The Los Angeles Post

TK-12 Schools Experience Small Increases in Cases and Outbreaks Over the Past Month as the BA.2 Subvariant Circulates More Widely

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973 New Positive Cases and 11 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

With a relaxing of masking mandates at schools and increased circulation of the more infectious BA.2 subvariant, there were small increases in cases and outbreaks at TK-12 schools in LA County.

For the week ending April 8, there were 822 positive tests among the 443,000 tests administered, resulting in a positivity rate of 0.19%. Positive tests increased by 42% from the week prior when there were 577 positive tests among the 433,000 tests administered for the week ending April 1.

School-associated outbreaks nearly doubled in one month. For the week ending April 9, there were 11 new school-associated outbreaks, (seven in elementary schools, one in a middle school, three in high schools). This is nearly double when compared to the number of new outbreaks one month ago when there were six new school-associated outbreaks for the week ending March 12. It is important to note that many schools have been closed these past two weeks for spring break.

To help promote safety at schools, Public Health is working with partners to ensure easy access to COVID-19 vaccines at schools, with over 240 school-based vaccine clinics scheduled this week and next week. More than 400 additional school-based vaccine clinics are scheduled during the remainder of April. School vaccine clinics offer pediatric doses for those 5-11 years of age, as well as vaccines and boosters for eligible individuals 12 years of age and older. As a reminder, vaccines continue to provide the best protection against illness and hospitalizations and are the safest way to keep children in school and other activities.

Safety at schools is enhanced when everyone continues following sensible safety measures. Public Health strongly recommends students and staff wear masks indoors, as mask wearing is highly effective at reducing spread inside classrooms. Note that schools are required to offer medical masks and respirators to school employees who work indoors and are in contact with others.

Schools should also conduct response testing of persons with an exposure and/or for those who have symptoms. Those who test positive are required to isolate need a negative test to return to school for shortened isolation periods. Exposed, asymptomatic students remaining in school during their 10-day quarantine period should be masked whenever indoors and tested as soon after the exposure as possible. Where resources allow, those students unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated should be tested weekly.

“I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost a loved one from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “With the highly infectious BA.2 subvariant circulating and residents traveling and gathering for Spring Break and Spring holidays, there is increased risk of virus transmission. There are also tools at hand that can mitigate the increased risks: masking indoors can reduce transmission; testing regularly or quickly after developing symptoms or being exposed can help identify those infected; making it easy to access vaccines and boosters improves community level protection; and, following all COVID isolation and quarantine protocols for those who test positive or are exposed helps break the chain of transmission.   If we take sensible safety measures, we each have an ability to better protect ourselves and others from becoming infected with this more easily transmissible variant, BA.2”

Today, Public Health reported 11 additional deaths and 973 new positive cases of COVID-19. Of the 11 new deaths reported today, two people were between the ages of 50-64, four people were between the ages of 65-79, and five people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 11 newly reported deaths, 10 people had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 31,830.

Public Health has reported a total of 2,848,030 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 1.3%.

There are 256 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,765,800 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:

For more information:

 

Total Cases

Laboratory Confirmed Cases

2,848,030

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

2,693,947

— Long Beach

125,764

— Pasadena

28,319

Deaths

31,830

— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)

30,157

— Long Beach

1,261

— Pasadena

412

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

– 0 to 4

82788

– 5 to 11

239601

– 12 to 17

233900

– 18 to 29

600257

– 30 to 49

859299

– 50 to 64

446128

– 65 to 79

173425

–  over 80

56441

–  Under Investigation

2108

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

–  Female

1370073

–  Male

1248137

–  Other

1087

–  Under Investigation

74650

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

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

4948

–  Asian

165709

–  Black

135194

–  Hispanic/Latino

1229865

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

13637

–  White

347361

–  Other

298830

–  Under Investigation

498403

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

–  Hospitalized (Ever)

136,762

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

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

73

–  Asian

3761

–  Black

2793

–  Hispanic/Latino

15508

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

111

–  White

7504

–  Other

312

–  Under Investigation

95