Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, January 16, 2021

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 16, 2021 

AS COVID-19 VACCINE ROLLOUT CONTINUES, 

RESIDENTS REMINDED TO STAY HOME TO STOP THE 
SPREAD OF COVID-19

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public 
Health) confirmed 258 new deaths and 15,051 new cases of COVID-
19. To date, Public Health identified 989,928 positive cases 
of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 13,489 
deaths. L.A. County is likely to record over 1 million total cases 
this weekend.

Of the 258 new deaths reported today, 95 people who passed away 
were over the age of 80, 79 people who died were between the ages 
of 65 and 79, 60 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 
64 and 13 people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, 
and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29. Seven 
deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach and three deaths 
were reported by the City of Pasadena.

There are 7,715 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized 
and 22% of these people are in the ICU. For most of this week, the 
number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 each day remained 
slightly under 8,000 patients. While the number of patients hospitalized 
daily with COVID-19 decreased slightly, healthcare workers 
and ICU capacity remains strained. According to the State, the 
Southern California Region continues to have 0% available ICU 
capacity.

Testing results are available for more than 5,154,000 individuals 
with 18% of people testing positive.

The most important action for everyone to take to stop the spread 
of COVID-19 and save lives is to stay home and not mingle with 
others not in your household.

As of Thursday, more than 279,000 doses of vaccine including more 
than 219,000 first doses and more than 60,000 second doses have 
been administered to healthcare workers and residents and staff at 
skilled nursing facilities in Phase 1A. The County is in the process 
of offering vaccinations to all remaining healthcare workers in 
Phase 1A. While many frontline healthcare workers have already 
received their first dose, we estimate an additional 450,000 healthcare 
workers need to be vaccinated.

There are many healthcare partners vaccinating healthcare workers, 
including select pharmacies and health clinics. To bolster vaccination 
efforts for remaining healthcare workers who are eligible 
for a vaccine in Phase 1A, next week, Public Health is opening five 
new large-capacity vaccination sites across the county for frontline 
healthcare workers in Phase 1A. Healthcare workers must register 
for an appointment in advance and must bring identification with 
them that clearly shows where they work and that they qualify when 
showing up for their vaccine. Healthcare workers 
should visit the signup website to register.

With support from our many partners and the 
opening of the large-capacity vaccination sites, 
Public Health anticipates the remaining healthcare 
workers will be vaccinated with their first 
dose in the next two weeks. Beginning next 
week, Public Health will be working with healthcare 
providers and pharmacies to get ready to 
vaccinate people 65 and older once our vaccine 
allocation increases. This way we can continue 
with our commitment to vaccinate healthcare 
workers while getting ready for Phase 1B.

Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com to learn 
about the vaccination phases, determine when 
you can get vaccinated, and sign-up for our COVID-
19 vaccine newsletter.

“To all people grieving the loss of a loved one 
to COVID-19, we are deeply sorry for your loss 
and wish you peace," said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, 
MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. "As vaccine 
supply allows, we want to expand vaccinations 
and move through the tiers as quickly as 
possible. We are very hopeful that our allocation 
of doses increases enough for us to begin 
vaccinating seniors before the end of the month. 
As vaccine supply improves, more residents will 
become eligible for vaccinations. It will take a 
number of months to reach the level of vaccination 
needed in the population to curb ongoing 
transmission of the virus."

While the vaccination process is underway, it 
is imperative that everyone continues to follow 
the straight-forward measures needed to prevent 
spread of the virus--wearing a face covering, 
avoiding gatherings, keeping your distance, 
and washing your hands frequently. Individuals with underlying 
health conditions and those that are older should remain in their 
home and not be around others unless seeking essential medical 
care.

Public Health will host a COVID-19 Vaccine Virtual Town Hall on 
Tuesday, January 19, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Join the town hall 
to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, how it was developed, 
where it will be distributed in our communities, and when it will be 
made available to the general public. The town hall will be streamed 
live on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube @lapublichealth. For more 
information and to submit a question, visit: http://tinyurl.com/
askcovidtownhall

The Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive 
Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional 
things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your 
community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.
lacounty.gov.

LA COUNTY COVID-19

COMMUNITY CASES/DEATHS

JANUARY 15, 2021 vs 12/17/2020 

LOS ANGELE COUNTY* 01/15/2021 12/17/2020 

Total Cases 989,928 596,721 

Deaths 13,489 8,757 

 

STATS BY CITY Population CasesDeaths 

 (12/17/2020 stats in parenthesis)

 

Pasadena 14,1371 8941 (5271) 189 (142)

Uninc- East Pasadena 6,403169 .... (126) 5 (2)



City of Arcadia 57,754 2066 (1165) 64 (44)

Uninc. - Arcadia7.981451 (238) 9 (3)

City of Bradbury 1,06932 (30)0 (0)

City of Duarte 22,016 1799 (1093) 50 (5)

City of Monrovia 38,800 2474 (1513) 76 (41)

Uninc - Monrovia 3,881288 (174)1 (0)



City of Sierra Madre 10,989 362 (223)7 (5)

City of So.Pasadena 26,053 1037 (614)32 (28)

Uninc.- Altadena 43,260 2533 (1459) 40 (23)

La County Testing as of 01/15/2021: 5,117,473 (4,265,009 )

Positivity Rate (No. of persons positive out of total persons tested)

as 01/15/2021: 18% (12.8) Nationally recommended Positivity Level: 5%

HOW LONG DOES THE CORONAVIRUS LIVE ON SURFACES?

