4,330 New Positive Cases and 70 New Deaths, Including a child between the ages of 5-11

Although Deaths Among People Experiencing Homelessness Decreased this Winter Surge When Compared to Last Year, People Experiencing Homelessness Died from COVID at Twice the Rate of LAC Residents

Today’s total number of cases reflect 889 additional cases due to reporting delays from a single lab

Public Health data shows that mortality among people experiencing homelessness decreased by more than four-fold this winter surge compared to the previous winter surge. For the 2020-2021 winter surge, the death rate among people experiencing homelessness who were infected with COVID-19 between October 31, 2020 to February 16, 2021 was 237 deaths per 100,000. In comparison, the death rate among people experiencing homelessness who were infected with COVID-19 between December 2, 2021 to February 13, 2022 is currently at 52 deaths per 100,000. For LA County overall, the death rate for individuals who were infected with COVID-19 between December 2, 2021, and February 13, 2022, is 26 deaths per 100,000, underscoring the much higher risk of death for people experiencing homelessness.  Of note, deaths from this surge period are still being reported and we expect the death rates for the individuals infected during the current surge may still rise.

This decline in mortality this year when compared to last year was despite a more than doubling in the case rate among people experiencing homelessness during the most recent Omicron winter surge when compared to the prior winter surge. This winter surge, the peak seven-day average daily case rate was 378 new cases per 100,000 people experiencing homelessness compared to 162 new cases per 100,000 people experiencing homelessness during the 2020-2021 winter surge.

While deaths have been lower among people experiencing homelessness during this last winter surge when compared to last year, the elevated case numbers have resulted in very high numbers of outbreaks investigated by Public Health.  Between December 2, 2021 and February 13, 2022, Public Health initiated 379 outbreak investigations in settings where people experiencing homelessness lived and sought services. Fortunately, outbreaks at institutions and facilities serving people experiencing homelessness have recently started to steeply decline. For the week ending February 6, Public Health initiated five new outbreak investigations, down from a high of 94 outbreak investigations initiated during the week ending January 2.

One contributing factor to reducing the very high burden of mortality among people experiencing homelessness this past year, is the number of individuals who are vaccinated. As of January 30, 2022, nearly 50,000 (75%) people experiencing homelessness have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 40,000 (61%) are fully vaccinated. There remains much work to do however, since the booster rate remains relatively low at 33% (10,391) among those eligible for an additional dose. Public Health will continue to prioritize booster outreach and vaccination efforts to ensure those persons experiencing homelessness have easy access to vaccinations.

Additionally, since December, Public Health has worked with partners to distribute more than 300,000 rapid antigen test kits and more than 50,000 KN95 respirators to guests and residents at 300 domestic violence and homeless shelters.

“I send my heartfelt condolences to everyone mourning the loss of a loved one to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As we enter the post-surge phase, and continue working towards a moderate transmission phase, we can best attend to the needs of the most vulnerable, including people experiencing homelessness, by using what we have learned from the past 2 years to provide essential protections when and where needed. Our collective efforts to vaccinate, boost, mask and take additional safety measures reduces the risks of severe illness or death for those most impacted by the overwhelming consequences of COVID.  We are grateful to our partners for reaching out and providing services and support to those who remain unhoused and join with others to support and implement actions that address the devastating impact of homelessness on the health and well-being of so many residents.”

Today, Public Health confirmed 70 additional deaths and 4,330 new cases of COVID-19. Today’s total number of cases reflect additional 889 cases due to reporting delays. Of the 70 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 5-11, two people were between the ages of 18-29, five were between the ages of 30-49, 10 were between the ages of 50-64, 22 were between the ages of 65-79, and 28 were aged 80 years or older. Of the 70 newly reported deaths, 56 had underlying health conditions. Information on the one death reported by the City of Long Beach and one reported by the City of Pasadena is available at www.LongBeach.gov and www.CityofPasadena.net  To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 30,216.

Public Health has reported a total of 2,777,165 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 2.6%.

There are 1,616 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,330,200 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 02/17/2022
	Total Cases	NEW
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	2,777,165	4330
— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)*	2,626,129	4082
— Long Beach	123,603	201
— Pasadena	27,433	47
Deaths	30,216	70
— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	28,630	68
— Long Beach	1,189	1
— Pasadena	397	1
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
– 0 to 4	80495
– 5 to 11	233542
– 12 to 17	228255
– 18 to 29	586032
– 30 to 49	837599
– 50 to 64	434694
– 65 to 79	168085
–  over 80	54580
–  Under Investigation	2847
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
–  Female	1334411
–  Male	1216678
–  Other	951
–  Under Investigation	74089
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
–  American Indian/Alaska Native	4838
–  Asian	158547
–  Black	131242
–  Hispanic/Latino	1203577
–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	13623
–  White	333502
–  Other	289104
–  Under Investigation	491696
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
–  Hospitalized (Ever)	131202	**DATA  Under reported
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
–  American Indian/Alaska Native	67
–  Asian	3600
–  Black	2626
–  Hispanic/Latino	14841
–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	103
–  White	7029
–  Other	286
–  Under Investigation	78