On Friday, Los Angeles County Public Health officials confirmed 21 new deaths and 405 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 27,706 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley. In addition, the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order was updated to align with the change in CDC recommendations around masking for fully vaccinated people.

To date, Public Health has reported 1,233,060 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 23,890 deaths.

“I send my deepest sympathies to the families mourning a loved one lost to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “We must continue to be careful and take sensible precautions in the weeks ahead while we vaccinate more people, especially as we look to move to the least restrictive tier in the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy framework.”

There are 420 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 23% of these people are in the ICU.

COVID-19 testing results are available for nearly 6,500,000 individuals with 18% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 0.7%.

L.A. County Health Officer Order Updated

Additional modifications to the Order also included allowing indoor arcades and indoor playgrounds (bounce centers, ball pits, laser tag) to open at 25% maximum indoor capacity with safety modifications.

Bars, breweries and wineries hours of operation limitations due to the pandemic have been removed, and employees who are fully vaccinated at food service facilities have the option of wearing a face shield in addition to a face mask when in close contact with customers; wearing a mask is still required.

Employers must verify and document an employee’s full vaccination status if a fully vaccinated employee chooses not to wear a face shield.

In-person behavioral health (mental health and substance use) therapeutic and educational support groups, such as Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous or Patient Education groups, may return to typical participant levels with specified safety modifications.

“While fully vaccinated people can participate in some activities because of the protection vaccinations give them, it is critically important that we continue to wear masks, avoid crowds and encourage everyone to get fully vaccinated – both first and second doses,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “The majority of people in Los Angeles County are not fully vaccinated and some are not able to be vaccinated. Getting fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is effective at preventing serious illness and death and protects our entire community.”

The updated Health Officer Order and protocols can be found online.

See more L.A. County information and a vaccine update later in this report.

California Friday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Thursday, April 29, California Department of Public Health officials confirmed 3,638,132 COVID-19 cases (up 1,897) with 60,467 deaths from the disease (up 105) since the pandemic began.

As of April 29, local health departments have reported 107,499 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 453 deaths statewide.

The 7-day positivity rate is 1.3%.

There have been 60,015,928 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 220,731 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of April 30, providers have reported administering a total of 29,846,479 vaccine doses statewide.

The CDC reports that 37,848,540 doses have been delivered to entities within the state.

Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed.

Today the state released guidance to support a safe environment for community sporting events.

The guidance applies to all organized community endurance and running/walking events including runs, walks, marathons and triathlons, and endurance events.

This guidance does not apply to outdoor and indoor youth and recreational sports or collegiate or professional sports.

Community sporting events will resume in California beginning May 1, 2021 following these guidelines.

See more California information later in this report.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update

As of Friday, there were two cases pending, five patients were hospitalized in a dedicated COVID-19 unit, and a total of 1,225 patients had been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said.

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 recorded 304 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 304 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

261 in Santa Clarita

18 in Castaic

6 in Acton

6 in Stevenson Ranch

3 in Agua Dulce

3 in unincorporated Canyon Country

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 27,706 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 20,286

* Castaic: 3,728 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 1,138

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 841

* Acton: 470

* Val Verde: 336

* Agua Dulce: 279

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 193

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 129

* Elizabeth Lake: 76

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 68

* Bouquet Canyon: 47

* Lake Hughes: 42

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 40

* Sand Canyon: 17

* San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

* Placerita Canyon: 1

*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 Demographics — Cases by Age Group (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena)

* 0 to 4: 29122

* 5 to 11: 55782

* 12 to 17: 69878

* 18 to 29: 276901

* 30 to 49: 388666

* 50 to 64: 225532

* 65 to 79: 89701

* over 80: 32700

* Under Investigation 647

L.A. County Demographics — Deaths

Of the 21 new deaths reported today, seven people that passed away were over the age of 80, six people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, five people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and three people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49.

L.A. County Vaccine Update

Public Health has made vaccinations available without appointments at all of the County sites through next week.

Everyone 16 and older living or working in L.A. County can walk-in and get vaccinated.

You should bring a photo ID with you and teens 16 and 17 should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

Public Health continues to build an extensive network with pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, health clinics, and community vaccination sites, including these large-capacity sites:

* Dodger Stadium (operated by the city of Los Angeles)

* College of the Canyons, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91355

* Palmdale Oasis Park Recreation Center, 3850 E Ave S, Palmdale, CA 93550

* California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St, Northridge 91330

* Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W McKinley Ave, Pomona 91768

* The Forum, 3900 W Manchester Blvd, Inglewood 90305

* L.A. County Office of Education, 12830 Columbia Way, Downey 90242

* California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles 90032 (operated by FEMA)

Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to learn how to make an appointment at vaccination sites, what verifications people will need to show at your vaccination appointment, and much more. 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. There may be an extended wait time to speak with an operator for help making an appointment during high demand times. 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.

Blueprint for a Safer Economy

All counties are under the rules and framework of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers that indicate which activities and businesses are open based on local case rates and test positivity.

As always, local public health departments may implement policies that are more restrictive than the state.

Blueprint tiers are updated weekly on Tuesdays. The Blueprint summary as of April 20:

* 0 counties are currently in the Purple (widespread) Tier

* 13 counties are currently in the Red (substantial) Tier (including Los Angeles County)

* 41 counties are currently in the Orange (moderate) Tier

* 4 counties are in the Yellow (minimal) Tier

Find the status of activities in specific counties.

Vaccine Eligibility Update

As of April 15, individuals aged 16+ are eligible to make an appointment to be vaccinated. To sign up for a notification when you’re eligible for a vaccine, please visit myturn.ca.gov. 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, including tier status and ICU capacity

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

* Blueprint for a Safer Economy – Data for establishing tier status

* 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 April 18 to April 24, the average time patients waited for test results was just under one day.

During this same time period, 83% of patients received test results in one day and 98% received them within two days.

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 April 26, there have been 491 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.

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: 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.

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 healthcare provider before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken.

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, 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.

* * * * *

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.

* * * * *