REGIONAL MESSAGE ON COVID-19 THREAT ALERT SOUTHBAY CITIES
JOINT INFORMATION CENTER
KEY MESSAGES
February 19, 2021
BY THE NUMBERS: WHERE WE ARE
Statewide (as of 2/18/21)
Positive Cases: 3,428,518
Deaths: 48,344
Vaccines Administered: 6,929,954
LA County (as of 2/18/21)
Positive Cases: 1,174,340
Deaths: 19,514
Average Daily Hospitalizations: 2850.
Average Deaths per Day: 127
Vaccines Administered: 1, 540,000 (5.1% of those 16 and older have been fully vaccinated)
Case Rate: 20 per 100,000 residents
Positivity Rate: 7.2%
State Adjusted Metrics. Three out of 4 metrics are in the Red Tier, but our health equity metrics keep LA County in the Purple Tier.
VACCINATED PERSONS AND QUARANTINE
Based on new CDC recommendations and CDPH guidance, the LAC DPH COVID-19 quarantine requirements have been updated to include exceptions for vaccinated persons meeting specific criteria. See Vaccinated Persons and Quarantine below.
At this time, all vaccinated persons must continue to adhere to all protective measures, including, but not limited to, wearing a mask and other job-specific PPE, maintaining their physical distance from non-household members, practicing hand hygiene, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, and staying home when sick.
Vaccinated Persons and Quarantine
Vaccinated persons who are a close contact to a confirmed case are not required to quarantine if they meet ALL of the following criteria:
Are fully vaccinated (i.e., ≥two weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or ≥two weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine) and
Are within three months (90 days) following receipt of the last dose in the series and
They have remained asymptomatic since their last contact with the infected person.
Persons who do not meet all 3 of the above criteria must quarantine after exposure to a confirmed case.
Fully vaccinated persons who are not required to quarantine should be instructed to monitor their health for 14 days after their last contact with the infected person. If they experience symptoms, they must self-isolate pending clinical evaluation and SARS-CoV-2 testing, if indicated.
TRAVEL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT
LA County Department of Public Health is in discussion with CDPH regarding the current state post-travel quarantine recommendations for all persons arriving in or returning to California from other states or countries. At this point, the LAC DPH Travel Advisory is unchanged. There is no exception to the 10-day quarantine for fully vaccinated persons.
SCHOOL REOPENING (TK-6)
The County reached a significant milestone Monday that enables schools to open on-site learning for grades TK through 6. The critical factor is the County's sustained adjusted case rate of under 25 new cases per 100,000 people for five consecutive days. This meets the State's requirements for reopening, provided schools are in full compliance with State and County directives. The criteria for reopening grades 7 through 12 will be met when the County's case rate drops below seven per 100,000 people. For more information, go to publichealth.lacounty.gov.
Elementary schools in LA County fall into two groups:
Those that are already open for in-classroom instruction for an entire class of students in grades TK-2 through the waiver program and
Those that are not open for full-grade in-class instruction.
Schools already open through an approved waiver need to post their COVID Safety Plan before expanding in-class instruction to students grades 3-6. There are 297 elementary schools with approved waivers.
Schools that have not yet opened need to submit their required COVID Safety Plan for review by CDPH and LA County Public Health, along with completing the County reopening protocol checklist. If no concerns are noted in seven working days by either the state or county health departments, they are permitted to open on day eight as long as they follow the safety requirements and protocols detailed in state and county directives.
For grades 7 through 12, reopening will not be permitted until our case rate drops below 7 per 100,000 people. To read the updated Health Officer Order, click here.
VACCINE INFORMATION
DO NOT REGISTER FOR AN APPOINTMENT IF YOU ARE NOT IN AN ELIGIBLE GROUP. Doing so will take an appointment slot away from those at the highest risk, and you will be turned away without proper documentation of your eligibility.
Dignity Health Sports Complex Vaccination Site for those 65 years and older in Carson, Ca
LA County is now vaccinating Tier 1A and Tier 1B. This includes:
Healthcare workers (HCWs) at high and moderate risk exposure to the COVID-19 virus through their work in any role in health care or long-term care settings. High and moderate risk means the HCW has direct or indirect contact with patients or infectious materials (Phase 1A)
Long-term care facility residents (Phase 1A)
Persons age 65 and over (Phase 1B Tier 1)
Starting March 1, 2021, Tier IB will be expanded to the following sectors in addition to Tier 1A:
Emergency Services (Phase 1B Tier 1)
Education/Childcare (Phase 1B Tier 1)
Food/Agriculture (Phase 1B Tier 1)
Vaccine supply is still extremely limited. We urge patience as we work urgently with our federal and State partners to expand capacity and supply in the weeks ahead.
You can make an appointment to be vaccinated by clicking here if you are in one of the groups listed above. Residents who don’t have computer access may call (833) 540-0473 between 8 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. or 2-1-1 for assistance with appointments.
To find out when you will be eligible for a vaccine appointment, please click here.
You can also sign-up to receive the vaccine newsletter from the LA County Department of Public Health by clicking here.
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