The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Friday confirmed 13 new deaths and 1,256 new cases of confirmed COVID-19, including 34 new cases among Santa Clarita Valley residents.

That brought the SCV’s totals to 6,491 confirmed cases and 66 deaths since the World Health Organization declared a COVID-19 pandemic on March 11.

To date, the department has identified 279,909 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 6,741 deaths.

Upon further investigation, 12 cases and two deaths reported earlier were not county residents.

There are 724 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 countywide, and 26% of them are in the ICU. While slightly increasing from the low of 673 this week, the number of daily hospitalizations has remained fewer than 800 daily hospitalizations since mid-September.

Test results are available for more than 2,779,000 county residents, with 9% of all people testing positive.

“To the many people across L.A. County who have lost a loved one or friend to COVID-19, we extend our deepest condolences,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, director of L.A. County Public Health.

California Friday Snapshot

California Department of Public Health officials on Friday released updated guidance for private gatherings, which are events that bring together people from different households at the same time in a single space or location.

All private gatherings must be held outside and are restricted to no more than three separate households at one time.

See the updated guidance here.

Statewide, as of Thursday, October 8, the CDPH confirmed a total of 838,606 COVID-19 cases (up 3,806), with 16,428 deaths from the disease (up 67).

There are 2,310 confirmed hospitalizations and 876 ICU hospitalizations in the state, a very slight upward trend.

California’s 7-day positivity rate is 2.5% and the 14-day positivity rate is 2.6%, holding steady.

As of October 8, local health departments have reported 40,758 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 191 deaths statewide.

There have been 15,736,497 COVID-19 tests conducted in California, an increase of 112,874 over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

Numbers do not represent true day-over-day change as these results include cases from prior to yesterday.

COVID Surges Around the World: U.S. No. 1 in Cases, Deaths

The world is recording its highest daily infection counts since the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic seven months ago on March 11.

Worldwide, 36,711,053 people have been infected by COVID-19 while 1,064,471 people have died as of 1:24 Friday afternoon Pacific Time, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Since the pandemic began, more than 7,648,256 Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while the number of people in the U.S. who have died due to the virus has surpassed 213,390.

The United States has the world’s highest numbers of cases and deaths. By comparison, No. 2 Brazil’s death toll is 148,957. India, at No. 2 in cases, had confirmed 6,906,151 cases and 106,490 deaths as of Friday afternoon.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia releases statistics weekly, generally on Wednesdays, unless there is a drastic change in the number of cases or a COVID-related death has been confirmed, according to spokesman Patrick Moody.

Henry Mayo reported its 25th and most recent COVID-19 death at the hospital on Friday, October 2.

As of Wednesday, October 7, of the 8,845 people tested at Henry Mayo to date, 927 tested positive, 10,419 were negative, 17 were pending, 9 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (unchanged from last week), and a total of 273 COVID-19 patients have been treated and discharged so far.

Discrepancies in the testing numbers are due to some patients being tested multiple times. “Often a single patient is tested more than once,” Moody said.

Santa Clarita Valley Friday Update

As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, October 7, the latest update to its COVID-19 data dashboard, L.A. County Public Health has reported 66 deaths in the Santa Clarita Valley since the pandemic began.

Of the 66 SCV residents who have died, 55 lived in the city of Santa Clarita, 4 in Castaic, 2 in Acton, 2 in Stevenson Ranch, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Val Verde, and 1 in unincorporated Valencia.

Of the 6,491 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 3,743

Castaic: 2,103 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 180

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 151

Val Verde: 88

Acton: 74

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 48

Agua Dulce: 28

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 28

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 14

Bouquet Canyon: 10

Elizabeth Lake: 7

Sand Canyon: 7

Saugus/Canyon Country: 6

Lake Hughes: 4

*Note: The county is unable to break out separate numbers for Castaic and PDC/NCCF because the county uses geotagging software that cannot be changed at this time, according to officials. Click here for the LASD COVID-19 dashboard.

Avoid Crowded Places and Close Contact with Others

L.A. County Public Health urges residents to adhere to public health protocols and directives to prevent increases of COVID-19 infections. As a reminder, gathering with people outside your household puts you and those around you at greater risk.

