COVID concerns heighten following local outbreaks

With LA County coronavirus numbers continuing to rise and a new, more contagious strain of the virus spotted in Big Bear, the number of workers that have caught COVID-19 has begun to cause concerns.

Culver City made the headlines in this regard as 71 staffers at the Culver City Costco Warehouse were reported as coming down with COVID-19 in a wave of sickness in essential workers highlighted by the Los Angeles Times in an article posted Monday.

On top of tracking total numbers, the LA County Department of Public Health has several different criteria for highlighting potential virus hotspots, and tracks that data for the public. Culver City’s cases currently fall into only two categories, which are:

Residential congregate and acute care settings meeting the criteria of: 

  1. At least one laboratory-confirmed resident
  2. Two or more laboratory-confirmed staff in long-term care facilities that are not skilled nursing facilities 
  3. Three or more laboratory-confirmed staff in shared housing
  4. Non-residential settings meeting the criteria of three or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases

Within these criteria, there are three hospitals, three nursing homes, one residential complex, and four non-residential settings that lie within Culver City. Each of them are listed below, along with the COVID-19 cases at each:

  • Culver West Health Center: six staff, two residents
  • Marina Pointe Healthcare & Subacute: 15 staff, 11 residents, one death
  • Southern California Hospital – Culver City (formerly Brotman): 29 staff, 10 residents
  • Marycrest Manor: 18 staff, five residents
  • Palm Court Independent Living: six staff, 11 residents, one death
  • Studio Royale Retirement Home Assisted Living: 16 staff, 19 residents, six deaths
  • Terraza Court: one staff, four residents
  • Amazon Delivery Warehouse DLX9: 12 staff
  • Costco Warehouse, Culver City #479: 71 staff
  • Live Play Mobile: five staff
  • Velvet LLC: six staff

Within the hotspot criteria, the total count of COVID-19 cases is 185 in staff members and 62 in residents, resulting in eight deaths (3.23%). Overall, Culver City has seen 1332 cases that caused 42 deaths, for a mortality rate of 3.15%.

While the case rate per 100,000 in Culver City is over 50% lower than the whole of LA County, 333 cases of the 1403 (23.73%) total COVID-19 cases confirmed in Culver City were done so over the past two weeks.

For more information on the hotspots in Culver City and throughout LA County, visit publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus/locations