Press Release: As COVID-19 Deaths, Hospitalizations Surpass December 2021 Levels, Public Health Officials Ask Residents to Help Limit Community Transmission - 3,257 New Positive Cases and 20 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

For Immediate Release:

December 16, 2022

As COVID-19 Deaths, Hospitalizations Surpass December 2021 Levels, Public Health Officials Ask Residents to Help Limit Community Transmission

?3,257 New Positive Cases and 20 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

As deaths and hospitalizations continue to rise in Los Angeles County, surpassing numbers seen at this time last year, Public Health officials are asking residents to play an important role in limiting the spread of COVID-19 during the holiday season by updating their vaccines, masking indoors, testing before gatherings, and staying home when sick.

This week, Los Angeles County remains in the High Community Level based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) designation, despite a decrease in reported cases. There was an average of nearly 2,920 cases reported per day, a nearly 20% decrease from the 7-day average of 3,639 cases reported per day last week.

Los Angeles County, however, witnessed a troubling doubling in the reported 7-day average of deaths per day from 2 weeks ago, currently to 16 this week, including the county?s 20th confirmed pediatric death. This milestone is a somber reminder of the nearly 34,400 precious lives lost in Los Angeles County since the pandemic began.

Although the number of reported COVID-19 cases declined slightly in Los Angeles County, they remain more than 120% higher than numbers observed one month ago and wastewater data reaffirms that transmission of COVID is currently high.? For the most recent week reported, the viral concentration of SARS-CoV-2 observed in wastewater was higher than it was during the peak concentration seen in July during our 2022 summer surge.?

Over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVID-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals is 1,252, very slightly elevated from last week when the average number of COVID-positive patients per day was 1,245. Based on data collected from 90 hospitals that are polled daily by the LA County Emergency Medical Services Agency, as of Dec. 12, there were 242 available adult beds, including ward and ICU beds. The average number of available beds so far in December is the lowest number reported in the past four years. Contributing factors include high circulating rates of respiratory illnesses and less available staff.

To minimize the transmission and impact of illness during the holidays, residents should think ahead about steps they can take to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the flu and other respiratory viruses. Importantly, being up to date on vaccines and the new bivalent booster provides essential protection against severe illness associated with COVID and flu.

Of the nearly 7.5 million county residents eligible for the bivalent booster, just 1.35 million residents have received it.? While the number remains low, more people are getting the new booster ? up to 18% this week compared to 16% on Nov. 27.

The new specially formulated bivalent booster for children 6 months through age 4 is now available in Los Angeles County. Previously, this booster was authorized only for children ages 5 and older. To maximize protection against COVID-19, dosing and eligibility for this new pediatric booster is dependent on the primary series the child receives.

If you have questions about vaccinating your child, you can call the Department of Public Health Vaccine Call Center at 1-833-540-0473 open daily 8 am to 8:30 pm.? Many vaccine sites received the new bivalent vaccines for young children this week.? At the Public Health community sites, clinics, and mobile vaccine teams, staff are trained and have begun administering these new vaccines.??

To find a vaccine site, visit ph.lacounty.gov/howtogetvaccinated or residents can reach out to their provider. As a note, many general pharmacies do not vaccinate children under three years old so please check the Public Health website or contact your provider to find a site able to vaccinate young children.??

In addition to getting the bivalent booster and seasonal flu vaccine, it is important this holiday season to continue to have plenty of well-fitting, high-filtration masks on hand, preferably N95s, KN95s, or KF94s. When choosing activities or planning an event, it also makes sense to look for outdoor options. If it doesn?t work to be outside, open windows and doors to increase ventilation inside.?

It?s also crucial to use COVID tests before gatherings. For more information on types of tests, where to get them, and how to interpret them go to ph.lacounty.gov/COVIDtests. Also, the federal government reopened its free COVID test program; each household can get four free tests shipped to their home. Tests can be ordered at COVIDtests.gov and shipping will begin the week of Dec. 19.?

Finally, it?s important for family and friends to stay home when sick to prevent others from getting ill. If you test positive for COVID-19 and have symptoms, the therapeutics Paxlovid and Molnupiravir are both prescription antivirals that can be taken at home. Both should be started within 5 days of symptom onset. Contact your provider if you have a fever, coughing and sneezing, unusual fatigue, muscle aches, or other symptoms. If you do not have a provider, you can call the Public Health call center at 1-833-540-0473 to get answers to your questions and access free telehealth services.??

