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Press Release: With Worksite Outbreaks Rising, Public Health Outlines Best Practices to Limit COVID-19 Transmission, Workplace Disruptions

County of Los Angeles, California sent this bulletin at 09/07/2023 01:19 PM PDT

For Immediate Release:

September 7, 2023

With Worksite Outbreaks Rising, Public Health Outlines Best Practices to Limit COVID-19 Transmission, Workplace Disruptions

With worksite outbreaks on the rise, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) reminds employers to review measures aimed at limiting COVID-19 transmission in the workplace and the preventable disruptions that may result from them.

In Los Angeles County, during the 30-day period ending Sept. 1, Public Health opened 73 new COVID-19 outbreak investigations, nearly three times the number of outbreak investigations opened during the prior 30-day period.

During the most recent 30-day period ending Sept. 1, Public Health received 154 cluster reports from worksites. Worksites are required to report clusters of three or more possibly connected COVID-19 cases over a 7-day period to Public Health within 24 hours of becoming aware of the situation. If upon investigation, the cluster meets the criteria for a worksite outbreak, meaning there is confirmed transmission at a site, a Public Health case manager will be assigned to help guide the worksite response.

Businesses can report possible COVID-19 clusters to Public Health online. For answers to questions about what and when to report, email communityoutbreak@ph.lacounty.gov or call 1-888-397-3993.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) guidelines note that employers should have procedures in place for seeking information from employees related to COVID-19 cases and close contacts in the workplace, including collecting and keeping confidential records of all COVID-19 cases.

Once a COVID-19 case is identified, the person who tests positive will need to isolate and not return to work for a minimum of five days. Employees may return to the workplace on the sixth day after testing positive if they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and their symptoms are mild or improving. For those employees who meet the criteria to end isolation and return to work on day six, Cal/OSHA requires masking through day 10 at workplaces.

Employers should inform all close contacts of their exposure within one business day of the case identification in a manner that does not reveal personal information related to the case.

Exposed workers should wear a high-quality, well-fitted mask around others for 10 days, which the employer is required to supply. Anyone exposed should test 3-5 days after their last close contact with the COVID-positive individual. Per Cal/OSHA, employers must offer testing at no cost to employees who have had a workplace exposure during paid time.

Following a set of best practices can help reduce the chance of transmission and related disruptions in the workplace. This includes encouraging employees to stay up to date on their vaccines. This fall, employers should consider giving time off for workers to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine or they can host a vaccination event at their worksite.

Additionally, employers should actively encourage and provide support for employees to remain home when sick and to follow mask rules outlined by Cal/OSHA and recommended by Public Health. Employers are also responsible for providing adequate resources for handwashing and regular cleaning of surfaces. Increasing ventilation can significantly help to reduce COVID-19 transmission. Detailed information, and resources including workplace signage, can be found at ph.lacounty.gov/COVIDBusiness.

Reported outbreaks in other sectors have also increased this past week including a 43 percent increase at schools with 33 newly opened school outbreaks this week, up from 23 the prior week. This reflects the continued higher rate of spread of COVID-19, and means that sensible protections, such as remaining home when sick, frequent handwashing, testing when exposed or ill, and wearing a well-fitting mask where required or appropriate, are appropriate steps everyone can take.

To access free telehealth services for treatment for those testing positive for COVID, contact the Public Health Call Center, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., at 1-833-540-0473.

Los Angeles County remains in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Low Hospital Admission Level with 7.4 weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people, reported on Sept. 5 for the seven-day period ending Aug. 26, an increase from 6.3 hospital admissions last week.

