As L.A. County Sees Increase in COVID-19 Outbreaks, Public Health Highlights Business Requirements and Employee Masking

1,059 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County and 1 New Death

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) is currently investigating 55 ongoing outbreaks; a 25% increase from the 44 ongoing outbreak investigations reported a month ago.

While the increase in outbreak investigations is concerning, Public Health notes the number of outbreaks is still much lower than the 1,130 outbreak investigations that were reported in mid-February.

Of the outbreak investigations reported today, 20% are related to outbreaks in non-healthcare and non-residential workplaces.

The best protection against COVID-19 for workers is to be fully vaccinated. Because of increased transmission of COVID-19 and circulation of the highly transmissible Delta variant in L.A. County, Public Health encourages everyone who is not vaccinated and are eligible to get vaccinated, to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Public Health encourages everyone unvaccinated for COVID-19 to get fully vaccinated as schools and colleges start for the 2021 -2022 school year. If you begin your two-dose series for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines this week, it will allow enough time to be fully protected by the start of the school year. For all of the vaccines, you are only considered fully protected two weeks after all doses are complete.

Masks are required for all not fully vaccinated employees when indoors or in vehicles. Employers are required, upon request, to offer all not fully vaccinated employees who work indoors with a respirator for voluntary use. In settings where there is close contact with other people who may not be fully vaccinated, employees should consider wearing a higher level of protection, such as wearing two masks (double masking) or wearing a respirator (N95).

Employers are also required to report any cluster of worksite COVID-19 cases to Public Health.  A cluster is when three or more laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are known or reported at the worksite within a 14-day period.  Identifying cases early provides an opportunity to contain outbreaks before they spread using appropriate workplace mitigation strategies, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine guidance, targeted vaccination strategies, and alignment of appropriate resources, including County mobile teams and community health workers to get in quickly, to reduce any chances that outbreaks will spread.

Violations of safety requirements and dangerous conditions at businesses can be reported anonymously to Public Health by phone at 888-700-9995 or online at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Public Health has confirmed 1,059 new cases of COVID-19. The number of cases and deaths likely reflect reporting delays over the weekend. Today’s reported COVID-19 death occurred in a person between the ages of 50 and 64 years old. To date, Public Health identified 1,258,685 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,543 deaths.

There are 372 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for nearly 7,120,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 2.8%.

“To those mourning the loss of a family member or friend, our hearts go out to you and we wish you healing and peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Over 99% of the COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths we are seeing are among unvaccinated individuals.  Of the cases reported today, nearly 87% were under 50 years old. The COVID-19 vaccines are the most effective and important tool to reduce COVID-19 transmission and the spread of variants like the highly transmissible Delta variant.  Getting fully vaccinated is the way we protect you, your family and our community from COVID-19 and the Delta variant.”

Through Thursday, at County-run vaccination sites, LA City sites, and St. John’s Well Child and Family Center sites, everyone 18 and older coming to get a vaccine will have an opportunity to win one of seven packages of concert tickets. Prizes will include tickets to see Celine Dion, Grupo Firma, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, and Dan and Shay at Staples Center, and box seats to four classical concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.  Official rules and participating site locations are posted online on the Los Angeles Vaccination Sweepstakes page.  Winners will be contacted by phone and/or email.

Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to find a vaccination site near you, to make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more. 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, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound.  Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

COVID-19 Sector Protocols, Best Practices, COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, 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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