?I extend my condolences to the all of the families that have been impacted by loss due to COVID,? said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. ?Navigating the pandemic has been made much easier with the new tools at hand and the data we can look at to better understand risk. High numbers no longer mean shutting down events or gathering over Zoom. We have the strategies, information, and resources to celebrate in-person with friends and family in a safe way.? I hope that over the next few weeks, everyone can use this information to keep each other protected. Simple efforts can lead to big returns, and this works best when people come together and act collectively. We all have a role to play to reduce COVID-19 transmission and I appreciate the inspiring efforts I have witnessed in the community. Your actions have personal impact, and also impact the people around you.?

Today, Public Health reported 20 additional deaths and 3,257 new positive cases. Of the 20 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 18-29, 10 people were between the ages of 65-79, and nine people were aged 80 years or older.? Of the 20 newly reported deaths, 18 had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 34,410.

Public Health has reported a total of 3,598,453 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today?s positivity rate is 10.9%. There are 1,261 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,784,124 individuals, with 25% 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:

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
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 12/15/2022	?	?
?	Total Cases	?
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	3,598,453	?
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	3,403,491	?
-- Long Beach	156,858	?
-- Pasadena	38,104	?
Deaths	34,410	?
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	32,631	?
-- Long Beach	1,342	?
-- Pasadena	437	?
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)	?	?
- 0 to 4	107,187	?
- 5 to 11	278,647	?
- 12 to 17	273,239	?
- 18 to 29	737,197	?
- 30 to 49	1,094,047	?
- 50 to 64	584,589	?
- 65 to 79	243,793	?
-? over 80	82,382	?
-? Under Investigation	2,410	?
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)	?	?
-? Female	1,751,411	?
-? Male	1,562,871	?
-? Other	1,690	?
-? Under Investigation	87,519	?
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)	?	?
-? American Indian/Alaska Native	6,485	?
-? Asian	249,283	?
-? Black	176,664	?
-? Hispanic/Latino	1,464,214	?
-? Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	17,193	?
-? White	467,508	?
-? Other	388,375	?
-? Under Investigation	633,769	?
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)	?	?
-? Hospitalized (Ever)	163,763	?
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)	?	?
-? American Indian/Alaska Native	78	?
-? Asian	4,171	?
-? Black	3,052	?
-? Hispanic/Latino	16,296	?
-? Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	113	?
-? White	8,468	?
-? Other	372	?
-? Under Investigation	81	?
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	6188	29632
City of Alhambra	23983	27654
City of Arcadia	12577	21777
City of Artesia	5688	33867
City of Avalon	66	1706
City of Azusa	16988	33949
City of Baldwin Park	28566	37210
City of Bell	16371	45059
City of Bell Gardens	16529	38376
City of Bellflower	29288	37677
City of Beverly Hills	11020	31924
City of Bradbury	67	6268
City of Burbank	31118	29033
City of Calabasas	5560	22859
City of Carson	33330	35516
City of Cerritos	12531	25028
City of Claremont	9431	25850
City of Commerce*	5500	42084
City of Compton	39224	39262
City of Covina	18477	37684
City of Cudahy	11826	48573
City of Culver City	11011	27621
City of Diamond Bar	12818	22286
City of Downey	44756	39169
City of Duarte	7025	31909
City of El Monte	41031	34989
City of El Segundo	3891	23180
City of Gardena	21051	34335
City of Glendale	57535	27863
City of Glendora	15252	28906
City of Hawaiian Gardens	4962	33810
City of Hawthorne	28373	31956
City of Hermosa Beach	4533	23045
City of Hidden Hills	379	20053
City of Huntington Park	25865	43482
City of Industry	539	123341
City of Inglewood	36741	32348
City of Irwindale	641	43934
City of La Canada Flintridge	4322	20886
City of La Habra Heights	179	3281
City of La Mirada	13465	27148
City of La Puente	15697	38570
City of La Verne	8914	26783
City of Lakewood	25516	31751
City of Lancaster*	61742	38214
City of Lawndale	10229	30431
City of Lomita	5700	27498
City of Lynwood*	29674	41187
City of Malibu	2790	21526
