Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Friday confirmed 60 new deaths and 756 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 26,944 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley. In addition, nearly 3,235,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people across Los Angeles County.

Of those vaccinated, 1,057,794 people received second doses and 25,170 people received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Next week, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is expecting to receive 280,000 vaccine doses.

This allocation includes approximately 6,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The County expects to receive more Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the end of the month.

To date, Public Health identified 1,213,288 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 22,722 deaths.

“We send our deepest condolences to the many families and friends mourning a loved one who passed away from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

There are 861 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 28% of these people are in the ICU.

“More and more people are getting vaccinated in our County and cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to decrease. In Europe and some regions of the US, there has been increases in cases and hospitalizations,” said Ferrer. “With this in mind and given how easy COVID-19 can spread, it is critical we remain disciplined in our adherence to use face masks, physical distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and delaying any non-essential travel.”

Testing results are available for nearly 5,994,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 1.7%.

California Friday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Thursday, March 18, California Department of Public Health officials confirmed 3,538,821 COVID-19 cases (up 3,287) with 56,027 deaths from the disease (up 232) since the pandemic began.

There are 2,872 confirmed hospitalizations and 753 ICU hospitalizations in the state, continuing a downward trend.

As of March 18, local health departments have reported 100,208 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 435 deaths statewide.

There have been 51,811,542 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 144,231 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

The 7-day positivity rate is 2.0%.

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

As of March 19, providers have reported administering a total of 13,769,061vaccine doses statewide.

The CDC reports that 17,661,490 doses have been delivered to entities within the state. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed.

Youth Sports Update: Sideline Cheer

The CDPH clarified today, March 19, that sideline cheer is an allowable sport under the state’s youth and adult recreational sports guidelines.

Sideline cheer is considered comparable to competitive cheer as a moderate-contact sport and should follow all requirements of other outdoor moderate-contact sports.

The youth and adult recreational sports FAQ has been updated to note this clarification.

Outbreak Data Available Online

California law requires employers to report COVID-19 outbreaks to local health departments.
Local health departments report those data to CDPH, and it is now posted online at the CDPH Outbreak Data webpage.

From Jan. 1 to March 1, 2021, a total of 4,311 confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks and 39,526 outbreak-related cases were reported to CDPH.

The most common settings for these outbreaks were residential care facilities (21.7%), restaurants (7.0%), skilled nursing facilities (4.2%), hospitals (3.9%), grocery stores (3.5%), and construction (3.5%).

Seroprevalence Data Available Online

CDPH has posted seroprevalence COVID-19 data by region. Seroprevalence measures the percentage of people in a population who have antibodies for the virus that causes COVID-19.

People who have antibodies were either infected with COVID-19 at some point in the past or may have received a COVID-19 vaccine.

Seroprevalence increases over time as more people are infected or vaccinated. Learn more on the Seroprevalence COVID-19 Data webpage.

See more California information later in this report.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update

As of Friday, March 19, there are no cases pending, seven patients are hospitalized in a dedicated COVID-19 unit receiving ICU-level care, and a total of 1,179 patients have been treated and discharged, said Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

There were zero additional deaths, however, the hospital reported its 146th death due to COVID-19 on Monday.

Henry Mayo releases complete statistics weekly, usually on Wednesdays, unless one or more new deaths occur.

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 latest update of the L.A. County Public Health dashboard counted 283 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began.

Of the 283 SCV residents who have died, 240 lived in Santa Clarita, 18 in Castaic, seven in Acton, three in Agua Dulce, three in unincorporated Canyon Country, four in Stevenson Ranch, one in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, one in Lake Hughes, one in Newhall, one in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country, one in Val Verde, and two in Valencia.

Of the 26,944 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 19,711

* Castaic: 3,658 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 1,099

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 812

* Acton: 458

* Val Verde: 326

* Agua Dulce: 261

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 185

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 132

* Elizabeth Lake: 75

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 67

* Bouquet Canyon: 45

* Lake Hughes: 41

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 39

* 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: 22619

* 5 to 11: 54692

* 12 to 17: 68611

* 18 to 29: 271693

* 30 to 49: 382606

* 50 to 64: 222450

* 65 to 79: 88752

* over 80: 32311

* Under Investigation 6784

L.A. County Demographics — Deaths

Of the 60 new deaths reported today, 21 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 16 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 16 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and five people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach and one death was reported by the City of Pasadena.

