HEALTH UPDATE: 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
REVISED March 1, 2024
Need Help: During this time of heightened health concern, BCHD is available to offer help and support. If you or someone you know in the Beach Cities needs assistance with health-related information or referrals, please call our Assistance, Information & Referral line at 310-374-3426 and press option 1, Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. or submit an online request here.
To receive email updates, sign up for the BCHD newsletter here.
On March 16, 2020, BCHD activated its Emergency Operations Plan and opened the District Operations Center (DOC) in response to COVID-19. View the DOC Dashboard for BCHD program and service numbers.
New Los Angeles County COVID-19 Community Guidelines:
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health updated the guidelines for what to do when you feel sick, if you test positive for COVID-19 or if you are a close contact. Read more here.
Masking Update for Licensed Healthcare Facilities:
February 2, 2024 Update: Los Angeles County’s COVID-19 Hospital Admission Level, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has remained in the Low Level. On February 2, the CDC reported 6.7 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people for the week ending Jan. 27. As a result, Public Health is modifying the Health Officer Order that currently requires healthcare personnel and visitors to wear a mask while in contact with patients or working in patient-care areas in licensed healthcare facilities that provide inpatient care. Masking is no longer mandated for all staff and visitors at these facilities. Healthcare personnel in licensed healthcare facilities who have not received both the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines must continue to wear a mask while in contact with patients or working in patient-care areas for the duration of the respiratory virus season, which ends April 30 for the purposes of this the Health Officer Order. Public Health continues to strongly recommend that all visitors to and staff working in licensed healthcare facilities wear a mask while in contact with patients or working in patient care areas.
New Instructions for COVID-19 Cases and Close Contacts:
January 11, 2024 Update: This week, Public Health released new instructions for COVID-19 cases and close contacts. The notable change is to the amount of time a COVID-19 case is required to isolate, which was made in alignment with updated isolation guidance released by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and with Cal/OSHA guidance for workplaces. As a reminder, all individuals who test positive need to wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask for a total of 10 days after their symptoms began or, if they do not have symptoms, the date of their initial positive test, whenever they are around others. This includes individuals who test positive and have no symptoms or only mild symptoms.
Under the new instructions, individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and have symptoms can leave isolation once they are fever free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication AND other symptoms are mild and improving, provided they wear a well-fitting high-quality mask when around others for 10 days following symptom onset. Individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 and have no symptoms are not required to isolate provided they wear a well-fitting, high-quality respiratory mask whenever they are around other people for 10 days following their positive test result. It remains strongly recommended that an individual test for COVID-19 prior to ending isolation and extend isolation until day 10 if they continue to test positive. Previous guidance required individuals to isolate for at least five days if they tested positive regardless of symptoms.
Other aspects of the updated instructions largely mirror previous Public Health instructions. Key highlights include:
- Masking for persons who test positive for COVID-19 – When around others, all individuals who test positive need to wear a well-fitting, high-quality respiratory mask for 10 days after their symptoms began or, if they do not have symptoms, from the date of their initial positive test. This is because individuals who are positive for COVID-19 are considered infectious starting two days before their symptoms began and for 10 days after symptoms began or the first positive test if no symptoms.
- Testing for close contacts – With easy access to at-home testing for COVID-19, it is important for individuals to assess their status if they have respiratory symptoms or had a known exposure to a person infected with COVID-19. Public Health advises everyone who is a close contact to a confirmed case to test immediately if they have symptoms and within 3-5 days of their last exposure date if they are not symptomatic.
- Ability for more protective policies – Businesses, organizations and schools can continue to implement more protective policies to protect their employees, students and customers, including adhering to the prior guidance on isolation for those testing positive for COVID-19.
For more information on COVID-19, visit:
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
California COVID-19 Response - covid19.ca.gov
California Department of Public Health
Los Angeles County COVID-19 Response - covid19.lacounty.gov
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
World Health Organization
