As the Omicron Surge Continues to Decline, Public Health Officials Detail Post-Surge Mitigation Strategies

4,198 New Positive Cases and 51 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

With the Omicron surge continuing its decline, Public Health officials caution that “post-surge” does not indicate an end to the pandemic but rather that COVID-19 metrics are stabilizing across the county.

For the week ending February 7, LA County reported an average of 9,800 daily cases, representing a 47% decrease from the average of 18,617 daily cases reported the previous week. Similarly, the daily average case rate decreased to 102 positive cases per 100,000 residents for the week ending February 7, compared to 193 positive cases per 100,000 residents for the prior week, representing a 47% decline in the average daily case rate. The seven-day average daily test positivity rate also declined from 8% to 5%, a 40% decline from the week prior.

In addition to the encouraging case and test positivity trends, hospital admissions for COVID-positive patients in LA County have also significantly declined. For the week ending February 7, the seven-day average of daily hospital admissions decreased by 111 admissions from the prior week to 310 admissions; this represents a 26% decline in County hospital admissions. Today there are 2,702 patients with COVID hospitalized.

Public Health will consider LA County to be “post-surge” when COVID daily hospitalizations drop below 2,500 for seven consecutive days.

Once LA County enters post surge, masking will no longer be required in outdoor spaces at outdoor Mega Events or in outdoor spaces at childcare facilities and K-12 schools. The masking requirement at indoor establishments will continue until:

• LA County has two consecutive weeks at or below Moderate Transmission (10-49.99 new cases/100,000 persons in the past seven days), as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention OR
• Vaccines have been available for children under age five for eight weeks; AND
• No emerging reports of significantly circulating new variants of concern that threaten vaccine effectiveness.

Per state regulations, indoor masking at K-12 schools, childcare facilities, youth settings, healthcare settings, correctional facilities, homeless and emergency shelters, and cooling centers is still required.

Additionally, per federal regulations, masking when riding public transit and in transportation is still required.

Employers must also continue to provide high quality and well-fitting masks to workers who are in close contact with others until transmission is lower.  Vaccination verification will also continue at mega events and indoor sections of bars, lounges, nightclubs, wineries, breweries, and distilleries.

“I send my heartfelt condolences to everyone mourning the loss of a loved one due to COVID-19,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Post surge does not mean the pandemic is over or that transmission is low or that there will not be additional unpredictable waves of surges in the future that will require integrated public health measures. Rather, post surge acknowledges that we’re stabilizing with consistent declines from the surge peak and it realigns our current public health response to meet current mitigation needs. And with the current levels of transmission, the safest action for all of us is to protect ourselves and our essential workers by layering in protections, which include testing, vaccinations, infection control, and masking. Being cautious still makes sense and doing everything we can to drive down the high rate of transmission is an appropriate goal for us to continue to embrace as a community as the steps we’re taking are helping us move in the right direction.”

Today, Public Health confirmed 51 additional deaths and 4,198 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 51 new deaths reported today, three people were between the ages of 30-49, seven were between the ages of 50-64, 13 were between the ages of 65-79, and 24 were aged 80 years or older. Of the 51 newly reported deaths, 43 had underlying health conditions. Information on the four deaths reported by the City of Long Beach is available at www.LongBeach.gov. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 29,506.

Public Health has reported a total of 2,735,688 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 5%.

There are 2,702 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,202,900 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

To reduce spread and keep workplaces and schools open, residents and workers are asked to:

• Adhere to masking requirements when indoors or at crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
• Remain home when sick, isolate if they test positive and quarantine if they were in close contact with someone with COVID-19.

Residents are legally required to isolate themselves away from others if they test positive for COVID-19. Close contacts with symptoms and close contacts who are unvaccinated or not up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations need to follow quarantine requirements. For updated isolation and quarantine guidance, please visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are recommended for everyone 5 years old and older to help protect against COVID-19. 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 and many community sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

To find a vaccination site near you, or to make an appointment, please visit:

www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

If you need assistance, you can also call 1-833-540-0473 for help:

Finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or Schedule a home visit if you are homebound.

For more information regarding COVID-19 in LA County you can also visit the Public Health website at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov here you will find information on COVID-19 sector protocols & best practices, COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboards, and COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive and, Recovery Dashboards.

 Please see additional information below:

Cases through 12:00pm 02/07/2022
	Total Cases	NEW
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	2,735,688	4198
— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)*	2,586,974	3523
— Long Beach	121,742	623
— Pasadena	26,972	52
Deaths	29,506	51
— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	27,964	47
— Long Beach	1,158	4
— Pasadena	384	0
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
– 0 to 4	78777
– 5 to 11	228755
– 12 to 17	224252
– 18 to 29	579183
– 30 to 49	826969
– 50 to 64	428817
– 65 to 79	164975
–  over 80	53375
–  Under Investigation	1871
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
–  Female	1314167
–  Male	1198519
–  Other	929
–  Under Investigation	73359
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
–  American Indian/Alaska Native	4770
–  Asian	154230
–  Black	128868
–  Hispanic/Latino	1184040
–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	13428
–  White	327773
–  Other	284849
–  Under Investigation	489016
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
–  Hospitalized (Ever)	128460	**DATA  Under reported
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
–  American Indian/Alaska Native	64
–  Asian	3545
–  Black	2541
–  Hispanic/Latino	14566
–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	100
–  White	6811
–  Other	269
–  Under Investigation	68