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 
mainly spreads from person to person. Transmission 
from person to person can happen 
through larger droplets from sneezes and 
coughs but there is also growing evidence that 
smaller particles called aerosols can hang in 
the air longer and travel farther. These aerosols 
may also play a part in transmission.

A variety of studies are looking at how long 
the virus stays alive on a variety of surfaces. 
It is still unclear if this increases the chance 
of transmission. From what we know so far 
–transmission from surfaces is much lower
risk than person to per-son.

Still, it is possible (though not as likely) to
catch the virus if you touch a surface or object
that has the virus on it and then touch your
mouth, nose, or eyes.

Coronavirus: What you Need to Know

The coronavirus can live for hours to days on
surfaces like countertops and door-knobs.
How long it survives depends on the material
the surface is made from.

Here's a guide to how long coronaviruses --
the family of viruses that includes the one that
causes COVID-19 -- can live on some of the
surfaces you probably touch every day.

Keep in mind that researchers still have a
lot to learn about the new coronavirus. But
you’re probably more likely to catch it from
being around someone who has it than from
touching a contaminated surface.

Different Kinds of Surfaces

Metal: Examples: doorknobs, jewelry, silverware 
5 days

Wood: Examples: furniture, decking 4 days

Plastics 

Examples: milk containers and detergent bottles, 
subway and bus seats, backpacks, elevator 
buttons 2 to 3 days

Stainless steel: Examples: refrigerators, pots 
and pans, sinks, some water bottles

2 to 3 days

Cardboard: Examples: shipping boxes 24 
hours

Copper: Examples: pennies, teakettles, cookware 
4 hours

Aluminum;:

Examples: soda cans, tinfoil, water bottles 2 
to 8 hours 

Glass

Examples: drinking glasses, measuring cups, 
mirrors, windows 
Up to 5 days

Ceramics

Examples: dishes, 
pottery, mugs 5 
days

Paper

Examples: mail, 
newspaper The 
length of time varies. 
Some strains of 
corona-virus live 
for only a few minutes 
on paper, while others live for up to 5 
days.

Food

Examples:takeout, produce Coronavirus 
doesn't seem to spread through food.



Water

Coronavirus hasn't been found in drinking 
water. If it does get into the water supply, your 
local water treatment plant filters and disinfects 
the water, which should kill any germs.

Fabrics

Examples: clothes, linens

There’s not much research about how long the 
virus lives on fabric, but it’s proba-bly not as 
long as on hard surfaces.

Shoes

One study tested the shoe soles of medical 
staff in a Chinese hospital intensive care unit 
(ICU) and found that half were positive for 
nucleic acids from the virus. But it’s not clear 
whether these pieces of the virus cause infection. 
The hospital’s general ward, which had 
people with milder cases, was less contaminated 
than the ICU.

Skin and hair

There’s no research yet on exactly how long 
the virus can live on your skin or hair. Rhinoviruses, 
which cause colds, survive for hours. 
That’s why it’s important to wash or disinfect 
your hands, which are most likely to come 
into contact with con-taminated surfaces.

Coronavirus Transmission: What You Need 
to Know

What You Can Do

To reduce your chance of catching or spreading 
the new coronavirus, clean and disinfect 
common surfaces and objects in your home 
and office every day. This in-cludes:

Countertops

Tables

Doorknobs

Bathroom fixtures

Phones

Keyboards

Remote controls

Toilets

Use a household cleaning spray or wipe. If the 
surfaces are dirty, clean them first with soap 
and water 
and then disinfect them.

You can also make a bleach solution that will 
be good for up to 24 hours. Mix 5 tablespoons 
(one-third cup) of household bleach per gallon 
of water, or 4 teaspoons per quart of water. 
Never mix bleach with ammonia or another 
cleanser. Leave cleaners or bleach solutions 
on surfaces for at least 1 minute.

Keep surfaces clean, even if everyone in your 
house is healthy. People who are in-fected 
may not show symptoms, but they can still 
shed the virus.

Wash your hands with soap and warm water 
for at least 20 seconds after you visit the drugstore 
or supermarket or bring in takeout food 
or a delivered newspaper.

It's a good idea to wash fruits and vegetables 
under running water before you eat them. 
Scrub them with a brush or your hands to remove 
any germs that might be on the surface. 
If you have a weakened immune system, you 
might want to buy frozen or canned produce.

There’s no evidence that anyone has gotten 
the virus from food packaging. But if you 
want, you can wipe down take-out containers 
or grocery items and let them air dry.

Wash or disinfect reusable grocery bags after 
each use. Wash used fabrics often, using the 
warmest water that the manufacturer recommends. 
Dry them complete-ly. Wear disposable 
gloves when handling an ill person’s 
laundry. Throw them away when you’re done, 
and wash your hands.

The virus probably won’t survive the time it 
takes for mail or other shipped items to be 
delivered. The highest risk comes from the 
person delivering them. Limit your contact 
with delivery people as much as you can. You 
might also leave pack-ages outside for a few 
hours or spray them with a disinfectant before 
bringing them in. Wash your hands after 
you handle mail or a package.

If you want, you can disinfect the soles of 
your shoes and avoid wearing them in-doors.

Coronavirus and Temperature

Coronaviruses generally don’t live as long in 
higher temperatures and humidity levels than 
in cooler, dryer conditions. Researchers are 
studying whether exposure to heat, cold, or 
sunlight affects how long the new virus lives 
on surfaces.

Coronavirus Viability

Scientists also don’t know how much of the 
virus it takes to cause an infection. Even if a 
small amount lingers on a surface for days, 
this might not be enough to make you sick.

WebMD Medical Reference Reviewed by 
Brunilda Nazario, MD on August 21, 2020

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