Amid Changes in Federal COVID-19 Data Reporting, Public Health Maintains Robust Monitoring in Los Angeles County
Local COVID-19 Data Helps Inform Individuals, Public Health Actions
Amid changes in federal COVID-19 data reporting, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) will maintain robust collection and monitoring of local COVID-19 information as part of its continuing commitment to pandemic preparedness, with the goal of providing residents and businesses with up-to-date information to guide appropriate protective strategies.
While the emergency phase of the pandemic has ended, Public Health remains focused on protecting vulnerable residents and ensuring the county remains prepared for future potential changes in transmission due to the constantly evolving nature of the COVID-19 virus.
Timely local data will be used to identify trends and provide appropriate guidance and resources, giving residents the tools to make informed decisions about personal and community risk when needed. Public Health will utilize both the CDC’s hospital admission levels and guidance to inform Los Angeles County’s local public health response.
In alignment with CDC, Public Health views hospitalization data as an important metric to track severity of illness and capacity of the health care system. Because hospitalization data is a lagging indicator, meaning it may take a few weeks of increased transmission for the count of hospitalized patients to increase, Public Health will also monitor other measures that reflect transmission levels.
To help detect increases in transmissions as early as possible, Public Health monitors and reports weekly on COVID-19 case counts, wastewater levels, and the percent of COVID-related emergency department visits.
In addition, Public Health’s COVID-19 monitoring will include tracking an additional seven Early Alert Signals that indicate the possibility of increases in rates of transmission and/or increased illness severity. These Early Alert Signals include metrics on outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities and settings serving people experiencing homelessness, underscoring the importance of continuing to closely monitor COVID-19 outcomes in vulnerable and higher-risk populations. The public can follow this information at ph.lacounty.gov/
Vaccines remain one of the best tools individuals can use to protect themselves from severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Vaccines remain free and easily accessible in Los Angeles County. Everyone ages six months and older should have at least one dose of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine which provides substantial protection against newer Omicron strains. Residents can visit VaccinateLACounty.com or VacunateLosAngeles.com (en español) to find a vaccination location near them.
For residents who have difficulties leaving their home, Public Health offers free in-home COVID-19 vaccine and booster appointments. Appointments may be booked at ph.lacounty.gov/vaxathome, ph.lacounty.gov/
Public Health’s Call Center also connects eligible residents to free telehealth to get COVID-19 medications, information, and other resources. Residents are encouraged to call 1-833-540-0473, available daily between 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., to access these services.
“I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to those in Los Angeles County who have lost someone to COVID-19. I hope you find strength and peace during this difficult time” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “In the field of public health, we have always appreciated the importance of having good information and this has been amplified during the pandemic. Efforts to provide resources for those who are at highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19 relies on our ability to have information that tracks changes in the virus, levels of community transmission, and the impact of COVID-19 among different groups. By maintaining capacity to collect and analyze relevant information, we hope that the residents of Los Angeles County have the most accurate understanding of our local COVID-19 situation and actions that can be taken at the community and individual levels to minimize spread and risks for those most vulnerable.”
This week’s sequencing data shows XBB.1.5 remains the dominant strain in Los Angeles County, accounting for 81% of sequenced specimens for the week ending April 22, 2023. The second most dominant strains were XBB.1.9.1 and XBB.1.16, each accounting for 5% of sequenced specimens. LA County has had 19 confirmed cases of XBB.1.16 and data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that XBB.1.16 makes up 12% of cases in California and surrounding states.
The 7-day average number of COVID hospitalizations is 222 this week. Reported weekly deaths dropped to 20 deaths reported this week, which may reflect a data reporting issue. As of Tuesday, May 16, there have been a total of 36,306 deaths in Los Angeles County.
