The Los Angeles Post

Workplace Safety Measures Protect Workers and Customers

by · Published · Updated

723 New Positive Cases and 38 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

A key priority post-surge is to ensure workers have protection from devastating consequences associated with COVID-19 illness by preventing spread at worksites.

Current metrics indicate that businesses and worksites are seeing fewer outbreaks. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total 2,641 workplace outbreaks (excluding healthcare, residential and educational sites). As of March 16, there were 53 active outbreaks, down from the week prior when there were 64 active outbreaks. Further, there were only two new outbreaks for the week ending March 16.

This improvement reflects the lower rate of COVID-19 transmission in the community and a dedicated effort by many businesses and worksites to utilize strategies that protect workers and customers.

As a reminder, employers are required to offer free medical grade masks and respirators (N95, KN95, KF94) to employees working indoors in close contact with other workers, customers, and/or members of the public at all sites where masking indoors is optional. At worksites where masking remains required, employers need to provide employees with free, well-fitting medical masks.

Employers are also obligated to offer testing free of charge during work hours to any employee exposed to COVID-19 at work.

In order to reduce transmission at worksites, employers are required to report any cluster of worksite COVID-19 cases to the Department of Public Health. A cluster is three (3) or more laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the worksite within a 14-day period. Reports to Public Health should be made as soon as possible and no later than 48 hours after reports or knowledge of at least three cases. Worksites can report a cluster to Public Health online or by phone: 1-888-397-3993. If Public Health determines that there is an outbreak at a worksite, employees are required to mask both indoors and outdoors if they can’t be socially distanced from each other, and during an outbreak, employees should be provided with free respirators.

Given the need for employees to take time off if they have COVID-related illness or need to care for someone in their family, public and private employers with 26 or more employees are required by the 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave, to provide covered employees with up to 80 hours of COVID-19 related paid leave.

To date, most employers have followed public health guidance and implemented measures to protect their workers, customers, and visitors.  However, workers concerned about possible COVID-19 or other workplace safety concerns, or that an employer may not be following the County Health Officer Order or other requirements, have several options for filing a complaint. To file a complaint with Public Health, which can be submitted anonymously, workers can call the Environmental Health Customer Call Center at (888) 700-9995 or click on the “Report a Problem” at www.ph.lacounty.gov/eh. To file a complaint with Cal/OSHA about employee safety, workplace safety, or hazardous conditions, workers can call (833) 579-0927 or call or email the local Cal/OSHA Enforcement Office that serves the location of the job site.

“We continue to extend our deepest sympathies to everyone mourning the loss of a loved one from COVID,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “While we are all enjoying having the surge behind us, many front-line workers, with dozens of worksite exposures each day, remain at higher risk and are worried about becoming infected and possibly spreading COVID-19 to others. We ask that everyone continue to layer in, as appropriate, protections for our workforce members who have, throughout the pandemic, taken on personal risk to provide all of us with essential services. I encourage residents to help protect the thousands of front-line workers who are at elevated risk by supporting those businesses who properly protect their workers.”

Today, Public Health reported 38 additional deaths, and 723 new positive cases of COVID-19. Of the 38 new deaths reported today, two people were between the ages of 30-49, eight were between the ages of 50-64, seven were between the ages of 65-79, and 16 were aged 80 years or older. Of the 38 newly reported deaths, 25 had underlying health conditions. Information on the five 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 31,443.

Public Health has reported a total of 2,820,159 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Note that 2,051 additional cases have been added to the cumulative total of positive cases due to a backlog of cases from the surge. Today’s positivity rate is 0.7%.

There are 471 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,587,700 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

A wide range of data and dashboards on COVID-19 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are available on the Public Health website at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov including:

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:

 

Total Cases

Laboratory Confirmed Cases

2,820,159

— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)*

2,667,082

— Long Beach

125,134

— Pasadena

27,943

Deaths

31,443

— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)

29,778

— Long Beach

1,257

— Pasadena

408

Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

– 0 to 4

81983

– 5 to 11

237569

– 12 to 17

231935

– 18 to 29

593695

– 30 to 49

850246

– 50 to 64

441554

– 65 to 79

171382

–  over 80

55813

–  Under Investigation

2905

Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  Female

1356069

–  Male

1236226

–  Other

1006

–  Under Investigation

73781

Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

4908

–  Asian

162715

–  Black

133674

–  Hispanic/Latino

1222133

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

13575

–  White

341393

–  Other

294136

–  Under Investigation

494548

Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  Hospitalized (Ever)

135,481

Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

73

–  Asian

3725

–  Black

2750

–  Hispanic/Latino

15348

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

110

–  White

7371

–  Other

306

–  Under Investigation

95