The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Friday reported 28 new deaths and 2,481 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 53 new infections in the Santa Clarita Valley in the past 24 hours.

The SCV has now tallied 8,091 confirmed COVID-19 cases – an even 5,000 of them in the city of Santa Clarita —
and 80 deaths from the virus since March 11, when the World Health Organization declared the pandemic.

“The current surge in COVID-19 transmission in L.A. County is alarming,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

To date, Public Health has counted 7,246 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 332,865 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. county. Upon further investigation, 66 cases and three deaths reported earlier were not county residents.

“Many residents are experiencing sadness and despair as they cope with losing a loved one who passed away from COVID-19. We wish you peace and comfort during this difficult time,” Ferrer said.

There are 942 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 countywide, up 15% from last Friday (Nov. 6); 28% of the patients are in the ICU.

Test results are available for more than 3,300,000 county residents, with 9% of all people testing positive.

“If we act now, we can prevent increasing rates of illness and death, stressing our health care system, and further stalling our recovery,” Ferrer said. “If we agree that our collective priority is to reduce transmission of COVID-19 so we can move forward with recovery, then it is clear what needs to be done. We will need to modify holiday plans, change up our routines and take care of each other.”

See more L.A. County updates later in this report.

California Friday Snapshot

California issued a travel advisory Friday along with Washington and Oregon in advance of the holiday season, urging that because COVID-19 transmission is increasing in many states and countries, those arriving, or returning to the state, from other states or countries should self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival.

During this time, people should limit their interactions to their immediate household. This recommendation does not apply to individuals who cross state or country borders for essential travel.

All Californians are encouraged to stay home or in their region and avoid non-essential travel to other states or countries.

Statewide, as of Thursday, November 12, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 998,502 COVID-19 cases (up 6,893), with 18,137 deaths from the disease (up 29).

There are 3,399 confirmed hospitalizations and 931 ICU hospitalizations in the state, continuing an upward trend.

California’s 7-day positivity rate is 4.4% and the 14-day positivity rate is 4.0%, continuing an upward trend.

As case numbers continue to rise statewide, the number of patients who will have serious outcomes will also increase.

As of November 12, local health departments have reported 46,922 confirmed positive cases in healthcare workers and 211 deaths statewide.

There have been 20,478,500 tests COVID-19 tests conducted in California, an increase of 136,428 over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

Numbers do not represent true day-over-day change as these results include cases from prior to yesterday.

See more California info later in this report.

Screencap from the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering COVID-19 dashboard, showing COVID cases in the United States as of Friday afternoon, November 13, 2020.

COVID Worldwide: 1.3 Million People Dead; U.S. Daily Cases Surge Past 174,000 People

Worldwide, 53,211,792 people have been infected by COVID-19 while 1,300,076 people have died of the virus as of 2:26 p.m. Friday Pacific Time, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

In the U.S., Friday’s number of daily new infections was 184,000-plus, an all-time record, and the 10th consecutive day of new cases numbering more than 100,000, according to JHU figures.

More than 10,707,397 Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Hospitalizations are at record levels, approaching 70,000. The number of people in the U.S. who have died due to the virus has surpassed 244,169.

With 4.25% of the world’s population (328.2 million) and more than 20% of the confirmed COVID-19 cases, the U.S. also continues to lead the world in deaths.

By comparison, Brazil (population 209.5 million) is No. 2 in deaths with 164,281. India (population 1.353 billion) is No. 2 in cases, with 8,728,795 confirmed cases and 128,668 deaths as of Friday afternoon.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital on Wednesday reported its 34th and 35th deaths due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

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

As of Friday, November 13, of the 10,786 people tested at Henry Mayo to date, 1,104 tested positive, 13,009 were negative, 4 were pending, 21 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (eight more than last week), a total of 321 COVID-19 patients have been treated and discharged so far, Moody said.

Discrepancies in the testing numbers at the hospital are due to some patients being tested multiple times.

Santa Clarita Valley Friday Update

As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, November 11, the latest update to its COVID-19 data dashboard, L.A. County Public Health reported 78 deaths in the Santa Clarita Valley since the pandemic began, but as of Friday afternoon was not yet reporting the latest two deaths at Henry Mayo.

Of those 80 SCV residents who have died, 65 lived in Santa Clarita, 4 in Castaic, 3 in Acton, 3 in Stevenson Ranch, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Val Verde, 1 in unincorporated Valencia, and 2 in communities not yet named.