City of Manhattan Beach	7021	19503
City of Maywood	12458	44415
City of Monrovia	11164	28773
City of Montebello	24311	37765
City of Monterey Park	16530	26549
City of Norwalk	40947	38047
City of Palmdale	64136	40345
City of Palos Verdes Estates	2095	15493
City of Paramount	22475	40117
City of Pico Rivera	26609	41393
City of Pomona	62895	40335
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	7182	16801
City of Redondo Beach	14726	21436
City of Rolling Hills	269	13866
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1435	17688
City of Rosemead	14697	26553
City of San Dimas*	10603	30719
City of San Fernando	12347	50167
City of San Gabriel	10790	26347
City of San Marino	2282	17188
City of Santa Clarita	70239	31865
City of Santa Fe Springs	7701	41935
City of Santa Monica	25279	27345
City of Sierra Madre	2232	20311
City of Signal Hill	3904	33093
City of South El Monte	7941	38023
City of South Gate	45717	46576
City of South Pasadena	6057	23249
City of Temple City	9504	26070
City of Torrance	32470	21753
City of Vernon	352	168421
City of Walnut	7166	23470
City of West Covina	38043	35149
City of West Hollywood	10747	29084
City of Westlake Village	371	4438
City of Whittier	29872	34166
Los Angeles	1469761	36339
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	3083	37588
Los Angeles - Alsace	4338	34857
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	6	15000
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	796	31815
Los Angeles - Arleta	16355	47585
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	4754	32415
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	9736	31280
Los Angeles - Bel Air	2314	27453
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	3201	25557
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	3970	30137
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	39109	45013
Los Angeles - Brentwood	8124	26245
Los Angeles - Brookside	142	24441
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	2281	32032
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	24581	37650
Los Angeles - Carthay	4124	28713
Los Angeles - Central	16645	42688
Los Angeles - Century City	3546	27720
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	15627	46280
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	12310	33216
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	2424	26431
Los Angeles - Chinatown	2688	33512
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	5012	34440
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	4684	30911
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	5067	36640
Los Angeles - Crestview	3738	32882
Los Angeles - Del Rey	8146	27211
Los Angeles - Downtown*	15429	56091
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	13082	33045
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	9179	31342
Los Angeles - Echo Park	4357	30563
Los Angeles - El Sereno	16449	39344
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1756	30742
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	3494	34353
Los Angeles - Encino	14564	32241
Los Angeles - Exposition	1236	37162
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	17386	38707
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	1211	33639
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3625	41566
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	22247	46890
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	10568	33439
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	3966	36845
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	20728	35621
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	9804	45589
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	4528	26574
Los Angeles - Harbor City	9018	31022
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	15153	34755
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	606	25156
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	6017	33363
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	17426	45936
Los Angeles - Highland Park	16630	34366
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	5180	37347
Los Angeles - Hollywood	20790	30460
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	7335	24920
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	11360	39802
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	3060	37904
Los Angeles - Koreatown	15777	30521
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1577	34591
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	15658	37099
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	5649	43014