If you are celebrating this weekend, please remember to avoid crowded places and close contact with others not in your household. Everyone should always wear a face covering securely over their nose and mouth and maintain six feet distance between yourself and people not in your household.

Gatherings, events or parties with non-household members are not permitted even if they are conducted outdoors except those expressly allowed in the L.A. County Order.

This includes in-person sports viewing and dinner parties as these events can become places where COVID-19 can spread easily.

It is important for everyone to follow the directives and to do their part every day to keep everyone as safe as possible.

“As we head into the holiday weekend, I encourage everyone to enjoy the time off as safe as possible,” Ferrer said Friday. “We ask that everyone adhere to the safety guidance and utilize the tools that prevent COVID-19 spread. Please remember to avoid crowds and the other activities that increase the likelihood of getting COVID-19 as we cheer for our teams.”

Continued Outbreaks in Businesses, Workplaces

We continue to see COVID-19 outbreaks in businesses and workplaces. In the last two weeks, 118 outbreak investigations were opened. Because of the possibility of asymptomatic and presymptomatic infection, it only takes one person to contract and become infectious with COVID-19 and unknowingly bring the virus home and expose their household and or go to work and expose their coworkers and start an outbreak.

Because there continues to be significant potential for transmission of COVID-19 at worksites, it remains important that businesses adhere to workplace protocols that require infection control, distancing, masking, and appropriate PPE that protect employees, customers and residents from COVID-19 as much as possible.

Compliance Team Issues 124 Citations to Businesses

Public Health’s compliance team continues to visit businesses across the county every day. Initial efforts are focused on educating business owners and workers about Health Officer Order requirements and how to stay safe but can result in citations for non-compliance where businesses are in violation of the Health Officer Order and protocols.

As a result of inspections conducted since October 4, a total of 125 citations have been issued.

In some cases, establishments were also closed because there were significant health and safety concerns or violations of the Health Officer Orders, including operating indoors in violation of the state and county Health Officer Orders.

COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certification Program

To assist businesses to follow the required protocols and maintain their operations with as much safety as possible for their staff, customers, and visitors, Public Health encourages L.A. County businesses to take advantage of the COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certification Program.

The program is a no-cost online course that trains business owners and employees on what they need to do to ensure that their business practices are aligned and in compliance with infection control and physical distancing requirements.

Once completed, business owners receive a certificate and window seal to display on their storefront.

For more information on the program and to take the training course, visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

L.A. County MIS-C Cases Up to 41

Public Health has confirmed one additional case of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). This brings the total cases of MIS-C in L.A. County to 41 children.

All 41 children with MIS-C in L.A. County were hospitalized and 46% of the children were treated in the ICU.

Of the children with MIS-C, 27% were under the age of 5 years old, 39% were between the ages of 5 and 11 years old, and 34% were between the ages of 12 and 20 years old. Latino/Latinx children account for 70% of the reported cases. There are no reported MIS-C deaths in L.A. County children.

More L.A. County Demographics: Age

Of the 13 new deaths reported Friday, five people who died were over 80 years old, five people were between 65 and 79 years old, one person was between 50 and 64 years old, and one person was between 30 and 49 years old.

Eleven people who died had underlying health conditions including four people over 80, five people between 65 and 79 years old, one person between 50 and 64 years old, and one person between 30 and 49 years old. One death was reported by the city of Pasadena.

Countywide, 93% of people who died had underlying health conditions.

Cases by Age Group (Los Angeles County only — excluding Long Beach and Pasadena)

* 0 to 4 4487

* 5 to 11 9662

* 12 to 17 11987

* 18 to 29 65860

* 30 to 49 90690

* 50 to 64 51081

* 65 to 79 20261

* over 80 9366

* Under Investigation 1594

More L.A. County Demographics: Race/Ethnicity

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 6,346 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 51% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 23% among White residents, 15% among Asian residents, 10% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races.

African American/Black and Latino/Latinx residents and those who live in high poverty areas in the U.S. have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The county is focused on understanding and eliminating gaps in COVID-19 outcomes and routinely report on data by race and ethnicity as well as area poverty in order to understand what gaps exist and our progress closing the gaps.

