February 17, 2022
Los Angeles County
from the Department of Public Health
Today, Public Health confirmed 67 additional deaths and 3,312 new cases of COVID-19.
Of the 67 newly reported deaths, 49 had underlying health conditions.
Today’s positivity rate is 2.9%.
There are 1,713 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized.
With the winter surge subsiding, Public Health reminds residents that vaccinations and masking remain important effective layers of protection, especially in school settings and crowded spaces.
As of February 10, 34% of 5-11-year-olds and 84% of 12–17-year-olds had received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine and 26% of 5–11-year-olds and 76% 12–17-year-olds were fully vaccinated.
Unvaccinated children ages 5-11, were 2.5 times more likely to be infected when compared to those who were fully vaccinated. For those ages 12-17, vaccinated teens were almost 3 times less likely to be infected when compared to those who were unvaccinated.
Similarly, hospitalizations were also higher for unvaccinated children in both youth age groups 5-11 and 12-17. Unvaccinated children 5-11 were at three times higher risk of hospitalization when compared to fully vaccinated children. And unvaccinated teens 12-17 were four times more likely to be hospitalized than fully vaccinated teens.
Between February 7 and 11, nearly 477,000 tests were administered at TK-12 schools across the county; test positivity declined by 90% since the beginning of January to 1.5%. This remarkable decline likely reflects lower rates of community transmission as well as the impact of mitigation strategies that schools are using to reduce transmission.
When looking at the number of COVID-19 cases among students and staff in K-12 schools by grade level, the largest number of cases have been among elementary school students, followed by high school and then middle school students. The week of January 10-16, there were over 21,000 cases reported among elementary school students, over 11,000 reported among high school students, and 9,200 among middle school students. By the week of February 7-13, cases had dropped to 1,650 for elementary school students, 810 for high school students, and 648 for middle school students.
The number of school outbreaks currently being investigated also declined to a total of 46, down from 56 that were under investigation last week. This includes eight new outbreaks (5 in elementary schools, one in middle school, and two in youth sports) between February 6-12.
The decision to require masks in schools, along with the other mitigation safety measures likely helped to successfully limit the number of school disruptions in LA County during the Omicron surge. Public Health is aware of only eight learning disruptions across LA County at the district level in 2022. Three school districts had selected school closures and the others had a delayed opening or non-instructional day. In each case, the school or district, not Public Health, made the decision to take this action based on staffing and safety concerns.
– Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health
To reduce spread and keep workplaces and schools open, residents and workers are asked to:
Residents are legally required to isolate themselves away from others if they test positive for COVID-19. Close contacts with symptoms and close contacts who are unvaccinated or not up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations need to follow quarantine requirements. For updated isolation and quarantine guidance, please visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.