LA County Health Report Releases Weekly Covid Data
By Dolores Quintana
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) emphasizes the continued availability of COVID-19 services to residents, encouraging them to utilize testing, treatment, and vaccination resources. These services are essential for individuals experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness, those who have been exposed to COVID-19, and those who want to ensure their protection is up to date.
Testing remains a crucial tool in limiting the spread of COVID-19. It helps individuals assess their status after potential exposure and exercise caution before interacting with higher-risk individuals, such as older adults or those with weakened immune systems. In the past 90 days, as of June 10, over 900,000 PCR tests were administered by healthcare providers and labs in Los Angeles County. Additionally, nearly 3.5 million rapid tests were distributed by Public Health across education sites, skilled nursing facilities, shelters for vulnerable populations, and community- and faith-based organizations.
The Public Health Call Center is also a resource for general COVID-19 questions and vaccine appointments, including transportation assistance. Homebound vaccination appointments are available for individuals unable to leave their homes. In the past 30 days, this program has successfully vaccinated 142 homebound clients. Individuals aged 65+ and those who are immunocompromised are eligible for a second bivalent vaccine dose to enhance protection against severe illness. As of June 11, over 57,000 Los Angeles County residents aged 65+ have received at least two bivalent COVID vaccine doses. Further information on vaccine programs and locations is accessible here.
Despite progress, COVID-19 continues to impact Los Angeles County residents. The 7-day average number of daily COVID hospitalizations stands at 212 this week, while reported weekly deaths decreased to 36 from the previous week’s 46 deaths. As of Tuesday, June 6, the total number of COVID deaths in Los Angeles County has reached 36,460.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has replaced COVID-19 Community Levels with Hospital Admission Levels, which provide the most recent information to guide individuals and communities in deciding preventive actions. As of June 15, 2023, Los Angeles County is classified under the Low Hospital Admission Level, with 2.7 weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people.
| Metric | Date of Weekly Report | |||
| 6/14/2023 | 6/7/2023 | 5/31/2023 | 5/24/2023 | |
| Weekly cases reported1,2 | 1,716 | 1,902 | 1,801 | 2,157 |
| SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration as a percentage of the Winter 2022-2023 peak concentration value3 | 17% | 10% | 11% | 9% |
| 7-day average of the percent of Emergency Department (ED) encounters classified as coronavirus-related3,4 | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.7% |
| The 7-day average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations3,4 | 212 | 228 | 254 | 247 |
| Weekly deaths reported2 | 36 | 46 | 40 | 35 |
| 1) Case counts are an underrepresentation of the true number of infections, largely due to home tests that 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. |
| 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. |
| 3) Time periods covered by each metric: wastewater = week ending each Saturday, with a one-week lag; ED data = week ending each Sunday; hospitalizations = week ending each Sunday (except for the data point for 6/14/23 which is for the week ending Saturday due to a data transition at the federal level). |
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/COVIDdata, including:
· COVID-19 Locations & Demographics (data by demographic characteristics and geography, active outbreaks, and citations)
