“While we are seeing lower case and hospitalization rates, transmission is still at a substantial level countywide, and we have a way to go before we are at a low level of transmission,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Everyone is safer when transmission is a lot less – especially those living and working in high risk settings; including the prisons and jails.
She continued, “With growing evidence that COVID is airborne indoors, allowing for more efficient virus transmission, vaccinations and masking are powerful tools for protecting those who are incarcerated and those caring for them.”
Public Health is investigating 19 ongoing outbreaks in correctional and law enforcement settings. At the end of September, 24, 434 new cases associated with correctional facility outbreaks were reported. A total of 7,732 cases were reported in county jail facilities: 5,962 among people who are incarcerated and 1,770 among staff; 1,845 cases in state prison facilities,1,514 among people who are incarcerated and 331 among staff; 1,316 cases in the federal prison facilities, 1,187 among people who are incarcerated and 129 among staff; and 742 cases in the juvenile facilities, 272 among youth and 470 among staff.
Public Health reports that correctional facilities are required to verify vaccination status of all workers and comply with respirator, masking, and testing mandates. County, state and federal health officials are working to reduce the potential for outbreaks at correctional facilities by administering vaccines and additional/booster doses to staff and people eligible to receive them.
On Monday, October 4, Public Health reported 7 new deaths and stated 853 new cases of COVID-19. There were 790 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 with 16% of nearly 8,700,000 individuals testing positive with symptoms.
Public Health identified 1,463,889 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,160 deaths. Cases across the Southland: Los Angeles County shows 1,386,826 cases, Long Beach with 63,828 cases and Pasadena with 13,235 cases.
According to race and ethnicity, COVID-19 statistics show: American Indian/Alaska Native with 2,343; Asian with 66,090; Black with 66,205; Hispanic/Latino with 716,619; Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander with 5,095; White with 169,148; those of other race and ethnicity with 117,541 and 243,785 under investigation.
For more detailed information on COVID-19 vaccination plans in L.A. County and to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com
For more information and statistics on COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, please visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/
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 (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/index.html Spanish https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index-sp.html
*World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
*LA County residents can also call 2-1-1