Public Health reports COVID-19 data weekly. The following table shows case, wastewater, emergency department, hospitalization and death data in Los Angeles County over the past four weeks:

Metric	Date of Weekly Report
Metric	9/6/2023	8/30/2023	8/23/2023	8/16/2023
Daily average cases	569	571	512	384
SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration as a percentage of the Winter 2022-2023 peak concentration value	29%	26%	28%	22%
Daily average of the percent of Emergency Department (ED) encounters classified as coronavirus-related	5.0%	5.1%	4.4%	3.9%
Daily average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations	559	523	430	330
Daily average deaths	1.3	1.0	1.7	1.0
Percent of all deaths due to COVID-19	2.9%	2.8%	0.9%	0.9%
All daily averages are 7-day averages. Data for past weeks are subject to change in future reports. Time periods covered by each metric: cases = week ending each Saturday; wastewater = week ending each Saturday, with a one-week lag; ED data = week ending each Sunday; hospitalizations = week ending each Saturday; deaths = week ending each Monday, with a three-week lag; death percentage = week ending Monday, with a one-week lag. Hospitalization counts do not include Prospect Hospitals, which on average make up 2% of hospitalizations in LA County. Case data is presented by episode date, an approximation of the date the illness began, and death data is presented by date of death. This is a change from how case and death data were presented prior to July 26, 2023, which was by date of report. Daily average cases do not include Long Beach and Pasadena; daily average deaths include Long Beach and Pasadena.

A wide range of data and dashboards on COVID-19 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are available on the Public Health website at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/COVIDdata including:
COVID-19 Locations & Demographics (data by demographic characteristics and geography, active outbreaks, and citations)
COVID -19 Response Plan
COVID -19 Vaccinations
Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics

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:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

CDC Spanish https://espanol.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health -topics/coronavirus
LA County residents can also call 2-1-1

