Bivalent Booster Vaccination Rates Remain Low, as LA County Shows Possible Signs of Winter Surge - 1,595 New Positive Cases and 8 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

There continues to be signs in LA County that there may be a winter surge in new cases of COVID-19. As we observe an increase in case rates and a change in early indicators, it is important to prepare in order to mitigate the potential impact on the health care system, high risk residents, and the community.

Today, LA County reports a 7-day average of 1,300 cases reported per day, a 24% increase from the 7-day average of 1,050 cases reported per day last week. There has been a steady increase in this number since November 1^st. As is expected with rising case counts, LA County is also seeing an increase in the average number of daily hospital admissions. This past week, there was an average of 77 admissions per day, an 18% increase from the 65 admissions per day the week before. The current case rate is now 86 new cases per 100,000 individuals.

Of the eight early alert signals that are consistently monitored to understand changes in COVID-19 transmission, three metrics are of Medium Concern this week and one metric is of high concern. This is a significant change from November 1 when two metrics where of Medium Concern and the remaining 6 were in Low Concern.

After being of Medium Concern for multiple weeks, the number of new outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities over the past 7 days is now at 21, surpassing the threshold for High Concern. We are working to multiply our efforts to get people in skilled nursing facilities vaccinated with the updated booster. Currently about 50 percent of residents have been vaccinated with the bivalent booster. The 7-day average for percent of Emergency Department encounters classified as COVID-19 related also increased to 5%, just meeting the threshold for Medium Concern. In addition, the number of TK-12 school outbreaks increased from 9 to 14 this week, putting it in the category of Medium Concern, and the percent of specimens sequenced that are identified as a new subvariant of interest, currently tracking for BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 is at 17 percent.

Facing the potential of a winter with a high level of community risk from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, two preparedness measures tracked on the LA County post-sure preparedness dashboard are currently in the Needs Improvement category. One notable area of concern is related to our capacity to sequence specimens to identify new strains of the virus. This past week, the number of positive case specimens sequenced was at 294, a value that puts us in the Needs Improvement category and steps have been put into place to increase this number. Another area of significant concern is the very low number of residents 65 or older who have received an updated bivalent booster dose. At 23%, it is far below the 60% needed to meet the threshold for adequate.

Additionally, the lowest uptake is among the younger age groups, with children ages 5-11 and 12-17, bivalent booster rates are 4% and 5% respectively.

Residents can visit ph.lacounty.gov/howtogetvaccinated to find options for getting the updated booster and, if needed, their primary COVID-19 vaccine series. There are over 1,000 sites across LA County where you can get vaccinated. As we head into the holiday season, with many opportunities to gather with those we love, it makes sense to do our best to think about layering in the protections needed to safeguard the most vulnerable person or people at our gatherings. None of us should be afraid to continue to use mitigation strategies that we know work against many respiratory viruses, including wearing a high quality, well-fitted mask when you are indoors and testing before gathering. Small changes now could mean that we avoid big changes that become necessary if cases and hospitalizations really surge.

“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. ““The low number of residents getting the bivalent booster is worrying, especially given the possibility of a winter surge fueled by new strains of the virus that are very infectious. Those over 65 are at elevated risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and for many older people it has been months since their last booster, Bivalent boosters are widely available in LA County and we have an adequate supply to give a booster to everyone who is eligible. I know that earlier in the pandemic vaccines were very precious, and often the mindset was that people at lower risk should wait. ?This is not the case anymore. If you are eligible, you can and should get your updated booster now.”

Today, Public Health reported 8 additional deaths and 1,595 new positive cases. Of the 8 new deaths reported today, three people were between the ages of 50-64, three people were between the ages of 65-79, and two people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 8 newly reported deaths, 7 had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 34,039.

Public Health has reported a total of 3,501,782 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 5.8%.

As of November 9, 2022, 464 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,669,810 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:

COVID-19 Daily Data (cases, deaths, testing, testing positivity rate, mortality rate, and hospitalizations)
Gender, Age, Race/Ethnicity and City/Community Cases and Deaths
Recovery Metrics
Contact Tracing Metrics
Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics
Citations due to Health Officer Order Noncompliance
Outbreaks:

Residential Congregate Settings
Non-Residential Settings
Homeless Service Settings

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

For more information:

