Coronavirus: 14th case discovered in Los Angeles County

A Los Angeles County resident who recently returned from a conference in Washington, D.C., became the 14th case of coronavirus in the county, officials said Saturday, March 7.

Los Angeles County Public Health officials were working to identify anyone who may have had close personal contact with the individual, including friends, family members or health care professionals, they said.

The person, whose city of residence was not disclosed, had returned from the AIPAC Conference in Washington, D.C., where there was a known exposure to a person who was positive for the virus, officials said.

There are no known public exposure locations related to this case, officials said.

“As we continue to see more cases of COVID-19, it is important that everyone take common sense precautions: stay home when ill, wash hands frequently, and  plan ahead for possible social disruptions,” said Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Director of Public Health.

Health officials recommend members of the public continue to take precautions to protect themselves and others from becoming sick.

Those precautions include staying home when sick, washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching the face with unclean hands and limiting close contact with people who are sick.

Officials also recommend cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces regularly.

Most of the cases in L.A. County involve travelers to areas with known cases of coronavirus, including China and Italy, officials said Friday. Of the county’s 14 cases, eight were travelers who had returned from Northern Italy, officials said.

Two involve contract employees who were conducting medical screenings of arriving passengers at Los Angeles International Airport. Two were relatives who live outside the country.

The first case was a traveler from Wuhan, China, the origin of the outbreak. That person has since recovered.

All patients were under isolation. Those deemed to be too close to a known case were subject to quarantine for 14 days from their last exposure, officials said.

Also Saturday, Long Beach-based Molina Healthcare announced it would be waiving all member costs associated with testing for coronavirus.

“Due to Molina’s focus on vulnerable and underserved populations, we want to ensure that our members have access to proper testing for the Coronavirus,” Joe Zubretsky, President and CEO of Molina Healthcare, said in a statement. “Molina is immediately removing all out-of-pocket costs associated with testing for this virus.”