Cases and Deaths from COVID-19 Remain Low Among Healthcare Workers

26 New Deaths and 1,612 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

With high rates of vaccination, COVID-19 positive healthcare worker cases have remained relatively stable the past four weeks, with 174 new cases reported the week ending November 6.

As of November 18, 46,919 healthcare workers and first responders have tested positive for COVID-19. To date, 304 healthcare workers have tragically passed away from COVID-19; most deaths occurred between July 2020 and February 2021, with staff at skilled nursing facilities and hospitals accounting for the majority of the deaths. Since the week of October 24, 2021, one healthcare worker has passed away from COVID-19.

Healthcare workers are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and healthcare workers with an approved medical or religious exemption need to be tested weekly. Most hospitals and healthcare providers are reporting relatively high rates of vaccination among their employees. Skilled nursing facilities indicated that 96% of staff are fully vaccinated. The State and licensing divisions are responsible for overall compliance and are planning to have health facility inspectors assess adherence to the Health Officer Order.

Today, Public Health confirms 26 new deaths and 1,612 new cases of COVID-19. The higher number of cases today reflects a backlog of 390 positive tests from between November 2020 and April 2021. Of the 26 new deaths reported today, six people who passed away were over the age of 80, nine people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, eight people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and three people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49.

To date, Public Health has identified 1,516,901 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,973 deaths.

There are 611 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized, 24% of whom are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 9,310,000 individuals, with 15% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 0.9%.

As of November 16, among the nearly 6 million fully vaccinated people in L.A. County, Public Health identified 75,249 people or 1.3%, who were fully vaccinated and tested positive for COVID-19. Of those who tested positive, 2,528 were hospitalized, which translates to 0.041% of all fully vaccinated people. There have been 422 deaths among fully vaccinated people, translating to 0.007% of fully vaccinated people passing away.

“We send our deepest condolences to the many families and friends grieving the loss of a loved one,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “While the vaccines continue to provide significant protection against the virus, data now shows that the effectiveness of the vaccine declines enough over time that it is important to get an additional dose to have better protection against the virus. With booster doses currently available to anyone who received their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least 6 months ago, or received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago, it is important that healthcare workers and those they care for take advantage of easy access to these additional doses. With 4.8 million residents eligible for boosters, our hope is that many more individuals will be coming in for this additional dose before the Thanksgiving holiday.”

Anyone five years and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

To find a vaccination site near you, 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, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound.

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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