L.A. County Vaccine Update: Eligibility & Appointments

Of the 280,000 doses of vaccine Public HEalth officials expect to receive next week, 64% of doses will go to sites located in the most vulnerable communities.

Public Health is continuing to increase allocations to community sites serving hardest hit communities so that providers are able to vaccinate more people.

Across vaccination providers, there continues to be much more capacity to vaccinate. This week alone there were over 627,000 appointment slots available, and we only had enough doses for about 259,000 appointments.

Our large capacity vaccination sites alone had the capacity to provide 210,000 additional doses this week if there was sufficient supply.

Currently, people who are eligible for the vaccine include healthcare workers, residents and staff at long-term care facilities, people who are age 65 or older, education and childcare workers, food and agriculture workers, emergency service workers and law enforcement, and people with certain serious health conditions and disabilities.

While COVID-19 vaccine supply remains very limited, Public Health continues to build an extensive network with pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, health clinics, and community vaccination sites, including seven large-capacity sites:

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

* Six Flags Magic Mountain, 26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia 91355

* 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)

The County continues to expand mobile vaccination services to better meet the needs of those in underserved communities.

This coming week, County mobile teams will go out to 79 senior housing and senior services locations to provide vaccinations, approximately double the number of sites reached this week.

For information about vaccine appointments in L.A. County and when your turn is coming up, to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, and much more, visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). 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.

With the Regional Stay at Home Order was rescinded statewide as of January 25, all counties are now 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.

CDPH modified Blueprint thresholds on March 12 after the state successfully met its first vaccine equity milestone of 2 million administered vaccine doses in some of the state’s hardest-hit communities.

Blueprint summary as of March 16:

* 11 counties are currently in the Purple (widespread) Tier (including Los Angeles County)

* 42 counties are currently in the Red (substantial) Tier

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

* 1 county is in the Yellow (minimal) Tier

The state released updates to the state’s reopening framework on Friday, March 5. The updates will allow outdoor ballparks, stadiums, and theme parks to open with significantly reduced capacity, mandatory masking, and other public health precautions. The updates will take effect on April 1.

Blueprint tiers are updated weekly on Tuesdays. Find the status of activities in specific counties.

Vaccinate All 58
In order to increase the pace of COVID-19 vaccine distribution to those at greatest risk, the state is prioritizing individuals 65 and older to receive the vaccine as demand subsides among health care workers. This effort will help to reduce hospitalizations and save lives.

To sign up for a notification when you’re eligible for a vaccine, visit myturn.ca.gov.

For more information on the vaccine effort, visit the Vaccinate All 58 webpage.

Tracking Variants

Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been identified globally during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These genetic mutations are expected, and some emerge and then disappear, while others persist or become common. Most variants do not have a meaningful impact.

Public health becomes concerned about a variant when it affects COVID-19 transmission, severity, testing, treatment, or vaccine effectiveness.

Get more information here on the variants CDPH is currently monitoring.

‘Safe Schools for All’ Plan
Governor Newsom launched the Safe Schools for All Hub as a one-stop-shop for information about safe in-person instruction.

For more information on the transparency, accountability, and assistance measures related to California’s Safe Schools for All plan, visit the hub.

Travel Advisory

California Public Health has issued an updated travel advisory. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

Non-essential travelers from other states or countries are strongly discouraged from entering California and should adhere to the state’s self-quarantine procedures for 10 days.

California Demographics: Health Equity Dashboard

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted existing inequities in health that are the result of structural racism and poverty, and the disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions such as asthma and heart disease among Latinos and African Americans.

As part of its commitment to reduce health inequities and ensure the best outcomes for all Californians, the state has launched a Health Equity Dashboard on www.covid19.ca.gov/equity/ that tracks California’s health equity measure and data by race and ethnicity, age group, and sexual orientation/gender identity.

California Testing & Turnaround Time
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 February 21 to February 27, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 78% of patients received test results in one day and 94% received them within two days. The testing turnaround time dashboard (PDF) is updated weekly.

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

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 March 15, 380 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide, 26 more than the previous week (down from 29 the week before that). To protect patient confidentiality in counties with fewer than 11 cases, CDPH officials are 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: Your Actions Save Lives

Protect yourself, family, friends, and community by following these prevention measures:

* 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.

* 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.

* Getting tested if you believe you’ve been exposed. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.

* Getting vaccinated when it’s your turn.

* 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.

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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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