COVID-19 Transmission Rapidly Rise in L.A. County with Delta Variant; Fully Vaccinated People Remain Well Protected from Severe COVID-19 Disease

LOS ANGELES, July 22 – Los Angeles County continues to see a rapid rise in COVID-19 transmission countywide with cases doubling over the last 10 days. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) confirms 2,767 new cases of COVID-19; an 80% increase over last week.

Today’s test positivity rate is 5.2%; an increase from the rate of 1.2% on June 15 when physical distancing restrictions and capacity limits were lifted across all sectors.

The County’s daily average case rate, with a 7-day lag, is now 12.9 cases per 100,000 people, an increase from last week’s rate of 7.1 cases per 100,000.

There are 645 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 22% of these people are in the ICU. Last week, there were 406 people hospitalized with COVID-19 illness.

Public Health has detailed the rise of the Delta variant among strains sequenced in the Los Angeles County area for weeks. While emerging data affirms that fully vaccinated people are well protected from severe infections with Delta variants, people with only one vaccine are not as well-protected, and there is increased evidence that a small number of fully vaccinated individuals can become infected and may be able to infect others. From July 11 to July 17, the number of sequenced Delta variants was 201, 84% of all sequences collected that week. This is consistent with the rise of Delta nationwide: earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that Delta strains accounted for 83% of circulating COVID-19. Given that about 4 million residents in L.A. County are not yet vaccinated, the risk of increased spread of this variant within L.A. County remains high.

As of July 18, more than 10,845,531 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people across Los Angeles County. Of these, 6,013,569 were first doses and 4,831,962 were second doses. Eighty-eight percent of L.A. County seniors 65 and over, 70% of residents 16 and over, and 69% of residents 12 and over have received one dose of vaccine including 39% of L.A. County teens between the ages of 12 and 17. Of the nearly 10.3 million L.A .County residents, including those who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, 52% are fully vaccinated and 59% have received at least one dose.

As more people have gotten vaccinated, the proportion of total cases that are among those vaccinated has also increased. This is to be expected because as more people are vaccinated, the number of fully vaccinated people becoming infected will increase. In June, fully vaccinated people represented 20% of all cases diagnosed among L.A. County residents, while unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people accounted for 80% of cases.

Public Health estimates if the 52% of County residents that are fully vaccinated were not vaccinated, the amount of new cases would perhaps be double because everyone would instead have the same risk of infection as unvaccinated people do. While County numbers have been going up, they would be much higher if there weren’t as many people fully vaccinated.

Among the more than 4.8 million fully vaccinated people in L.A. County, Public Health identified 6,520 people who tested positive for a COVID-19 infection contracted more than two weeks after they were fully vaccinated. This is an increase of 58% from the approximately 4,100 post-vaccination cases detected last week. This translates to 0.13% of fully vaccinated people who have tested positive, up from last week’s 0.09%. The rise in hospitalizations among fully vaccinated people was much smaller, from 213 to 287, from 0.0045% to 0.0059% of all fully vaccinated people. And deaths in this group also increased less dramatically, from 26 to 30, again with the increase of vaccinations from 0.0005% to 0.0006%

Of the 13 new deaths reported today, eight people that passed away were over the age of 80, one person who passed was between the ages of 65 and 79, two people who passed were between the ages of 50 and 64, and two people who passed were between the ages of 30 and 49. To date, Public Health identified 1,276,137 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,607 deaths. Testing results are available for more than 7,213,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive.

“We share our deepest condolences with those of you who have lost friends, loved ones, and family during this difficult time,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “The Delta variant, because it is so much more infectious than any virus strain we have seen before, requires us to add additional layers of protection to slow transmission as we work to increase vaccination rates. While vaccinated people can be reassured about the protection the vaccine gives you from severe COVID-19 disease, we cannot yet reassure you that, given the proliferation of the Delta variant, the vaccine protects you from infecting another person. This is what masking up right now is really about: adding an extra layer of protection to prevent the heartache that comes from transmitting the virus to others.”

In Los Angeles County, everyone 2 years of age and older must wear a mask in all indoor public places, regardless of their vaccination status. While the County does not require masking at private gatherings where unvaccinated or immunocompromised people are present, universal masking in these scenarios, particularly indoors, is the best way to protect everyone.

If you are eligible for a vaccine but have not yet been vaccinated, consider getting vaccinated now. L.A. County continues to offer vaccines at many different sites across the county to make it as easy as possible for eligible L.A. County residents to get vaccinated. This week, there are 771 sites offering vaccinations including pharmacies, clinics, community sites, and hospitals and 329 sites where mobile teams will be offering vaccinations, which are concentrated in higher-need, harder hit areas. You can obtain vaccines at County-run sites, all the LA City-run sites, almost all mobile sites, and many community sites without an appointment. Many sites are open on weekends and have evening hours.

Beginning tomorrow, Friday, July 23 through next Thursday, July 29 at County-run vaccination sites, LA City sites, and St. John’s Well Child and Family Center sites, everyone 18 and older coming to get a vaccine will have an opportunity to win one of seven packages of tickets to an array of concerts presented by AEG. The Harlem Globetrotters, Disney on Ice, and the Gold Over America tour starring Simone Biles performances at the Staples Center sweepstakes is in effect through today.