Cases through 12:00pm 9/4/2023
	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases (includes LB and Pas through 6/27/23; excludes LB and Pas after 6/27/23)	3,789,034
Deaths (includes LB and Pas)	36,651
Cases by Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	114,323
- 5 to 11	284,272
- 12 to 17	278,973
- 18 to 29	764,747
- 30 to 49	1,146,579
- 50 to 64	623,736
- 65 to 79	271,890
- over 80	96,940
- Under Investigation	2,581
Cases by Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1,851,702
- Male	1,641,150
- Other	1,867
- Under Investigation	89,322
Cases by Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	6,805
- Asian	267,804
- Black	189,834
- Hispanic/Latino	1,527,364
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	17,916
- White	499,543
- Other	413,200
- Under Investigation	661,575
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	183,993
Deaths by Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	81
- Asian	4,550
- Black	3,265
- Hispanic/Latino	16,945
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	114
- White	9,283
- Other	433
- Under Investigation	91
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	6429	30786
City of Alhambra	25863	29822
City of Arcadia	13936	24130
City of Artesia	6092	36273
City of Avalon	292	7547
City of Azusa	17676	35324
City of Baldwin Park	29983	39056
City of Bell	17136	47165
City of Bell Gardens	17320	40213
City of Bellflower	31168	40095
City of Beverly Hills	11731	33983
City of Bradbury	71	6642
City of Burbank	33288	31058
City of Calabasas	5956	24487
City of Carson	35486	37813
City of Cerritos	13615	27194
City of Claremont	10518	28829
City of Commerce*	5923	45321
City of Compton	40776	40815
City of Covina	20522	41854
City of Cudahy	12301	50524
City of Culver City	12181	30556
City of Diamond Bar	13882	24136
City of Downey	47307	41402
City of Duarte	7590	34475
City of El Monte	43210	36847
City of El Segundo	4156	24759
City of Gardena	22208	36222
City of Glendale	61082	29581
City of Glendora	15292	28982
City of Hawaiian Gardens	5058	34464
City of Hawthorne	30065	33862
City of Hermosa Beach	4812	24464
City of Hidden Hills	390	20635
City of Huntington Park	26548	44630
City of Industry	1022	233867
City of Inglewood	39275	34579
City of Irwindale	897	61480
City of La Canada Flintridge	4639	22418
City of La Habra Heights	215	3941
City of La Mirada	14452	29138
City of La Puente	16127	39627
City of La Verne	9357	28114
City of Lakewood	27486	34203
City of Lancaster*	65013	40238
City of Lawndale	10736	31939
City of Lomita	6200	29910
City of Lynwood*	31651	43931
City of Malibu	2927	22583
City of Manhattan Beach	7571	21031
City of Maywood	12932	46105
City of Monrovia	12010	30954
City of Montebello	25762	40019
City of Monterey Park	17755	28517
City of Norwalk	43532	40449
City of Palmdale	67580	42512
City of Palos Verdes Estates	2320	17157
City of Paramount	22966	40994
City of Pico Rivera	28398	44176
City of Pomona	66315	42528
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	7979	18666
City of Redondo Beach	15893	23135
City of Rolling Hills	303	15619
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1574	19401
City of Rosemead	15434	27884
City of San Dimas*	11233	32544
City of San Fernando	12895	52393
City of San Gabriel	11623	28381
City of San Marino	2465	18566
City of Santa Clarita	74694	33887
City of Santa Fe Springs	7974	43422
City of Santa Monica	27013	29220
City of Sierra Madre	2469	22468
City of Signal Hill	4149	35170
City of South El Monte	8504	40718
City of South Gate	47625	48520
City of South Pasadena	6430	24680
City of Temple City	10887	29864
City of Torrance	35089	23507
City of Vernon	360	172249
City of Walnut	7686	25174
City of West Covina	40048	37001
City of West Hollywood	11437	30952
City of Westlake Village	457	5467
City of Whittier	31664	36216
Los Angeles	1547129	38252
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	3237	39466
Los Angeles - Alsace	4593	36906
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	0	0
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	851	34013
Los Angeles - Arleta	17072	49671
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	5155	35149
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	10403	33423
Los Angeles - Bel Air	2501	29671
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	3392	27082
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	4271	32422
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	40846	47012
Los Angeles - Brentwood	8573	27695
Los Angeles - Brookside	158	27194
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	2323	32622
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	25673	39322
Los Angeles - Carthay	4472	31136
Los Angeles - Central	17145	43971
Los Angeles - Century City	3827	29917
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	16488	48830
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	13168	35531
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	2601	28361
Los Angeles - Chinatown	2984	37202
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	5400	37106
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	4957	32713
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	5430	39265
Los Angeles - Crestview	4028	35433
Los Angeles - Del Rey	8601	28731
Los Angeles - Downtown*	16380	59548
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	13998	35358