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	5471	35911
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	12374	37961
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	2962	36910
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	8504	30004
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1438	45898
Los Angeles - Longwood	1733	40265
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	5544	25657
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	3095	36258
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	761	24360
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	10385	24452
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	946	21697
Los Angeles - Melrose	25389	32677
Los Angeles - Mid-city	4492	29887
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	4755	26439
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	11472	47554
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	8073	33435
Los Angeles - North Hills	24382	39597
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	57242	37803
Los Angeles - Northridge	24600	35245
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	4801	22549
Los Angeles - Pacoima	37698	48972
Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands	889	23115
Los Angeles - Palms	11508	26228
Los Angeles - Panorama City	32521	43217
Los Angeles - Park La Brea	3075	22644
Los Angeles - Pico-Union	16038	38330
Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey	572	17897
Los Angeles - Playa Vista	3258	29762
Los Angeles - Porter Ranch	10105	28394
Los Angeles - Rancho Park	2154	32835
Los Angeles - Regent Square	847	30468
Los Angeles - Reseda	30892	40320
Los Angeles - Reseda Ranch	1735	37425
Los Angeles - Reynier Village	1187	28075
Los Angeles - San Pedro*	25081	32139
Los Angeles - Shadow Hills	1233	27758
Los Angeles - Sherman Oaks	26516	30389
Los Angeles - Silverlake	13083	29678
Los Angeles - South Carthay	3023	28532
Los Angeles - South Park	16757	44143
Los Angeles - St Elmo Village	1858	40532
Los Angeles - Studio City	6773	30183
Los Angeles - Sun Valley	22489	42850
Los Angeles - Sunland	6634	32507
Los Angeles - Sycamore Square	179	27666
Los Angeles - Sylmar*	40740	49443
Los Angeles - Tarzana	10101	32715
Los Angeles - Temple-Beaudry	13292	33666
Los Angeles - Thai Town	2771	28250
Los Angeles - Toluca Lake	2457	28228
Los Angeles - Toluca Terrace	459	35145
Los Angeles - Toluca Woods	491	26426
Los Angeles - Tujunga	8666	31161
Los Angeles - University Hills	898	26188
Los Angeles - University Park	11191	40760
Los Angeles - Valley Glen	10793	35957
Los Angeles - Valley Village	8051	32569
Los Angeles - Van Nuys*	36381	39038
Los Angeles - Venice	8824	26041
Los Angeles - Vermont Knolls	7272	42279
Los Angeles - Vermont Square	3677	48021
Los Angeles - Vermont Vista	17853	43347
Los Angeles - Vernon Central	24358	46844
Los Angeles - Victoria Park	2764	32909
Los Angeles - View Heights	998	27017
Los Angeles - Watts	18538	43441
Los Angeles - Wellington Square	1756	35727
Los Angeles - West Adams	10606	38386
Los Angeles - West Hills	11896	29340
Los Angeles - West Los Angeles	10874	28893
Los Angeles - West Vernon	23810	44385
Los Angeles - Westchester	12862	24925
Los Angeles - Westlake	20203	34038
Los Angeles - Westwood	15783	29169
Los Angeles - Wholesale District*	20544	56863
Los Angeles - Wilmington	22677	40146
Los Angeles - Wilshire Center	15924	31740
Los Angeles - Winnetka	19222	37118
Los Angeles - Woodland Hills	19835	29146
Unincorporated - Acton	1925	24150
Unincorporated - Agua Dulce	958	23040
Unincorporated - Altadena	11087	25417
Unincorporated - Anaverde	385	25531
Unincorporated - Angeles National Forest	101	8112
Unincorporated - Arcadia	2101	26325
Unincorporated - Athens-Westmont	17016	40092
Unincorporated - Athens Village	2725	55646
Unincorporated - Avocado Heights	2697	39808
Unincorporated - Azusa	5937	37286
Unincorporated - Bassett	5843	39434
Unincorporated - Bouquet Canyon	202	18826
Unincorporated - Bradbury	115	106481
Unincorporated - Canyon Country	3453	44682
Unincorporated - Castaic*	9410	34607
Unincorporated - Cerritos	183	31175
Unincorporated - Charter Oak	2	10000
Unincorporated - Claremont	147	20940
Unincorporated - Covina	6030	35852
Unincorporated - Covina (Charter Oak)	4638	35286
Unincorporated - Del Aire	1190	27089
Unincorporated - Del Rey	134	42138
Unincorporated - Del Sur	688	28489
Unincorporated - Desert View Highlands	903	36221
Unincorporated - Duarte	1929	43564
Unincorporated - East Covina	92	27964
Unincorporated - East La Mirada	1573	29724
Unincorporated - East Lancaster	51	44737