The county has made progress in closing the gaps. At the end of September, death rates for all races and ethnicities were lower than they had been since the beginning of July.

Latino/Latinx residents experience three times the rate of death when compared to white residents; this is a decline from Latino/Latinx residents experiencing four times higher than that of white residents during the July peak.

Black residents have seen deaths fluctuate over time, and now are about equal to the mortality rates for Asians. The mortality rate among people living in areas with the highest levels of poverty remains four times that of people living in the lowest levels of poverty.

We need to continue to work hard to close these gaps by addressing the inequitable distribution of resources and opportunities that are essential for optimal health and well-being.

L.A. County Public Health’s Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

California Blueprint for a Safer Economy

Governor Newsom’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy imposes risk-based criteria on tightening and loosening COVID-19 allowable activities and expands the length of time between changes to assess how any movement affects the trajectory of the disease.

Californians can go to covid19.ca.gov to find out where their county falls and what activities are allowable in each county.

California Testing
More than 85 community testing sites offer free, confidential testing: Find a COVID-19 Testing Site.

The testing turnaround dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. California has worked to reduce testing turnaround times in recent weeks to help curb the spread of the virus.

During the week of September 27 to October 3, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 69 percent of patients received test results in 1 day and 92 percent received them within two days. The testing turnaround time dashboard (PDF) is updated weekly.

As of September 22, California’s testing capacity and turnaround time have improved. As a result and until further notice, all four tiers in the Testing Prioritization Guidance originally dated July 14, 2020, will have equal priority for testing.

California Demographics

Overall, for adults 18 and older, Latinos, African Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are dying at disproportionately higher levels.

The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in African Americans is more than one-and-a-half times their population representation across all adult age categories. For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, overall numbers are low, but almost double between the proportion of COVID-19 deaths and their population representation.

More males are dying from COVID-19 than females, in line with national trends.

More information is available at COVID-19 Race and Ethnicity Data.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

Each week, the California Department of Public Health updates the number of cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) reported in the state.

As of October 5, 104 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide.

To protect patient confidentiality in counties with fewer than 11 cases, CDPH is not providing total counts at this time.

MIS-C is a rare inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19 that can damage multiple organ systems. MIS-C can require hospitalization and be life-threatening.

Parents should be aware of the signs and symptoms of MIS-C including fever that does not go away, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes or feeling tired.

Contact your child’s doctor immediately if your child has these symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment of patients are critical to preventing long-term complications.

Protect Yourself and Your Family

Every person has a role to play. Protecting yourself and your family comes down to common sense:

* Staying home except for essential needs/activities following local and state public health guidelines when patronizing approved businesses. To the extent that sectors are re-opened, Californians may leave their homes to work at, patronize, or otherwise engage with those businesses, establishments or activities.

* Practicing social distancing

* Wearing a cloth face mask when out in public

* Washing hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds

* Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands

* Covering a cough or sneeze with your sleeve, or disposable tissue. Wash your hands afterward

* Avoiding close contact with people who are sick

* Staying away from work, school or other people if you become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough

* Following guidance from public health officials

What to Do if You Think You’re Sick

Call ahead: If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough or shortness of breath), call your health care provider before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken. More than 85 community testing sites also offer free, confidential testing: Find a COVID-19 Testing Site.

It’s important if someone thinks they could be positive for COVID-19 and are awaiting testing results to stay at home and act as if they are positive. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside.

If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a public health specialist to discuss how to protect themselves and others, to find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious.

California COVID-19 Data and Tools

A wide range of data and analysis guides California’s response to COVID-19. The state is making the data and its analytical tools available to researchers, scientists and the public at covid19.ca.gov.

* The Statewide COVID-19 Dashboard

* The California COVID-19 Assessment Tool (CalCAT)

* State Cases and Deaths Associated with COVID-19 by Age Group

* COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data

* COVID-19 Hospital Data and Case Statistics

* View additional datasets at the California Open Data Portal (including Testing Data, PPE Logistics Data, Hospital Data, Homeless Impact and more)

Consolidated guidance is available on the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance webpage.

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Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus (COVID-19):

* Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

* California Department of Public Health

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

* Spanish

* World Health Organization

* Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Dashboard

L.A. County residents can also call 2-1-1.

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