Public Health is now reporting COVID-19 data weekly. The following table shows the weekly reported case counts, average number of daily hospitalizations, and weekly reported death counts in Los Angeles County over the past four weeks.
|
Metric |
Date of Weekly Report |
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|
5/17/2023 |
5/10/2023 |
5/3/2023 |
4/26/2023 |
|
|
Weekly cases reported1,2 |
2,323 |
2,266 |
2,533 |
2,659 |
|
SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration as a percentage of the Winter 2022-2023 peak concentration value3 |
10% |
11% |
13% |
18% |
|
7-day average of the percent of Emergency Department (ED) encounters classified as coronavirus-related4 |
3.0% |
2.8% |
3.0% |
2.7% |
|
7-day average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations5 |
222* |
252 |
266 |
275 |
|
Weekly deaths reported2 |
20 |
46 |
51 |
54 |
|
1) Case counts are an underrepresentation of the true number of infections, largely due to home tests which are not reported to DPH. Despite this, the trend in reported case counts from week to week is still an indicator of overall trends in transmission. |
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2) Weekly case and death counts represent the number of cases and deaths reported for the week ending each Tuesday. The date a case/death is reported by DPH is not the same as the date of testing or death. |
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3) Wastewater concentrations reflect the week ending each Saturday, with a one-week lag. |
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4) Emergency department data represents average number of coronavirus-classified encounters for the week ending each Sunday. Data for past weeks is subject to change in future reports. 5) Hospitalization data represents average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations for the week ending each Tuesday. Data for past weeks is subject to change in future reports. *Due to a transition in data source necessitated by the end of the federal public health emergency, this value represents the average number of hospitalizations for the 7-day period ending 5/14/23, rather than 5/16/23. |
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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.
- COVID-19 Locations & Demographics (data by demographic characteristics and geography, active outbreaks, and citations)
- COVID-19 Response Plan
- COVID-19 Vaccinations
- Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics
Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: http://publichealth.lacounty.
gov/media/Coronavirus/ - California Department of Public Health: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/
Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/ Immunization/nCOV2019.aspx - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/
coronavirus/2019-ncov/index. html - CDC Spanish https://espanol.cdc.gov/enes/
coronavirus/2019-ncov/index. html - World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-
topics/coronavirus - LA County residents can also call 2-1-1
|
Cases through 12:00pm 5/15/2023 |
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|
|
Total Cases |
|
|
Laboratory Confirmed Cases |
3,743,266 |
|
|
— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas) |
3,538,934 |
|
|
— Long Beach |
164,093 |
|
|
— Pasadena |
40,239 |
|
|
Deaths |
36,306 |
|
|
— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas) |
34,449 |
|
|
— Long Beach |
1,410 |
|
|
— Pasadena |
447 |
|
|
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas) |
|
|
|
– 0 to 4 |
111,817 |
|
|
– 5 to 11 |
282,963 |
|
|
– 12 to 17 |
277,751 |
|
|
– 18 to 29 |
758,664 |
|
|
– 30 to 49 |
1,134,406 |
|
|
– 50 to 64 |
614,185 |
|
|
– 65 to 79 |
263,907 |
|
|
– over 80 |
92,745 |
|
|
– Under Investigation |
2,496 |
|
|
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas) |
|
|
|
– Female |
1,826,263 |
|
|
– Male |
1,621,896 |
|
|
– Other |
1,793 |
|
|
– Under Investigation |
88,982 |
|
|
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas) |
|
|
|
– American Indian/Alaska Native |
6,713 |
|
|
– Asian |
263,535 |
|
|
– Black |
185,832 |
|
|
– Hispanic/Latino |
1,512,953 |
|
|
– Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander |
17,713 |
|
|
– White |
491,402 |
|
|
– Other |
405,974 |
|
|
– Under Investigation |
654,812 |
|
|
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas) |
|
|
|
– Hospitalized (Ever) |
177,309 |
|
|
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas) |
|
|
|
– American Indian/Alaska Native |
80 |
|
|
– Asian |
4,483 |
|
|
– Black |
3,230 |
|
|
– Hispanic/Latino |
16,854 |
|
|
– Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander |
119 |
|
|
– White |
9,173 |
|
|
– Other |
418 |
|
|
– Under Investigation |
92 |
