1 In 10 LAUSD Students COVID Positive; LA Sees 43K Cases In A Day

LOS ANGELES, CA — Just like the day before, Los Angeles County hit a new record for new COVID-19 infections Friday with more than 43,000 new cases reported. At the same time, the Los Angeles Unified School District reported that mandatory testing for the return to school found more than 1 in 10 teachers and students have COVID-19.

The staggering numbers paint a picture of just how widespread the coronavirus is in Los Angeles County. As expected, deaths and hospitalizations are also climbing, raising concerns about hospitals being overwhelmed with patients. Nearly 1,000 healthcare workers in Los Angeles County tested positive for the coronavirus over the past week, triggering staffing shortages at hospitals and clinics as emergency rooms fill up with COVID patients.

According to the county Department of Public Health, the 973 infections among health care workers were reported over the past week, a jump of 47% from the prior period. That rise comes despite the relatively high rate of vaccinations among health care workers -- showing the power of the Omicron variant of the virus to infect even vaccinated residents, although they are less likely to become severely ill.

County Health officials called on residents to do their part to protect the healthcare workers who are risking so much to care for others.

"Every resident can also do their part to protect our health care personnel and hospitals. Please get vaccinated or boosted as soon as possible if eligible. Vaccinated individuals are between 10 and 30 times less likely to need hospital care than those unvaccinated," county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. "We ask that you do not go to the emergency room unless you need care for a serious medical concern and please do not call 911 unless you have a life-threatening emergency."

The state is also requiring all health care workers to receive a booster dose of vaccine by Feb. 1. Those who do not receive the booster must be tested twice weekly.

"Keeping health care workers safe is critical to maintaining functionality across our health care facilities when surges lead to staffing shortages and rising rates of hospitalizations," Ferrer said. "Across multiple healthcare settings, our health care personnel have given their all and been fully vaccinated at high levels for many months."

Countywide, only about 3.1 percent of fully vaccinated people have tested positive for COVID-19, but the rate may be artificially low due to the number of people who use take-home tests and don't report the results. Additionally, 0.05% of vaccinated people have been hospitalized. A total of 625 fully vaccinated people have died, for a rate of 0.01%. It shows that the vaccines work, according to county health officials.

The 43,712 infections reported Friday are the highest daily total of the entire pandemic, breaking the record set Thursday, when 37,215 new cases were announced. Last Friday, the county announced a then-record 27,091 infections.

Throughout the pandemic, the county has reported a cumulative total of 1,887,526 infections. The 28 new fatalities reported Friday lifted the county's overall death toll to 43,712.

Along with the increased case numbers came the anticipated rise in hospitalizations figures, with state figures showing 2,902 COVID-positive patients in county hospitals as of Friday. That was up from 2,661 on Thursday. Of the hospitalized patients, 391 were being treated in intensive care units, up from 352 a day earlier.

The county's rolling average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus was 20.9% as of Friday.
Surging infection numbers prompted the county this week to amend its public health order, requiring employers to provide upgraded masks to employees who work indoors in close contact with others.

The order, issued Wednesday, will take effect Jan. 17 and requires employers to provide affected workers with "well-fitting medical grade masks, surgical masks, or higher-level respirators, such as N95 or KN95 masks."

The revised order also amended the definition of outdoor "mega events," where masking is required, to 5,000 or more attendees; and the definition of indoor "mega" events to 500 or more people. The numbers align with those in the state's health order. The county's order also "recommends" that food and drink be consumed only in designated dining areas.

The upgraded mask requirement for county workplaces mirrors an order released late last week by the county for K-12 schools, requiring teachers and staff to wear higher-grade face coverings. USC announced this week it will require all students and staff to wear higher-grade masks when in-person classes resume.

Overall, 79% of eligible county residents aged 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine, while 71% are fully vaccinated. Of the county's overall population of 10.3 million people, 75% have received at least one dose, and 67% are fully vaccinated.

City News Service and Patch Staffe Paige Austin contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on the Los Angeles Patch