Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Friday confirmed 32 new deaths and 1,571 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 35,524 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley. Additionally, Public Health announced that eligible Los Angeles County residents can begin receiving their booster doses at any of the hundreds of sites offering the Pfizer vaccine.

Of the 32 new deaths reported today, nine people who passed away were over the age of 80, nine people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 10 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and one person who died was between that ages of 30 and 49. Three deaths were reported by the city of Long Beach.

“To everyone who is mourning a loved one or friend who has passed away from COVID-19, we send our deepest condolences,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

To date, Public Health identified 1,451,438 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 25,972 deaths.

There are 956 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 8,543,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.5%.

Pfizer Booster Doses

Following CDC’s endorsement, eligible Los Angeles County residents can begin receiving their booster doses at any of the hundreds of sites offering the Pfizer vaccine.

Los Angeles County residents eligible for a booster dose of Pfizer include the following groups of people who received the second of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine series at least 6 months ago and are either:

– People aged 65 years or older

– Residents of long-term care facilities

– People aged 18 to 64 years with underlying medical conditions

– People aged 18 to 64 years with high institutional or occupational risk, including healthcare workers, first responders, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers, and workers in homeless shelters or prisons, among others

Residents who received Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will need to wait until the FDA reviews the data and determines the need for and safety of boosters for these vaccines.

Those not yet vaccinated can make an appointment to get vaccinated by using the MyTurn system. Eligible residents who completed their two-dose Pfizer vaccine series at least six months ago can also make an appointment for their boosters by using the MyTurn system or by making an appointment at a pharmacy or clinic that offers Pfizer vaccinations. Residents will need to bring proof they received two previous Pfizer doses, which for most people will be in the form of the white vaccination card, or a photo of the white card, or a digital record of your two doses. At many sites, residents may be asked to sign an attestation form indicating they meet the criteria to receive the Pfizer booster.

COVID-19 Cases Among People Experiencing Homelessness

Reflecting the overall trend in Los Angeles County, the number of COVID-19 cases among people experiencing homelessness increased in July and August and has declined in the past few weeks.

During the week ending August 22, 184 cases were reported among people experiencing homelessness. This week, there were 142 new cases reported among people experiencing homelessness, which includes 70 cases from previous weeks that have been newly identified as cases associated with people experiencing homelessness and are now included in the new case totals. One person experiencing homelessness passed away from COVID-19 this week. To date, 8,948 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County have tested positive for COVID-19 and 232 people who were experiencing homelessness have passed away from COVID-19. Of these people who passed away, 109 were sheltered, 75 were unsheltered, and for 48 people who passed away, their shelter status was unknown.

There are 1,221 providers administering vaccinations to people experiencing homelessness; together they have administered over 57,157 doses of COVID-19 vaccine across Los Angeles County; 28,874 people experiencing homelessness are fully vaccinated.

The County continues to work closely with partner organizations to vaccinate and protect people experiencing homelessness from COVID-19 and is offering Pfizer booster doses to eligible people.

Santa Clarita Valley Friday Update

As of 6 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard confirmed a total of 331 COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 331 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

279 in Santa Clarita

20 in Castaic

9 in Acton

7 in Stevenson Ranch

6 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

2 in Val Verde

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Valencia

0 in Lake Hughes (**revised from 1)

Cases:

Of the 35,524 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 26,112

Castaic: 4,346 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,622

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,115

Acton: 722

Val Verde: 414

Agua Dulce: 386

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 265/p>

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 161

Elizabeth Lake: 106

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 70

Bouquet Canyon: 62

Saugus/Canyon Country: 47

Lake Hughes: 52

Sand Canyon: 22

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 18

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.

William S. Hart Union High School District COVID-19 Dashboard

The William S. Hart Union High School District provides ongoing information to our community regarding COVID-19 cases while maintaining confidentiality for our students and staff. The COVID-19 case data below is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive case in staff members or students by school site. The data below is specific to individuals who have been physically present on a District campus within 14 days of receiving a positive COVID-19 test. The District, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, conducts contact tracing and directly notifies and provides resources for parents of students identified as close contacts (6 feet or less for 15 cumulative minutes or more).

Note: To see the communication process in the event of a positive COVID-19 case, visit https://www.hartdistrict.org/apps/pages/covid-19dashboard.

Student Dashboard:

Staff Dashboard:

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update

Officials from Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported zero tests pending, 30 patients in the hospital, and a total of 1,505 patients who have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

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 4,448,666 cases and 68,087 deaths to date.

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

There were 7,276 newly reported confirmed cases Thursday.

As of Sept. 23, local health departments have reported 124,514 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 500 deaths statewide.

Cases are increasing statewide, largely among unvaccinated populations:

– For the week of Sept. 5 – Sept. 11, the average case rate among unvaccinated Californians age 16 or older is 62.83 per 100,000 per day and the average case rate among vaccinated Californians age 16 or older is significantly lower at 7.95 per 100,000 per day.

– The great majority of new cases are among unvaccinated individuals. The rate among the unvaccinated is 8 times the rate among the vaccinated.

The 7-day positivity rate is 3.2%.

There have been 90,476,127 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 353,193 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of Sept. 24, according to the CDC, 83.4% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose. Providers have reported to CDPH that a total of 48,899,173 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 Vaccine Update

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 Sept. 20, there have been 610 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide (**revised from 596).

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 Sept. 12 to Sept. 18, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 72% of patients received test results in one day and 91% 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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