Los Angeles County has the highest number of cumulative cases in the United States, while multiple other counties in California see a rise in the number of cases per capita.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecasts an upward trend in the number of deaths nationwide. L.A. County currently holds the record for the most confirmed cases in the nation.

We have compiled data and guidance from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to provide an update for L.A. County. Data is up to date as of Dec. 23. Here is your weekly COVID-19 update.

Local official updates:

Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna vaccine

The FDA granted an emergency use order for the Moderna vaccine on Dec. 18. California was allocated 672,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and has already received 110,000 of those doses.

The state has planned for 31 sites to administer the vaccine, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a press conference on Monday. As of Monday, 21 of those sites have received the Moderna vaccine.

California received 327,000 initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine and Newsom said the second allocation includes approximately 233,000 doses.

Over 70,000 Pfizer vaccines were administered in the first week that it was available.

New COVID-19 Neighborhood Map unveiled

In an update on Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled a COVID-19 Neighborhood Map which displays cases and deaths in 139 L.A. neighborhoods.

“This is the first interactive layout of recent case and mortality trends across our city, so you can find out what’s happening in your neighborhood with even greater precision,” Garcetti said.

Notably, the number of cases and deaths are lower in wealthier neighborhoods, while poorer neighborhoods see higher cases and deaths.

Total cases:

Since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in L.A. County on Jan. 26, the number of positive cases continues to rise. Over 6% of L.A. County’s population of 10 million has tested positive for COVID-19.

CSUN cases:

As of Dec. 21, there have been 58 reported cases among students and 42 reported cases among employees.

There are 10 reported cases among non-employee contractors.

There are no current cases that have been reported as a result of on-campus exposure.

These cases are reported to CSUN by individuals or public health officials. The university does not disclose the specific location of infected individuals for privacy reasons, but potentially exposed areas are disinfected prior to reopening.

If you test positive for COVID-19, whether or not you have been on campus, notify Yolanda Chassiakos, the CSUN Pandemic Manager, by emailing linda.reid.chassiakos@csun.edu.

Hospitalizations:

There are 6,499 COVID-19 positive patients currently hospitalized in L.A. County. There are 1,280 COVID-19 positive patients in the Intensive Care Unit. The County currently has 386 available ICU beds.

Race and ethnicity:

Gallery • 2 Photos

L.A. County Department of Public Health

Comparison of cases by race or ethnicity with population.

L.A. County’s data show that cases and deaths disproportionately affect people of color.

The L.A. County Department of Public Health reported that Latinos make up 61.4% of cases with data on race and ethnicity compared to the population, while whites account for 13.6% of cases compared to the population.

Latinos account for 52% of all COVID-19 deaths when compared to the population.

What’s open:
Grocery stores – limited to 35% capacity
Essential retail – limited to 20% capacity
Some non-essential retail with modifications
Parks and beaches with modifications
Golf courses
Hotels with modifications
Shared residential pools
Gyms – outdoors with modifications
Indoor shopping malls – limited to 20% capacity
Wineries/breweries – indoor retail only with a limit of 20% capacity
Zoos – outdoors with modifications)

What’s closed:
Indoor dining at restaurants
Indoor houses of worship
Indoor gyms
Hair salons
Barbershops
Nail salons
Bars
Cardrooms
Zoos/Aquariums
Tattoo shops
Face masks are still required in public. Gatherings should be limited to only people in your household according to health officials.

Testing:

The L.A. County website has a list of testing locations available for both walk-up and drive-up testing. Testing is available by appointment only.

A comprehensive map of testing locations can be found here. L.A. County’s COVID-19 testing sites will have a modified schedule from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1 due to the holiday season. For more information on the modified schedule, check L.A. County’s website.