COVID-19 Newsletter: Los Angeles County Aligns with State on New COVID-19 Guidelines; Local Orders Will Address Enhanced Protections in High-Risk Settings March 14, 2023 Booster, California Department of Public Health, CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19, High-Risk, LA County Residents, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, New Guidelines, vaccinations, World Health Organization 1752 The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has aligned with the following new guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH): Masking – With current COVID case and hospitalization levels, masking for the general public is based on individual preference. Vulnerable populations, including people who are elderly, immunocompromised, or have underlying health conditions, and those who have contact with them should consider masking in indoor public spaces. Vaccination – On April 3, CDPH will rescind COVID-19 vaccination orders for workers at correctional, detention, and adult care facilities. Isolation – Starting March 13, individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 should continue to isolate (stay home) for 5 days and may leave isolation after day 5, as long as they have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicines) and they either have no symptoms or their symptoms are mild and improving. A negative COVID-19 test is no longer required to leave isolation between days 6-10. The Department of Public Health strongly recommends that people test negative prior to leaving isolation between days 6-10. Infected people should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days. People may now discontinue wearing a mask around others between days 6-10 if they have two sequential negative tests taken at least one day apart. Quarantine – Starting March 13, it is strongly recommended but not required that a person who is a close contact to a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19 wears a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings or when near those who are at high risk for severe illness. It is recommended that close contact tests as soon as possible to determine infection status and then, if negative, test again within 3-5 days after the last known exposure. The Department of Public Health will continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 and to protect the county’s most vulnerable residents by continuing to require robust COVID-19 case and cluster reporting by worksites, schools, and healthcare facilities to the Department of Public Health. The ongoing case and cluster reporting requirements are intended to help Public Health officials quickly identify sectors where there may be increased COVID-19 transmissions and take action to prevent unmitigated spread. Public Health will also continue enhanced protective measures in healthcare settings. Specifically, Public Health will continue to require that healthcare workers continue to be vaccinated and boosted and wear a mask during patient care or working in patient care areas. This requirement will be re-assessed by the end of September 2023. Public Health will continue to work to provide free vaccinations, boosters, testing and treatment, regardless of immigration or insurance status. Even with less stringent COVID-19 guidelines going into effect, Los Angeles County residents are strongly recommended to stay up to date on vaccines and boosters, test before gatherings and get treatment and stay home when sick. I’m Vaccinated and Healthy— Do I Need a Booster? YES! Updated boosters provide added protection from fading immunity from a previous COVID-19 vaccine or booster received before last August. Boosters are especially recommended for adults over 65 years old. The updated bivalent booster has been shown to significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths when compared to individuals who had been vaccinated but had not received the updated booster. During the 30-day period ending Feb. 21, people who were vaccinated against COVID-19, yet had not received the bivalent booster, were over 3 times less likely to be hospitalized compared to people who were unvaccinated and 1.5 times more likely to be hospitalized compared to those who had the updated booster as well. For more information, visit VaccinateLACounty.com. Feeling COVID-19 Symptoms? Are you underinsured or uninsured and concerned about your COVID symptoms? Call the Public Health Call Center to connect to services, free telehealth appointments, or to get free medication if you’re eligible. 833-540-0473 available 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Additional Resources The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has developed a wide array of documents, guidance documents, and resources for the workers, businesses, partners, and the general public on a variety of topics related to COVID-19, including: For the Public: Vaccines, including in-home vaccination Masks Travel Reducing risk Testing What to do if sick or exposed Treatment Workers’ rights For Businesses: Best practices COVID-19 in the workplace Request a mobile vaccination clinic It is recommended you follow @lapublichealth on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram the latest updates about Los Angeles County. 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 (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/index.html Spanish https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index-sp.html World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus LA County residents can also call 2-1-1