Of the 8,091 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 5,000

Castaic: 2,245 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 230

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 186

Val Verde: 110

Acton: 94

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 55

Agua Dulce: 47

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 43

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 30

Saugus/Canyon Country: 12

Bouquet Canyon: 11

Elizabeth Lake: 10

Sand Canyon: 7

Lake Hughes: 8

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 3

*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.

Guidance for Gatherings

As the holiday season approaches and COVID-19 spread is increasing, it is critically important that everyone follows the simple public health safety measures that provide protection from COVID-19 and minimizes spreading it to friends and family.

There is a high level of risk associated with gatherings of any kind, especially when people are inside, not keeping a physical distance of at least 6 feet, and not wearing face coverings.

Residents who gather with up to two other households should do so only outdoors, wearing face coverings and keeping six feet of distance the entire time.

Because COVID-19 spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets, face coverings combined with other preventive measures, such as frequent handwashing and physical distancing, provides the best protection.

If you are planning to get together with others, it is important that your plan follows the Public Health protocols on small private gatherings.

It is critically important that residents not attend any private gatherings or leave their home if they are experiencing symptoms of illness, have tested positive for COVID-19 or if they have been exposed or likely have been exposed to someone who is positive.

MIS-C Update: No New Cases

There are no new cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) this week. The total number of cases of MIS-C in L.A. County remains at 43 children. All 43 children with MIS-C in L.A. County were hospitalized and nearly 50% of the children were treated in the ICU.

Of the children with MIS-C, 26% were under the age of 5 years old, 37% were between the ages of 5 and 11 years old, and 37% were between the ages of 12 and 20 years old. Latino/Latinx children account for 72% of the reported cases. No children have died from MIS-C in L.A. County.

More L.A. County Demographics: Age

Of the 28 new deaths reported today, 10 people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, eight people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, six people who died was between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and four people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old.

Twenty-four of the 28 deaths reported today were people with underlying health conditions, including nine people who were over the age of 80 years old, six people who were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, six people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and three people between the ages of 30 and 49 years old.

Ninety-three percent of the people who have died from COVID-19 to date had underlying health conditions.

Cases by Age Group (Los Angeles County only — excluding Long Beach and Pasadena)

* 0 to 4 5666

* 5 to 11 12181

* 12 to 17 15023

* 18 to 29 78726

* 30 to 49 107860

* 50 to 64 60295

* 65 to 79 23708

* over 80 10371

* Under Investigation 1996

More L.A. County Demographics: Race/Ethnicity

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 6,835 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 52% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 23% among White residents, 14% among Asian residents, 10% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races.

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.

California Blueprint for a Safer Economy

Governor Gavin Newsom’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy imposes risk-based criteria on tightening and loosening COVID-19 allowable activities and expands the length of time between changes to assess how any movement affects the trajectory of the disease.

Californians can go to covid19.ca.gov to find out where their county falls and what activities are allowable in each county.

California’s Tips for a Healthier Holiday Season

The spread of COVID-19 is increasing across the country and in California as colder weather drives more people indoors. To keep yourself and your loved ones safe, follow the guidelines for small gatherings.

Tips on how to celebrate the holidays more safely are also available at the CDPH COVID-19 website.

California Testing
More than 85 community testing sites offer free, confidential testing: Find a COVID-19 Testing Site.

The testing turnaround dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. California has worked to reduce testing turnaround times in recent weeks to help curb the spread of the virus.

During the week of October 25 to October 31, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.3 days. During this same time period, 63 percent of patients received test results in 1 day and 88 percent received them within 2 days. The testing turnaround time dashboard (PDF) is updated weekly.

All four tiers in the Testing Prioritization Guidance originally dated July 14, 2020, will have equal priority for testing.

California Demographics

Overall, for adults 18 and older, Latinos, African Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are dying at disproportionately higher levels.

The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in African Americans is more than one-and-a-half times their population representation across all adult age categories. For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, overall numbers are low, but almost double between the proportion of COVID-19 deaths and their population representation.

More males are dying from COVID-19 than females, in line with national trends.

More information is available at COVID-19 Race and Ethnicity Data.

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 November 9, 127 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide, one more than the previous week.

To protect patient confidentiality in counties with fewer than 11 cases, CDPH is not providing total counts at this time.

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

Every person has a role to play. Protecting yourself and your family comes down to common sense:

* 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.

* Practicing social distancing

* 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

* 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 health care provider before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken. More than 85 community testing sites also offer free, confidential testing: Find a COVID-19 Testing Site.

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.

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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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