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	9688	33080
Los Angeles - Echo Park	4551	31923
Los Angeles - El Sereno	17110	40925
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1863	32616
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	3613	35523
Los Angeles - Encino	15494	34300
Los Angeles - Exposition	1301	39116
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	18420	41009
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	1288	35778
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3842	44055
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	23077	48639
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	11140	35249
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	4239	39381
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	21868	37580
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	10211	47482
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	4805	28200
Los Angeles - Harbor City	9565	32903
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	15937	36553
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	656	27231
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	6220	34488
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	18248	48103
Los Angeles - Highland Park	17441	36042
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	5569	40151
Los Angeles - Hollywood	21982	32206
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	7796	26486
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	12133	42511
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	3195	39576
Los Angeles - Koreatown	16417	31759
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1619	35512
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	16533	39172
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	6200	47209
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	5875	38563
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	12959	39755
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	3079	38368
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	8757	30897
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1530	48835
Los Angeles - Longwood	1820	42286
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	6501	30086
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	3306	38730
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	918	29385
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	11172	26305
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	979	22454
Los Angeles - Melrose	26629	34273
Los Angeles - Mid-city	4569	30399
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	5008	27845
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	12094	50133
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	8339	34537
Los Angeles - North Hills	25679	41704
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	59850	39526
Los Angeles - Northridge	26028	37291
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	5132	24104
Los Angeles - Pacoima	39232	50965
Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands	937	24363
Los Angeles - Palms	12320	28078
Los Angeles - Panorama City	33937	45099
Los Angeles - Park La Brea	3304	24330
Los Angeles - Pico-Union	16535	39518
Los Angeles - Playa Del Rey	614	19212
Los Angeles - Playa Vista	3513	32091
Los Angeles - Porter Ranch	10761	30238
Los Angeles - Rancho Park	2287	34863
Los Angeles - Regent Square	891	32050
Los Angeles - Reseda	32629	42587
Los Angeles - Reseda Ranch	1830	39474
Los Angeles - Reynier Village	1202	28430
Los Angeles - San Pedro*	26677	34185
Los Angeles - Shadow Hills	1340	30167
Los Angeles - Sherman Oaks	28217	32339
Los Angeles - Silverlake	13483	30585
Los Angeles - South Carthay	3338	31505
Los Angeles - South Park	17040	44888
Los Angeles - St Elmo Village	1896	41361
Los Angeles - Studio City	7169	31947
Los Angeles - Sun Valley	23500	44776
Los Angeles - Sunland	7018	34388
Los Angeles - Sycamore Square	212	32767
Los Angeles - Sylmar*	42718	51843
Los Angeles - Tarzana	10725	34736
Los Angeles - Temple-Beaudry	13656	34588
Los Angeles - Thai Town	2846	29014
Los Angeles - Toluca Lake	2610	29986
Los Angeles - Toluca Terrace	535	40965
Los Angeles - Toluca Woods	486	26157
Los Angeles - Tujunga	9126	32816
Los Angeles - University Hills	944	27530
Los Angeles - University Park	11725	42705
Los Angeles - Valley Glen	11377	37903
Los Angeles - Valley Village	8693	35166
Los Angeles - Van Nuys*	38186	40975
Los Angeles - Venice	9297	27437
Los Angeles - Vermont Knolls	7609	44238
Los Angeles - Vermont Square	3801	49641
Los Angeles - Vermont Vista	18968	46054
Los Angeles - Vernon Central	24921	47927
Los Angeles - Victoria Park	2857	34016
Los Angeles - View Heights	1134	30698
Los Angeles - Watts	19926	46694
Los Angeles - Wellington Square	1872	38087
Los Angeles - West Adams	11098	40166
Los Angeles - West Hills	13203	32564
Los Angeles - West Los Angeles	11908	31640
Los Angeles - West Vernon	25037	46673
Los Angeles - Westchester	14170	27460
Los Angeles - Westlake	21159	35648
Los Angeles - Westwood	17001	31420
Los Angeles - Wholesale District*	22610	62581
Los Angeles - Wilmington	23985	42461
Los Angeles - Wilshire Center	17335	34553
Los Angeles - Winnetka	20274	39150
Los Angeles - Woodland Hills	21059	30944
Unincorporated - Acton	2051	25731
Unincorporated - Agua Dulce	1011	24315
