cases.  As of January 20, that average dropped in half to 7,328 daily cases.

The average number of daily deaths from COVID-19 peaked at the beginning of the month and latest data shows that daily average dropped slightly to 162 deaths on January 17.  Public Health is still reporting many days with more than 200 deaths and it is highly likely that this continues for a few more weeks.

Of the 43 new deaths reported today, 12 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 17 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, nine people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and one person who died was between the ages of 30 and 49. Two deaths were reported by the City of Pasadena.

Testing results are available for nearly 5,400,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive.  Today’s daily test positivity rate is 11.9%. There are 6,486 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 25% of these people are in the ICU.

“To anyone mourning the loss of a loved one, a family member, a friend or co-worker, we offer our deepest sympathies. You remain in our thoughts, and our prayers,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Tomorrow will mark the one-year anniversary of the first case of COVID-19 infection in Los Angeles County. Since then, we have witnessed the horrific impact of this coronavirus on millions of lives in our county. While our metrics are headed in the right direction, if we aren’t careful this can all quickly change.  In order to prevent another increase in cases that leads us back to more restrictions, as sectors re-open, we strongly encourage everyone to follow the protocols that are in place and to keep doing what we know will help reduce transmissions –wear a face covering, maintain physical distance, avoid large gatherings and crowds.  If you are at high risk for serious disease from COVID-19, we strongly recommend you continue to stay home as much as possible.”

While COVID-19 vaccine supply remains very limited, Public Health has built an extensive network with pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, health clinics, and community vaccination sites, including six large capacity sites, some managed by the City of LA and some by the County. As of January 12, the cumulative doses received in L.A. County were 685,075 and one week later, more than 525,000 doses had been administered.  That means about 76% of all doses we have in hand have been put in people’s arms.  Please note at any given time, there will always be a certain amount of doses that are either in transit as they are being redistributed to more than 200 sites across the County, or are being used at these sites for the appointments coming up for the week.  Partnerships with cities, schools, businesses, labor unions, and health care providers will allow Public Health to build out a more expansive network, so that when more vaccine doses arrive, we are ready.

Los Angeles County’s COVID-19 Vaccine website, VaccinateLACounty.com has incorporated the State’s new appointment registration platform, MyTurn.  The registration system features a streamlined process for residents eligible to receive the vaccine.  The system lets residents know if they are currently eligible and, if they are, can help find and book appointments that are available in their area.  The site also alerts people who registered to when appointments open up, or when vaccinations are opening up to additional priority groups.  Currently, MyTurn will make appointments for our five large capacity sites as well as two other county-operated vaccination sites.  Appointments for all other locations, such as pharmacies and clinics, are also available on our website. Unfortunately, with limited vaccine supply, there are not enough appointments available to meet demand.

Residents with internet access and a computer are urged to use VaccinateLACounty.com to sign up for an appointment.  For those without access to a computer or the internet, or with disabilities, a call center is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to help schedule appointments at 833-540-0473. The phone line is reserved for people with disabilities or who don’t have a computer or internet access.

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.

Please see additional information below: