Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Friday confirmed 19 new deaths and 3,810 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 31,588 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley. Additionally, following the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approval of an additional dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised people, L.A. County will begin administering third doses to those who qualify tomorrow.

The FDA has amended the Emergency Use Authorization for these vaccines to allow for a third dose which can be administered at least 28 days following the second dose of the vaccine.

Ideally, individuals should be vaccinated with the same vaccine they received for the first and second dose, but if that is not possible, receiving a third dose with another mRNA vaccine is acceptable.

Although the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work very well in the majority of individuals, there is evidence that individuals who are severely immunocompromised are not fully protected after receiving two doses and this small, vulnerable group may benefit from a third dose.

Certain medical conditions or the treatments used for specific conditions may prevent the immune system from responding adequately to two doses of the vaccine and therefore require an additional dose to provide adequate protection from COVID-19.

Individuals who qualify for a third dose include organ transplant recipients, people undergoing cancer treatment, people with advanced or untreated HIV and those on certain immunosuppressive medications.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health encourages individuals who qualify for a third dose to speak to their healthcare provider to confirm their eligibility and get vaccinated. Third doses of the vaccines will be accessible through vaccination sites that currently offer Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Eligible individuals will be able to provide a self-attestation that they have a qualifying medical condition at these sites.

A follow-up dose is not currently recommended for those who have received a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The FDA is still evaluating data on the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in immunocompromised individuals. COVID-19 vaccine booster doses are also not recommended for the general public at this time.

“Studies have shown immunocompromised people are more likely to have post-vaccination infection and become severely ill from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “An additional vaccine dose for some people with weakened immune systems could help prevent serious illness and death. If you have a qualifying condition, we encourage you to speak to your healthcare provider about getting a third dose. We also encourage those who are close contacts of immunocompromised people to get vaccinated as soon as possible in order to protect their family members and friends who are at higher risk.”

Of the 19 new deaths reported today, four people who passed away were over the age of 80, six people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, four people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29.

“We are thinking of every family member and friend grieving the loss of a loved one. We wish you healing and peace,” said Ferrer.

Two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach. To date, Public Health identified 1,342,839 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,872 deaths.

There are 1,645 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 22% of these people are in the ICU.

Testing results are available for more than 7,630,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 4.1%.

Santa Clarita Valley Friday Update

As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard confirmed a total of 312 COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 312 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

269 in Santa Clarita

16 in Castaic

6 in Acton

6 in Stevenson Ranch

5 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Lake Hughes

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Valencia

1 in Val Verde

Of the 31,541 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 23,173

Castaic: 4,033 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,409

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 973

Acton: 576

Val Verde: 371

Agua Dulce: 335

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 233

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 147

Elizabeth Lake: 90

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69

Bouquet Canyon: 53

Saugus/Canyon Country: 46 (**revised from 47)

Lake Hughes: 43

Sand Canyon: 18

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

Placerita Canyon: 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.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update

As of Friday, Aug. 13, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital had two tests pending, 36 patients hospitalized, a total of 1,356 patients treated and discharged since the pandemic began, and no additional deaths, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

To date, there have been 153 deaths since the pandemic began.

Privacy laws prohibit Henry Mayo from releasing the community of residence for patients who die at the hospital; residence info is reported by the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard, which generally lags 48 hours behind.

California Friday Snapshot

California Department of Public Health confirmed Friday 3,994,271 cases and 64,098 deaths to date.

Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.

There were 14,099 newly reported confirmed cases Thursday.

As of August 12, local health departments have reported 118,572 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 483 deaths statewide.

Cases are increasing statewide, largely among unvaccinated populations:

– For the week of August 7, the average case rate among unvaccinated Californians is 51 per 100,000 per day and the average case rate among vaccinated Californians is significantly lower at 8.2 per 100,000 per day.

– The vast majority of new cases are among the unvaccinated with 600% higher case rates among the unvaccinated than for those who are vaccinated.

The 7-day positivity rate is 6.6%

There have been 76,495,686 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 281,144 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of August 13, according to the CDC, 77.8% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose. Providers have reported to CDPH that a total of 45,127,521 vaccine doses have been administered statewide.

Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed. For more vaccination data, visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Data Dashboard.

See more California information later in this report.

L.A. County Information

Similar to the overall trend in L.A. County, the number of COVID-19 cases among people experiencing homelessness increased over the past few weeks. This week, there were 150 new cases reported among people experiencing homelessness which includes 74 cases from previous weeks that were newly identified as cases associated with people experiencing homelessness and are included in the new case totals. To date, 7,834 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County tested positive for COVID-19 and 218 people who were experiencing homelessness passed away from COVID-19. Of the people experiencing homelessness who passed away, 101 were sheltered, 71 were unsheltered, and for 46 people who passed away, their shelter status was unknown.

There are 1,112 providers administering vaccinations to people experiencing homelessness; together they have administered over 49,282 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to people experiencing homelessness across Los Angeles County. Of the vaccinated people experiencing homelessness, 24,294 are fully vaccinated. The County continues to work closely with partner organizations to vaccinate and protect people experiencing homelessness from COVID-19 infection.

L.A. County continues to offer vaccines at many different sites across the county to make it as easy as possible for eligible L.A. County residents to get vaccinated. Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.
Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to learn how to make an appointment at vaccination sites. If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

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.

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 Aug. 9, there have been 589 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide.

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.

Although very rare, COVID-19 cases among children can sometimes result a few weeks later in very serious illness known as Multi-symptom Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

Vaccine Eligibility

As of May 13, vaccination appointments for individuals aged 12+ can be made by visiting myturn.ca.gov. The consent of a parent or legal guardian may be needed for those between the ages of 12 and 17 to receive a vaccination. For more information on the vaccine effort, visit Vaccinate All 58.

Tracking COVID-19 in California

* State Dashboard – Daily COVID-19 data

* County Map – Local data

* Data and Tools – Models and dashboards for researchers, scientists, and the public

* COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data – Weekly updated Race & Ethnicity data

* Cases and Deaths by Age Group – Weekly updated Deaths by Age Group data

* Health Equity Dashboard – See how COVID-19 highlights existing inequities in health

* Tracking Variants – Data on the variants California is currently monitoring

* Safe Schools for All Hub – Information about safe in-person instruction

* School Districts Reopening Map – data on public schools and reported outbreaks

California Testing & Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboardreports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results.

During the week of August 1 to August 7, the average time patients waited for test results was one day.

During this same time period, 79% of patients received test results in one day and 94% received them within two days.

Protect Yourself and Your Family: Your Actions Save Lives

Protect yourself, family, friends, and community by following these prevention measures:

* Getting vaccinated when it’s your turn. Californians age 16+ are eligible to make an appointment.

* Avoiding non-essential travel, and practicing self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival if you leave the state.

* Keeping interactions limited to people who live in your household.

* 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.

* 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.

* Getting tested if you believe you’ve been exposed. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.

* Adding your phone to the fight by signing up for COVID-19 exposure notifications from CA Notify.

* Answering the call if a contact tracer from the CA COVID Team or local health department tries to connect.

* Following guidance from public health officials.

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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