Unincorporated - Altadena	11974	27451
Unincorporated - Anaverde	426	28249
Unincorporated - Angeles National Forest	94	7550
Unincorporated - Arcadia	2307	28906
Unincorporated - Athens-Westmont	2851	58219
Unincorporated - Athens Village	17845	42046
Unincorporated - Avocado Heights	2756	40679
Unincorporated - Azusa	6442	40457
Unincorporated - Bassett	6287	42431
Unincorporated - Bouquet Canyon	209	19478
Unincorporated - Bradbury	137	126852
Unincorporated - Canyon Country	3826	49508
Unincorporated - Castaic*	9856	36247
Unincorporated - Cerritos	193	32879
Unincorporated - Charter Oak	10	50000
Unincorporated - Claremont	160	22792
Unincorporated - Covina	6354	37779
Unincorporated - Covina (Charter Oak)	5131	39037
Unincorporated - Del Aire	1239	28204
Unincorporated - Del Rey	150	47170
Unincorporated - Del Sur	711	29441
Unincorporated - Desert View Highlands	975	39110
Unincorporated - Duarte	2042	46116
Unincorporated - East Covina	92	27964
Unincorporated - East La Mirada	1671	31576
Unincorporated - East Lancaster	44	38596
Unincorporated - East Los Angeles	59247	47296
Unincorporated - East Pasadena	434	6778
Unincorporated - East Rancho Dominguez	6439	42063
Unincorporated - East Whittier	1453	27384
Unincorporated - El Camino Village	2797	31817
Unincorporated - El Monte	1	690
Unincorporated - Elizabeth Lake	291	17520
Unincorporated - Florence-Firestone	30704	47452
Unincorporated - Franklin Canyon	2	16667
Unincorporated - Glendora	202	30606
Unincorporated - Hacienda Heights	16817	30070
Unincorporated - Harbor Gateway	4	400000
Unincorporated - Hawthorne	770	30628
Unincorporated - Hi Vista	175	15938
Unincorporated - Kagel/Lopez Canyons	325	23017
Unincorporated - La Crescenta-Montrose	4562	23039
Unincorporated - La Habra Heights	21	3107
Unincorporated - La Rambla	949	45735
Unincorporated - La Verne*	668	32745
Unincorporated - Ladera Heights	2142	30293
Unincorporated - Lake Hughes	207	30988
Unincorporated - Lake Los Angeles	4119	31699
Unincorporated - Lake Manor	472	28728
Unincorporated - Lakewood	28	24561
Unincorporated - Lennox	7766	34451
Unincorporated - Leona Valley	316	18047
Unincorporated - Littlerock	1435	35688
Unincorporated - Littlerock/Juniper Hills	366	28219
Unincorporated - Littlerock/Pearblossom	1341	37574
Unincorporated - Llano	109	12429
Unincorporated - Marina del Rey	2796	29710
Unincorporated - Miracle Mile	0	0
Unincorporated - Monrovia	1146	29528
Unincorporated - Newhall	107	48636
Unincorporated - North Lancaster	515	42988
Unincorporated - North Whittier	3194	38206
Unincorporated - Northeast San Gabriel	5412	22516
Unincorporated - Padua Hills	38	17674
Unincorporated - Palmdale	270	32067
Unincorporated - Palos Verdes Peninsula	131	21095
Unincorporated - Pearblossom/Llano	437	22342
Unincorporated - Pellissier Village	378	61066
Unincorporated - Placerita Canyon	24	5217
Unincorporated - Pomona	127	6553
Unincorporated - Quartz Hill	3956	30652
Unincorporated - Rancho Dominguez	1232	46298
Unincorporated - Roosevelt	285	30612
Unincorporated - Rosewood	521	40513
Unincorporated - Rosewood/East Gardena	557	46689
Unincorporated - Rosewood/West Rancho Dominguez	1375	40910
Unincorporated - Rowland Heights	12663	24819
Unincorporated - San Clemente Island	0	0
Unincorporated - San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon	44	5128
Unincorporated - San Jose Hills	8038	39751
Unincorporated - San Pasqual	91	4472
Unincorporated - Sand Canyon	63	20455
Unincorporated - Santa Catalina Island	597	223596
Unincorporated - Santa Monica Mountains*	4003	21497
Unincorporated - Saugus	351	226452
Unincorporated - Saugus/Canyon Country	146	41011
Unincorporated - South Antelope Valley	123	27033
Unincorporated - South El Monte	769	42841
Unincorporated - South San Gabriel	3267	36924
Unincorporated - South Whittier	21918	37010
Unincorporated - Southeast Antelope Valley	257	32907
Unincorporated - Stevenson Ranch	6111	29147
Unincorporated - Sun Village	2167	35901
Unincorporated - Sunrise Village	600	46296
Unincorporated - Twin Lakes/Oat Mountain	446	26900
Unincorporated - Val Verde	1236	37353
Unincorporated - Valencia	956	31120
Unincorporated - Valinda	9777	41834
Unincorporated - View Park/Windsor Hills	3698	31783
Unincorporated - Walnut Park	7527	46627
Unincorporated - West Antelope Valley	193	12773
Unincorporated - West Carson	8496	38468
Unincorporated - West Chatsworth	5	41667
Unincorporated - West LA	909	95483
Unincorporated - West Puente Valley	4311	43833
Unincorporated - West Rancho Dominguez	506	37233
Unincorporated - West Whittier/Los Nietos	10910	40520
Unincorporated - Westfield/Academy Hills	260	20000
Unincorporated - Westhills	206	24553
Unincorporated - White Fence Farms	945	25658
Unincorporated - Whittier	1018	26903
Unincorporated - Whittier Narrows	77	641667
Unincorporated - Willowbrook	16958	48572
Unincorporated - Wiseburn	1938	32155
- Under Investigation	72563

The Department of Public Health is committed to promoting health equity and ensuring optimal health and well -being for all 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health comprises of more than 5,000 employees and has an annual budget of $1.3 billion.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health works to protect health,
prevent disease, and promote health and well-being.

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