The Los Angeles Post

Residents Can Prepare Now to Help Prevent a Surge This Fall or Winter

by ·

1,430 New Positive Cases and 8 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

As the COVID-19 virus continues to mutate, there is a very real possibility that new variants of concern could contribute to another surge in the fall or winter, making it important that Los Angeles County residents take steps to reduce the risk for serious illness by being up-to-date on vaccines, testing when symptomatic or exposed, and using therapeutics when appropriate.

It is particularly critical for residents who are older, have underlying health conditions, or have many exposures at work and/or in the community to be fully vaccinated and boosted. As of Sept. 1, 57% of eligible residents age 5 and older have had a COVID-19 vaccine plus one additional dose or a booster; this leaves 43% of county residents eligible to receive a booster dose potentially without optimal protection.

Vaccinations remain the best defense against severe COVID-19 illness, and new Pfizer and Moderna boosters that target the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron were recently approved by both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Residents and workers in LA County can start receiving these new updated bivalent boosters starting tomorrow, Sept. 7, at hundreds of sites across the county.  Over the upcoming week, as soon as vaccines are received, the bivalent boosters are available at 12 Public Health sites, 701 mobile vaccine clinics, and 245 community, pharmacy, and clinic sites.

To find a location for the new booster go to VaccinateLACounty.com  or  VacunateLosAngeles.com (en español).  Click on “Find a Location” and then search by “Vaccine Type”.

If residents do become ill, fast and easy access to medicines is also crucial.  As of last week, more than 550 sites offer therapeutics, many in communities that have been hard hit by COVID.

“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. “As we transition from the summer to fall, we can follow simple health measures now to reduce the potential risk of a surge.  COVID-19 is still a dangerous virus for some of our family members, work colleagues, and friends. By being fully vaccinated and boosted, especially with the new boosters against the more infectious Omicron subvariants of the virus, we are helping to protect others in our communities, especially those at highest risk for severe consequences should they become infected.  We are fortunate to have so many tools widely available across the county to help us protect each other. And while we are at a different stage in the pandemic, with lower case numbers and fewer individuals hospitalized, there are still thousands of residents that need our help staying well.”

Today, Public Health reported 8 additional deaths and 1,430 new positive cases. Of the 8 new deaths reported today, two people were between the ages of 50-64, four people were between the ages of 65-79, and two people were aged 80 years or older.  Of the eight newly reported deaths, seven had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 33,217.

Public Health has reported a total of 3,420,213 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 7.4%.

Hospitalization numbers are currently pending as Public Health awaits more information from the California Department of Public Health. Testing results are available for more than 12,489,452 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

3,420,213

— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)

3,235,294

— Long Beach

149,423

— Pasadena

35,496

Deaths

33,217

— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)

31,475

— Long Beach

1,318

— Pasadena

424

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

– 0 to 4

102,352

– 5 to 11

273,285

– 12 to 17

267,079

– 18 to 29

708,209

– 30 to 49

1,041,328

– 50 to 64

546,982

– 65 to 79

221,527

–  over 80

72,264

–  Under Investigation

2,268

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

–  Female

1,659,736

–  Male

1,488,515

–  Other

1,511

–  Under Investigation

85,532

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

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

6,089

–  Asian

229,037

–  Black

165,372

–  Hispanic/Latino

1,404,629

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

16,477

–  White

437,444

–  Other

367,430

–  Under Investigation

608,816

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

–  Hospitalized (Ever)

152,877

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

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

73

–  Asian

3,980

–  Black

2,935

–  Hispanic/Latino

15,938

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

112

–  White

7,997

–  Other

348

–  Under Investigation

92