Cases through 12:00pm 11/9/2022
	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases	3,501,782
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	3,312,077
-- Long Beach	152,959
-- Pasadena	36,746
Deaths	34,039
-- Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)	32,268
-- Long Beach	1,337
-- Pasadena	434
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	104,641
- 5 to 11	276,000
- 12 to 17	270,228
- 18 to 29	721,896
- 30 to 49	1,065,344
- 50 to 64	563,580
- 65 to 79	231,496
- over 80	76,507
- Under Investigation	2,385
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1,701,647
- Male	1,522,507
- Other	1,603
- Under Investigation	86,320
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	6,289
- Asian	238,743
- Black	170,910
- Hispanic/Latino	1,432,507
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	16,818
- White	452,540
- Other	375,697
- Under Investigation	618,573
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	158,829
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	75
- Asian	4,108
- Black	3,020
- Hispanic/Latino	16,186
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	112
- White	8,323
- Other	365
- Under Investigation	79
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	6040	28923
City of Alhambra	23059	26589
City of Arcadia	11997	20773
City of Artesia	5495	32718
City of Avalon	66	1706
City of Azusa	16605	33183
City of Baldwin Park	27711	36097
City of Bell	16086	44275
City of Bell Gardens	16201	37615
City of Bellflower	28462	36614
City of Beverly Hills	10769	31196
City of Bradbury	67	6268
City of Burbank	30009	27999
City of Calabasas	5398	22193
City of Carson	32402	34527
City of Cerritos	12052	24072
City of Claremont	9033	24759
City of Commerce*	5370	41090
City of Compton	38399	38436
City of Covina	17953	36615
City of Cudahy	11619	47723
City of Culver City	10593	26572
City of Diamond Bar	12322	21424
City of Downey	43650	38201
City of Duarte	6761	30709
City of El Monte	39795	33935
City of El Segundo	3785	22549
City of Gardena	20395	33265
City of Glendale	55569	26911
City of Glendora	14892	28224
City of Hawaiian Gardens	4868	33170
City of Hawthorne	27496	30968
City of Hermosa Beach	4396	22349
City of Hidden Hills	373	19735
City of Huntington Park	25376	42660
City of Industry	517	118307
City of Inglewood	35674	31408
City of Irwindale	632	43317
City of La Canada Flintridge	4176	20181
City of La Habra Heights	175	3208
City of La Mirada	13096	26404
City of La Puente	15267	37514
City of La Verne	8706	26158
City of Lakewood	24733	30777
City of Lancaster*	60116	37207
City of Lawndale	9966	29648
City of Lomita	5549	26769
City of Lynwood*	29027	40289
City of Malibu	2729	21055
City of Manhattan Beach	6797	18881
City of Maywood	12249	43670
City of Monrovia	10767	27750
City of Montebello	23533	36556
City of Monterey Park	15920	25569
City of Norwalk	39767	36951
City of Palmdale	62617	39390
City of Palos Verdes Estates	2039	15079
City of Paramount	21970	39216
City of Pico Rivera	25851	40214
City of Pomona	61345	39341
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	6924	16198
City of Redondo Beach	14272	20775
City of Rolling Hills	258	13299
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1394	17182
City of Rosemead	14254	25752
City of San Dimas*	10331	29931
City of San Fernando	12088	49114
City of San Gabriel	10301	25153
City of San Marino	2191	16502
City of Santa Clarita	68160	30922
City of Santa Fe Springs	7562	41178
City of Santa Monica	24474	26474
City of Sierra Madre	2155	19611
City of Signal Hill	3748	31771
City of South El Monte	7739	37055
City of South Gate	44793	45635
City of South Pasadena	5825	22358
City of Temple City	9095	24949
City of Torrance	31304	20972
City of Vernon	349	166986
City of Walnut	6884	22547
City of West Covina	36842	34039
City of West Hollywood	10461	28310
City of Westlake Village	362	4330
City of Whittier	29121	33307
Los Angeles	1431933	35404
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	3024	36869
Los Angeles - Alsace	4221	33917
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	6	15000
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	776	31015
Los Angeles - Arleta	15926	46337
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	4613	31454
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	9447	30352
Los Angeles - Bel Air	2250	26694
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	3132	25006
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	3874	29409
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	38332	44119
Los Angeles - Brentwood	7893	25498
Los Angeles - Brookside	136	23408
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	2242	31484
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	23934	36659
Los Angeles - Carthay	3955	27536
Los Angeles - Central	16406	42075
Los Angeles - Century City	3417	26712
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	15351	45463
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	11956	32260
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	2349	25613
Los Angeles - Chinatown	2594	32340
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	4923	33828
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	4518	29816
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	4919	35570
Los Angeles - Crestview	3598	31650
Los Angeles - Del Rey	7898	26383
Los Angeles - Downtown*	15075	54804
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	12642	31933
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	8883	30331
Los Angeles - Echo Park	4247	29791
Los Angeles - El Sereno	16040	38366
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1710	29937
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	3395	33379
Los Angeles - Encino	14107	31230
Los Angeles - Exposition	1209	36350
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	16966	37772
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	1171	32528
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3534	40523
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	21907	46173
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	10253	32442
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	3868	35935
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	20118	34572
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	9644	44845
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	4410	25882
Los Angeles - Harbor City	8769	30165
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	14754	33839
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	587	24367
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	5893	32675
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	17132	45161
Los Angeles - Highland Park	16125	33322
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	5067	36532
Los Angeles - Hollywood	20184	29572
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	7129	24220
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	11065	38769
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	2990	37037
Los Angeles - Koreatown	15382	29756
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1547	33933
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	15236	36099
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	5495	41841
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	5307	34834
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	12086	37077
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	2834	35315
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	8293	29259
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1363	43505
Los Angeles - Longwood	1637	38034
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	5386	24926
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	3014	35309
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	746	23880
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	10094	23767
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	909	20849
Los Angeles - Melrose	24630	31700
Los Angeles - Mid-city	4379	29135
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	4605	25605
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	11195	46406
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	7865	32574
Los Angeles - North Hills	23786	38629
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	55776	36835
Los Angeles - Northridge	23921	34272
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	4663	21901
Los Angeles - Pacoima	36842	47860
Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands	869	22595
Los Angeles - Palms	11157	25428
Los Angeles - Panorama City	31635	42040
Los Angeles - Park La Brea	2993	22040
Los Angeles - Pico-Union	15633	37362
Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey	553	17303
Los Angeles - Playa Vista	3184	29086
Los Angeles - Porter Ranch	9819	27591
Los Angeles - Rancho Park	2092	31890
Los Angeles - Regent Square	827	29748
Los Angeles - Reseda	30047	39217
Los Angeles - Reseda Ranch	1695	36562
Los Angeles - Reynier Village	1146	27105
Los Angeles - San P #####