What Will Happen if COVID Cases Rise Again? Public Health has a Plan for That.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has updated its COVID-19 Response Plan to align with the new phase of the pandemic and the recent lifting of emergency declarations.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?
Because we continue to live with COVID-19, Public Health is staying prepared should the community experience future increases in COVID-19 transmission. This allows Public Health to respond swiftly, if need be, to reduce transmission and continue to protect those most vulnerable to severe COVID-19 outcomes.
WHAT IS A RESPONSE PLAN?
The COVID-19 Response Plan serves as a guide laying out specific recommendations or actions Public Health would put in place should COVID-19 hospitalizations reach pre-determined thresholds.?
Public Health also monitors 12 preparedness metrics, designed to track how prepared the county is to respond to potential changes in COVID-19 transmission and eight Early Alert Signals that monitor whether transmission is increasing.
HOW WERE THE METRICS THAT GUIDE THE RESPONSE PLAN CHOSEN?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently stopped tracking COVID-19 by Community Levels. The CDC is now tracking COVID-19 by Hospital Admission Levels, this gives a more accurate picture of the impact of COVID-19. The CDC moved away from Community Level tracking because it incorporated cases, which are often significantly undercounted due to at-home testing.
The Hospital Admission Levels, seen below, are broken into Low, Medium and High.
 *Data was posted by CDC on 6/1/23 using data for the 7-day period ending on 5/27/23
Public Health will tie different recommendations/requirements to each of the three CDC?s Hospital Admission Levels.
Public Health will also continue tracking its Early Alert Signals, which monitor potential increases in transmission, to guide its COVID-19 recommendations.
WHERE CAN I SEE THIS RESPONSE PLAN?
Looking at the Response Plan will give you an idea of how COVID-19 recommendations and guidance could change in the future if the community were to experience a surge again. You can view the response plan, and the metrics that guide it, at ph.lacounty.gov/COVIDresponseplan.
Oral COVID-19 Medicine is Available
As soon as you start to feel sick, take a COVID-19 test and seek free COVID treatment right away.
Treatment can prevent you from getting very sick. The oral medicine Paxlovid has been proven to significantly reduce the risk of death or hospitalization from COVID-19.
Treatment must be started early. The oral medicines must be started within five days of when symptoms begin. Do not wait for your symptoms to get worse.
Many adults and some children qualify for treatment.?You can get treatment even if you have had COVID before, or if you have been vaccinated. You don?t need to have insurance or be a US citizen, but you will need a prescription to access COVID-19 medication.
See if you?re eligible for COVID-19 treatment. Call the Public Health Telehealth Service at 1-833-540-0473 (7 days a week, 8:00 am ? 8:30 pm). This is a good option for people who don?t have a doctor or health insurance or can't get an appointment.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has developed a wide array of documents, guidance documents, and resources for the workers, businesses, partners, and the general public on a variety of topics related to COVID-19, including:
For the Public:
For Businesses:
It is recommended you follow @lapublichealth on?Facebook,?Twitter?or?Instagram?the latest updates about Los Angeles County.
Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:
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