Unincorporated - East Los Angeles	56986	45491
Unincorporated - East Pasadena	372	5810
Unincorporated - East Rancho Dominguez	5915	38640
Unincorporated - East Whittier	1386	26121
Unincorporated - El Camino Village	2343	26652
Unincorporated - El Monte	59	40690
Unincorporated - Elizabeth Lake	265	15954
Unincorporated - Florence-Firestone	29935	46264
Unincorporated - Franklin Canyon	1	8333
Unincorporated - Glendora	193	29242
Unincorporated - Hacienda Heights	15868	28373
Unincorporated - Harbor Gateway	5	500000
Unincorporated - Hawthorne	729	28998
Unincorporated - Hi Vista	169	15392
Unincorporated - Kagel/Lopez Canyons	614	43484
Unincorporated - La Crescenta-Montrose	4238	21403
Unincorporated - La Habra Heights	18	2663
Unincorporated - La Rambla	762	36723
Unincorporated - La Verne*	633	31029
Unincorporated - Ladera Heights	1838	25993
Unincorporated - Lake Hughes	199	29790
Unincorporated - Lake Los Angeles	3992	30722
Unincorporated - Lake Manor	451	27450
Unincorporated - Lakewood	1	877
Unincorporated - Lennox	7622	33812
Unincorporated - Leona Valley	308	17590
Unincorporated - Littlerock	1392	34618
Unincorporated - Littlerock/Juniper Hills	320	24672
Unincorporated - Littlerock/Pearblossom	1245	34884
Unincorporated - Llano	113	12885
Unincorporated - Marina del Rey	2282	24248
Unincorporated - Miracle Mile	0	0
Unincorporated - Monrovia	1191	30688
Unincorporated - Newhall	100	45455
Unincorporated - North Lancaster	380	31720
Unincorporated - North Whittier	2976	35598
Unincorporated - Northeast San Gabriel	5836	24280
Unincorporated - Padua Hills	36	16744
Unincorporated - Palmdale	253	30048
Unincorporated - Palos Verdes Peninsula	116	18680
Unincorporated - Pearblossom/Llano	407	20808
Unincorporated - Pellissier Village	359	57997
Unincorporated - Placerita Canyon	23	5000
Unincorporated - Pomona	168	8669
Unincorporated - Quartz Hill	3855	29870
Unincorporated - Rancho Dominguez	1149	43179
Unincorporated - Roosevelt	264	28357
Unincorporated - Rosewood	510	39658
Unincorporated - Rosewood/East Gardena	510	42749
Unincorporated - Rosewood/West Rancho Dominguez	1287	38292
Unincorporated - Rowland Heights	12230	23970
Unincorporated - San Clemente Island	0	0
Unincorporated - San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon	43	5012
Unincorporated - San Jose Hills	7605	37609
Unincorporated - San Pasqual	87	4275
Unincorporated - Sand Canyon	59	19156
Unincorporated - Santa Catalina Island	773	289513
Unincorporated - Santa Monica Mountains*	3734	20053
Unincorporated - Saugus	422	272258
Unincorporated - Saugus/Canyon Country	123	34551
Unincorporated - South Antelope Valley	110	24176
Unincorporated - South El Monte	740	41226
Unincorporated - South San Gabriel	2786	31487
Unincorporated - South Whittier	20840	35190
Unincorporated - Southeast Antelope Valley	235	30090
Unincorporated - Stevenson Ranch	5693	27153
Unincorporated - Sun Village	2129	35272
Unincorporated - Sunrise Village	518	39969
Unincorporated - Twin Lakes/Oat Mountain	416	25090
Unincorporated - Val Verde	1042	31490
Unincorporated - Valencia	906	29492
Unincorporated - Valinda	9216	39433
Unincorporated - View Park/Windsor Hills	3485	29953
Unincorporated - Walnut Park	7262	44985
Unincorporated - West Antelope Valley	173	11449
Unincorporated - West Carson	7652	34646
Unincorporated - West Chatsworth	4	33333
Unincorporated - West LA	793	83298
Unincorporated - West Puente Valley	3976	40427
Unincorporated - West Rancho Dominguez	475	34952
Unincorporated - West Whittier/Los Nietos	10250	38069
Unincorporated - Westfield/Academy Hills	241	18538
Unincorporated - Westhills	191	22765
Unincorporated - White Fence Farms	901	24464
Unincorporated - Whittier	946	25000
Unincorporated - Whittier Narrows	69	575000
Unincorporated - Willowbrook	16153	46266
Unincorporated - Wiseburn	1811	30048
?- Under Investigation	83950	?
*? --Case and death numbers include cases identified among persons detained at correctional facilities located in the city/community		?
** --These numbers are subject to change based on further investigation.		?

The Department of Public Health is committed to promoting health equity and ensuring optimal health and well -being for all 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health comprises of more than 5,000 employees and has an annual budget of $1.3 billion.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health works to protect health,?
prevent disease, and promote health and well-being.

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:?Manage Subscriptions??|??Help