Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Friday confirmed 15 new deaths and 1,227 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 36,989 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Of the 15 new deaths reported today, five people who passed away were over the age of 80, five people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, three people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49. To date, Public Health has identified 1,483,031 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,513 deaths.

There are 598 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized, and 31% of these people are in the ICU. This is the first time daily hospitalizations dropped under 600 since July.

Testing results are available for nearly 8,960,000 individuals with 15% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 0.9%.

“We send our deepest sympathies to everyone who has lost a loved one or a friend to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

County Now Administering Boosters for All Three Vaccines

Los Angeles County is now administering boosters for all three FDA-approved vaccines; Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

In addition to the already approved Pfizer vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director, Rochelle P. Walensky, endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation for a booster dose of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

Los Angeles County residents eligible for a booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine include those who received the second of the two-dose vaccine series at least 6 months ago and are either:

– 65 years and older

– Age 18 and older who live in long-term care settings

– Age 18 and older who have underlying medical conditions

– Age 18 and older who work or live in high-risk settings

For people who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for everyone who was vaccinated two or more months ago.

All eligible individuals are allowed to choose a different brand from their original vaccine as a booster.

Public Health estimates that 1.7 million residents in L.A. County received their second dose of Pfizer at least 6 months ago, 1.5 million received their two Moderna doses at least 6 months ago, and 470,000 residents received their Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.

Residents can make an appointment for their booster by using MyTurn.CA.gov or the County website at VaccinateLACounty.com and for more information about booster shots. Additionally, many pharmacies and clinics countywide may be accepting appointments through their own systems.

Residents should bring proof of their primary vaccine series, such as the white vaccination card, a photo of the white vaccination card, or a digital record. At many sites, residents may be asked to sign an attestation form indicating they meet the criteria to receive the booster if they don’t have proof of vaccination.

If you need a ride to get your vaccination, you can reach out to the Public Health call center at 1-833-540-0473 and you will be connected to free transportation.

Santa Clarita Valley Friday Update

As of 6 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard confirmed a total of 348 COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 348 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

292 in Santa Clarita

21 in Castaic

10 in Acton

8 in Stevenson Ranch

6 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

3 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 36,989 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 27,171

Castaic: 4,472 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,736

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,155

Acton: 767

Val Verde: 425

Agua Dulce: 406

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 281

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 166

Elizabeth Lake: 116

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69 (**revised from 70)

Bouquet Canyon: 68

Lake Hughes: 58

Saugus/Canyon Country: 51

Sand Canyon: 24

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 19

Placerita Canyon: 5

*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

NOTE: Data was not available for Friday, Oct. 22, 2021.

As of Thursday, Oct. 21, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital currently had zero tests pending, 12 patients in the hospital, and a total of 1,577 patients who have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, and no additional deaths, 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.

California Friday Snapshot

California Department of Public Health confirmed Friday 4,606,599 cases and 70,884 deaths to date.

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

There were 6,093 newly reported confirmed cases Thursday.

As of Oct. 21, local health departments have reported 127,347 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 522 deaths statewide.

Cases are increasing statewide, largely among unvaccinated populations:

– For the week of Oc. 3 – Oct. 9, the average case rate among unvaccinated Californians age 16 or older is 35.6 per 100,000 per day and the average case rate among vaccinated Californians age 16 or older is significantly lower at 5.4 per 100,000 per day.

– The great majority of new cases are among unvaccinated individuals. The rate among the unvaccinated is 6.6 times the rate among the vaccinated.

The 7-day positivity rate is 1.9%.

There have been 99,679,827 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 306,835 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of Oct. 22, according to the CDC, 86.2% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose. Providers have reported to CDPH that a total of 51,697,834 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.

Today, in a statement issued by California Department of Public Health Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón, the department urged eligible Californians to get a COVID-19 booster vaccine following approval by the federal government and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workshop.

“Vaccines are how we end this pandemic, and following this week’s announcements by our federal partners, boosters will play a critical role moving forward. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is ready and eager to continue working with providers and community partners across California to administer boosters to more Californians. This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup recommended supporting the expanded EUA’s. These decisions, as well as the authorization to allow for mixing and matching of COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers for boosters, will allow more Californians to increase and maintain the strongest protection against infection heading into the winter months. All eligible Californians will benefit from this added protection and should make receiving their booster vaccine a priority. Eligible Californians can find a booster vaccine through MyTurn.ca.gov and schedule their flu vaccine at the same time to stay as healthy as possible,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón.

See more California information later in this report.

L.A. County Vaccine Information

“While we continue prioritizing getting unvaccinated people vaccinated against COVID-19, we encourage everyone who is eligible to enhance their immunity by getting a booster dose. It is important that those at high risk because of their age, underlying health conditions, or occupational setting, get their booster dose, and we’re encouraging people that fall into these higher-risk categories, to please make sure you are getting your boosters well before the holidays,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

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 Oct. 18, there have been 660 cases of MIS-C 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 Oct. 10 to Oct. 16, the average time patients waited for test results was 0.9 days. During this same time period, 81% of patients received test results in one day and 96% 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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