Los Angeles–The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) announced that Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) would need to limit campus activities in the near term, as community transmission rates remain high. These higher rates are driven, in part, by younger people between 18 to 30 years old who currently account for 25% to 30% of new infections.
Colleges and universities in Los Angeles County may continue their essential operations, but most academic instruction must continue to be done via distance-learning. Institutions may continue to offer in person training and instruction only for students who are or will become part of the essential workforce and only for required activities that cannot be accomplished through virtual learning. All other academic instruction must continue to be done via distance-learning. Faculty and other staff may come to campus for the purpose of providing distance learning, and other activities related to the purposes above, as well as maintaining minimum basic operations.
Colleges and universities should limit their on-campus student residency to only providing housing for students who have no alternative housing options.
Collegiate sports may only proceed in compliance with all the California Department of Public Health Specific Interim Guidance for Collegiate Athletics.
Today, Public Health has confirmed 58 new deaths and 2,428 new cases of COVID-19. Of the new cases reported by Public Health today (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena), 71% occurred in people under the age of 50 years old.
The number of new cases reported today includes about 700 backlog cases from the State.
There are 1,538 confirmed cases currently hospitalized and 32% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU. Between March and July, adults ranging in age from 30 to 65 years old have made up the majority of hospitalized cases, with people in these age groups accounting for about 50% of all hospitalized cases.
To date, Public Health has identified 214,197 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 5,109 deaths.
