The Los Angeles Post

With COVID Metrics Remaining High, Residents Encouraged to Get Tested to Slow Spread of COVID-19

by · Published · Updated

3,547 New Positive Cases and 17 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

Although case rates appear to be slowly declining, LA County remains in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) high community level with the increasing proliferation of the highly infectious BA.5 subvariant. Knowing your status remains key to slowing the spread as does layering in other safety measures, including masking, to protect ourselves and others.

Over the last seven days, the average number of daily new cases was 6,014, an 11% decrease from one week ago when the average number of daily new cases reported was 6,742.  Test positivity rate is stable at 15.5%.

The number of people severely ill and needing to be hospitalized appears to be stabilizing. Over the last seven days, the average number of COVID-positive patients per day in LA County hospitals was 1,262, very similar to one week ago when the 7-day average number of COVID-positive patients per day was 1,243.

Deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, continue to increase, with an average of 15 deaths reported per day this past week, compared to an average of 12 deaths one week ago.

To help prevent the spread of COVID, testing remains a useful and effective tool.  Residents should get tested if they have been exposed, have symptoms, and before and after gatherings and travel. Residents who test positive, even with an at-home test, need to isolate to avoid infecting others. Residents who test negative but have symptoms should remain home and test again in 24-48 hours to be sure they aren’t infected.  If a test is still negative, but a person remains ill, they may have another virus/illness.  Anyone with symptoms should remain home until they are fever free and symptoms are resolving.  Individuals should call their provider if they have concerns about their illness. If an individual does not have a provider, they can call 2-1-1 to get connected to care.

There are several FDA-approved rapid over-the-counter (OTC) tests that can be used for self-testing at home, at a business, or at other community settings. Most are antigen tests that provide results in a few minutes, as opposed to laboratory-based PCR tests that may take several days to process.

A third round of at-home tests can be ordered at no charge from the federal government at www.covidtests.gov. Residents who have health insurance can receive eight free at-home tests each month for each insured member in their household. And many community organizations are distributing free test kits to individuals with limited resources. Free OTC testing kits can be picked up at all Department of Public Health vaccination sites.

Individuals with any questions should talk with their health care provider to make sure they understand their viral test results and any next steps. Those without easy access to a health care provider who have questions about their test result and what to do next, can call the Public Health COVID-19 information line at 1-833-540-0473, seven days a week.

“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. “I want to note that since COVID continues to be a leading cause of death in LA County, we should continue to use all tools available to reduce the risk; this includes testing, vaccinating and boosting, accessing therapeutics if eligible, and masking when indoors.  It is my fervent hope that this current surge will abate soon, but, in the meantime, I ask everyone to be cautious and take care of each other, and I thank the many who are doing all they can do to slow the spread.”

Today, Public Health reported 17 additional deaths and 3,547 new positive cases. Of the 17 new deaths reported today, two people were between the ages of 30-49, two people were between the ages of 50-64, five people were between the ages of 65-79, and seven people were aged 80 years or older. For information on the one death reported by the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov. Of the 17 newly reported deaths, 14 had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 32,654.

Public Health has reported a total of 3,272,097 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 14.9%.

There are 1,286 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,315,526 individuals, with 24% 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

3,272,097

— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)

3,095,339

— Long Beach

142,978

— Pasadena

33,780

Deaths

32,654

— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)

30,932

— Long Beach

1,300

— Pasadena

422

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

– 0 to 4

96800

– 5 to 11

265968

– 12 to 17

260339

– 18 to 29

682230

– 30 to 49

994965

– 50 to 64

518906

– 65 to 79

207109

–  over 80

66808

–  Under Investigation

2214

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

–  Female

1584547

–  Male

1426321

–  Other

1423

–  Under Investigation

83048

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

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

5774

–  Asian

215197

–  Black

157234

–  Hispanic/Latino

1353133

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

15798

–  White

417868

–  Other

349766

–  Under Investigation

580569

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

–  Hospitalized (Ever)***

145,669

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

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

73

–  Asian

3891

–  Black

2882

–  Hispanic/Latino

15760

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

111

–  White

7811

–  Other

316

–  Under Investigation

88