5,800 New Positive Cases and 8 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES, (AMTV), May 27 – Even with new variants on the rise in LA County, the COVID vaccines hold up well for residents in all age and race/ethnic groups and are our best defense against severe illness. This is especially important as the Memorial Day holiday weekend begins and there are more opportunities for virus spread as many attend gatherings.

Among all age groups, vaccines substantially reduce the risk for hospitalizations and deaths. Unvaccinated LA County residents ages five and older were almost five times more likely to be hospitalized than those fully vaccinated, with the greatest impact among 65-79-year-old residents. The hospitalization rate for unvaccinated individuals ages 65-79 was more than 10 times higher than the rate for fully vaccinated individuals ages 65-79 for a three-month period ending April 30.

For the 14-day period ending May 5, unvaccinated residents age five and older, were almost eight times more likely to die from COVID-19 than their fully vaccinated counterparts. And again, for residents ages 65-79, differences by vaccination status were more pronounced; unvaccinated residents in this age group were 21 times more likely to die than those fully vaccinated.

Vaccines remain a powerful tool across all race/ethnic groups and, across all groups, those fully vaccinated have lower rates of hospitalizations and deaths than those unvaccinated. For instance, the hospitalization rate for unvaccinated Latinx residents was more than three times higher than the rate for vaccinated Latinx residents and the death rate for unvaccinated Latinx residents was over seven times higher than the death rate for their fully vaccinated counterparts.

Despite their clear benefit, vaccines are not equalizers and disparities in outcomes still exist even among vaccinated groups. For example, the death rates for fully vaccinated Latinx and Black residents were about three times higher than the rates for fully vaccinated Asian residents. These differences reflect differences in exposures, community conditions, health status, and social determinants of health that put Black and Brown residents at higher risk for infection and severe outcomes.

As residents plan to travel and gather with others this summer, maximizing protection from vaccines is critically important. Those eligible for boosters should not delay getting their third or fourth dose since the evidence indicates that vaccine efficacy wanes over time. With the proliferation of highly infectious Omicron variants and the potential for new sub-lineages to increase risk for severe illness, there is little advantage waiting until later in the year to get boosted. To find a nearby location offering free COVID-19 vaccines and boosters or to schedule an appointment to be vaccinated for free in your home, please contact the Public Health Call Center, seven days a week from 8:00 am to 8:30 pm at: (833) 540-0473 or visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com

“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. “As we celebrate Memorial Day this Monday, I’d like to extend my gratitude to all of our armed forces members and their families who have dedicated their lives to protecting us through their military service. Many of us will attend events or host gatherings honoring these courageous men and women this long weekend. Regardless of how you plan to spend the holiday, we ask that you reduce the chance of getting or spreading COVID-19 by taking advantage of four powerful tools – vaccinations, masking, testing, and therapeutics.”

Today, Public Health reported eight additional deaths and 5,800 new positive cases. Of the eight new deaths reported today, one was between the ages of 50-64, three were between the ages of 65-79, and three were aged 80 years or older. Of the eight newly reported deaths, all had underlying health conditions. Information on the one death reported by the City of Long Beach can be found at longbeach.gov To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 32,117.

Public Health has reported a total of 2,961,673 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 4.3%.

There are 455 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,999,130 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.