On Friday, Los Angeles County Public Health officials confirmed seven new deaths and 3,058 new cases of COVID-19, marking the third day in a row with more than 2,500 cases reported in a day.

Over the last four days more than 10,000 cases were reported.

To date, the Santa Clarita Valley has had a total of 29,278 COVID-19 cases.

There are 655 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized; an increase of more than 200 people in one week. Last Friday, there were 452 people hospitalized with COVID-19 illness.

Today’s test positivity rate is 5.2%, an increase from last Friday’s rate of 4.0%.

Of the 7 new deaths reported today, one person who passed away was over the age of 80, one person who passed was between the ages of 65 and 79, and four people who passed were between the ages of 50 and 64. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach.

“To the families that are experiencing the profound grief of losing a loved one to COVID-19, we send our deepest condolences and wish you healing,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

To date, Public Health identified 1,279,171 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,614 deaths. Testing results are available for more than 7,230,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive.

Masks/Assessing Risks

Because of the intensity of COVID-19 transmission in L.A. County, masks are required for everyone 2 years of age and older, regardless of vaccination status, in all indoor public places to prevent COVID-19 spread.

Residents should be aware of certain places where COVID-19 can spread more easily, including:

– Indoors and closed spaces.

– Crowded places with many people nearby.

– Close contact settings especially where people are talking, shouting, or singing (or breathing heavily) close together.

Knowing which situations are riskier can help you to assess your risk and take steps to protect yourself in different situations.

COVID-19 in Pregnant Women

Public Health tracks the impact of COVID-19 on expecting and new moms and newborns. As of July 20, there are 10,614 pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19; an increase of 213 cases from the previous week. Seventy-seven percent of pregnant women testing positive for COVID-19 are Latina/Latinx, 11% are White, 5% are African American/Black, 4% are Asian. Among the 10,266 births where there was testing information, 55 infants tested positive for the virus. Twelve pregnant women positive for COVID-19 passed away. Pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding can choose to get the COVID-19 vaccine with any of the three vaccines. If you are an expecting mom or new mom and have questions about getting vaccinated, speak with your healthcare provider. While a conversation with your healthcare provider may be helpful, it is not required prior to vaccination.

California Friday Snapshot

California Department of Public Health confirmed Friday 3,786,031 cases and 63,741 deaths to date.

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

There were 7,984 newly reported confirmed cases Thursday.

As of July 22, local health departments have reported 115,196 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 480 deaths statewide.

Cases are increasing statewide, largely among unvaccinated populations:

– For the week of July 7-14, the average case rate among unvaccinated Californians is 13 per 100,000 per day and the average case rate among vaccinated Californians is significantly lower at 2 per 100,000 per day.

– Between January 1 and July 14, 99% of the state’s cumulative cases have occurred among unvaccinated individuals.

The 7-day positivity rate is 5.2%.

There have been 72,441,974 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 173,866 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of July 23, providers have reported administering a total of 43,301,446 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 49,271,625 doses have been delivered to entities within the state.

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.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update

As of Friday, July 23, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital had zero tests pending, 16 patients hospitalized, a total of 1,278 patients treated and discharged since the pandemic began, and no additional deaths, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

“This is the highest number of COVD-19 patients we’ve had in the hospital since March 1,” said Moody. “The most effective way to prevent a stay in the hospital for COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.”

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.

Santa Clarita Valley Friday Update

As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard remained unchanged from Wednesday, with a total of 308 (revised down from 309) COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 308 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

266 in Santa Clarita

16 in Castaic

6 in Acton

6 in Stevenson Ranch

4 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 29,278 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 21,462

* Castaic: 3,850 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 1,244

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 886

* Acton: 515

* Val Verde: 345

* Agua Dulce: 301

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 211

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 138

* Elizabeth Lake: 82

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69

* Bouquet Canyon: 50

* Lake Hughes: 42

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 45

* 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.

L.A. County Vaccine Update

As transmission accelerates in L.A. County, Public Health cautions that unvaccinated people are becoming infected at 2.7 times the rate of transmission of just one month ago.

If you are eligible for a vaccine but have not yet been vaccinated, consider getting vaccinated now. Fully vaccinated people remain well protected from severe illness and death from COVID-19 and known variants of concern like the Delta variant.

Through Thursday, July 29 at County-run vaccination sites, LA City sites, and St. John’s Well Child and Family Center sites, everyone 18 and older coming to get a vaccine will have an opportunity to win one of seven packages of tickets to an array of concerts presented by AEG.

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 July 19 there have been 580 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 Update

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 July 11 to July 17, the average time patients waited for test results was under one day.

During this same time period, 85% 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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