50% of L.A. County Residents 16 and Over are Fully Vaccinated; Free Roundtrip Rides to Vaccination Sites

4 New Deaths and 139 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 4 new deaths and 139 new cases of COVID-19. The number of cases and deaths reflect reporting delays over the weekend, as well as missing lab reports. Of the four new deaths reported today, three people that passed away were between the ages of 65 and 79 and one person who died was between the ages of 30 and 49.

To date, Public Health identified 1,238,919 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,175 deaths. There are 319 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for nearly 6,710,000 individuals with 17% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 0.4%. Case numbers and other metrics continue to remain low and stable.

As of May 21, more than 9,501,064 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people across Los Angeles County. Of these, 5,520,397 were first doses and 3,980,667 were second doses. As of May 21, 50% of L.A. County residents 16 and over and 72% of seniors 65 and older are fully vaccinated.  The County is also seeing 28% of teens 16-17 years old and 46% of people 16-64 years old fully vaccinated.

For people struggling to get to a vaccination site, Public Health can help get you a free ride there and back. The Uber and Lyft rideshare apps are offering free roundtrip rides to some vaccination sites within their apps. However, if you are seeking assistance scheduling a ride or if you want to get your vaccination at a site not listed in the app, you can reach out to the Public Health call center at 1-833-540-0473 and you will be connected to free transportation.

“Our hearts and our thoughts are with everyone who has lost a loved one, a friend, or a co-worker during this pandemic,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “We can now proudly say that more than 50% of L.A. County residents 16 and older are fully vaccinated.  It is truly thrilling to see us reach this landmark, and I thank everyone who has done their part to get us to this point. The high levels of vaccine uptake in seniors are what we’re really striving for in other adults. The most important work to be done, with the largest impact, is engaging with residents in our communities to provide high-quality information about the vaccines, dispel false myths and to answer questions.  We hope that by taking vaccines to people and responding to concerns about vaccine safety, we can make the progress needed to get to community immunity.”

Lower vaccination rates in younger age groups means that not only are people in those age groups more likely to transmit COVID-19, but they’re also more likely to suffer its severe consequences. Between April 1 and May 15, relatively young adults aged 30-49 made up the largest proportion of COVID-19 hospitalizations.  Before April, this age group consistently saw lower hospitalization rates than older age groups.  Even when hospitalizations were not at their highest, older people have always been more likely to be hospitalized. Older adults, particularly those over 65, are now protected by their high rates of vaccination.

To make it easy for eligible L.A. County residents to get vaccinated, the County is offering vaccines at many sites across the County. This week, there are 756 sites offering vaccinations including pharmacies, clinics, community sites, and hospitals. Many of these vaccination sites are concentrated in areas that have been hard hit by the pandemic. Currently, you can obtain vaccines at the eight county-run sites, all the LA city run sites, almost all mobile sites and many of the community sites without an appointment. Many sites are open on weekends and have evening hours.

Public Health continues to support additional mobile vaccination teams that take vaccinations into neighborhoods to reach people who may have limited ability or time to get to one of the established vaccination sites. Mobile teams have set up ongoing daily sites to provide vaccines on a walk-in basis at public places such as senior housing and recreational centers, gathering places and service providers for people experiencing homelessness, educational settings, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations that provide care for specific health conditions, and food and agriculture sites. There are 200 sites where mobile teams will be offering vaccinations this week which are concentrated in higher-need, harder hit areas.

If there is a community event or workplace where there may be people needing to get vaccinated, Public Health encourages you to visit the Find a Vaccination Provider page to request a visit at your workplace, business, or special event from one of the mobile vaccination units or other vaccination partners in the community to provide vaccines.

Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated. To find a vaccination site near you, to make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

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

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