Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Friday announced new mandatory safety measures as outdoor dining at restaurants, wineries, and breweries reopened to the public today. In addition, Public Health confirmed 228 new deaths and 7,112 new cases of confirmed COVID-19 countywide, with 23,660 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The Santa Clarita Valley has seen 118 more cases today than Thursday and 199 deaths since L.A. county’s first confirmed COVID-19 infection on January 26, 2020.

There are 5,855 people hospitalized with COVID-19, continuing a downward trend, and 26% of these people are in the ICU.

To date, Public Health identified 1,104,393 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 16,322 deaths.

“To the families mourning a loved one lost to COVID-19, we send our deepest sympathies,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

Public Health expressed that severe weather can cause the large capacity vaccination sites in the county to temporarily close due to safety concerns.

If sites are closed because of severe weather, people with appointments will be sent a text and/or an email if their site is closed. The email or text will tell them they can report to the same location at the same time just on different day.

As daily reported cases have declined from peaks experienced a few weeks ago, COVID-19 transmission still remains high and widespread throughout the County.

Public Health has modified the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order to closely align with the sector re-openings permitted in the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy most restrictive purple tier.

Outdoor dining at restaurants, wineries, and breweries may reopen today with additional safety measures in place to mitigate the increased risk since customers are permitted to spend time unmasked at these businesses.

Indoor dining is not permitted. All employees that can come in contact with customers must wear both a face covering and a face shield at all times.

Persons from different households are not allowed to share a table.

All establishments must post signage to this effect and verbally inform customers that everyone sharing a table must be from the same household.

Tables must be positioned at least 8 feet apart and televisions or other screens must be turned off.

The Health Officer Order also removes operating hour restrictions for non-essential businesses.

Businesses are required to implement the protocols prior to reopening to ensure they are in compliance with the Health Officer Order, and to avoid citations, fines, and possible closure.

“We really need everyone, both businesses and individuals, playing by the rules to reduce transmission of COVID-19,” said Ferrer. “We all know if the precautions and safety measures are not followed, it is likely the County will again experience increases in cases, hospitalizations, and eventually deaths. The way to avoid this is for everyone to follow all of the public health directives all of the time.”

“Transmission and risk are still very high and we are concerned about variants of the virus and what these may mean in our region,” she said. “We absolutely don’t want to get to a place where have to close again, because that will mean more people are sick and more people will pass away.”

Violations can be reported anonymously at 888-700-9995 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.to 5:00, excluding holidays.

To report violations online, visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

See more SCV and L.A. County info later in this report.

California Friday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Thursday, January 28, California Department of Public Health officials confirmed a total of 3,205,947 COVID-19 cases (up 19,337), with 39,578 deaths from the disease (up 617) since the pandemic began.

There are 15,705 confirmed hospitalizations and 4,145 ICU hospitalizations in the state, continuing a downward trend.

As of Thursday, local health departments have reported 85,125 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 335 deaths statewide.

There have been 41,677,405 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 206,771 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

The 7-day positivity rate is 7.4% and the 14-day positivity rate is 8.2%., continuing a downward trend.

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

As of Friday, providers have reported administering a total of 3,078,250 vaccine doses statewide. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed.

Also as of Friday, a total of 4,759,750 vaccine doses, which includes the first and second dose, have been shipped to local health departments and healthcare systems that have facilities in multiple counties.

See more California information 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, January 29, 2021.

U.S. Deaths Surpass 430,000 People; Global Cases Top 100,000,000

Worldwide, 101,803,875 people have been infected by COVID-19 while 2,198,644 people have died of the virus as of 11:22 a.m. Friday Pacific Time, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

In the U.S., more than 25,840,365 Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The number of people in the U.S. who have died due to the virus has now surpassed 434,696.

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 221,547, and No. 3 in cases with 9,058,687. India (population 1.353 billion) is No. 2 in cases, with 10,720,048 confirmed infections and 154,010 deaths as of Friday afternoon.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update

Note: There was no available data released Thursday. Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital releases complete statistics weekly, usually on Wednesdays, unless one or more new deaths occur.

Henry Mayo announced three deaths Thursday, bringing the hospital’s COVID-19 death toll to 116, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said.

As of Thursday, 0 cases are pending, 74 patients were hospitalized in dedicated COVID-19 units receiving ICU-level care, and a total of 992 COVID-19 patients have been treated and discharged so far, 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 latest update of the L.A. County Public Health dashboard recorded 195 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began, but did not yet include all of the most recent new deaths at Henry Mayo.

Of the 199 SCV residents who have died, 166 lived in Santa Clarita, 12 in Castaic, six in Acton, four in Stevenson Ranch, three in unincorporated Canyon Country, two in Agua Dulce, one in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, one in Val Verde, and four in communities not yet named.

Of the 23,660 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 17,225

* Castaic: 3,392 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 936

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 694

* Acton: 390

* Val Verde: 269

* Agua Dulce: 213

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 160

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 117

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 61

* Elizabeth Lake: 71

* Bouquet Canyon: 40

* Lake Hughes: 37

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 29

* Sand Canyon: 13

* San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 13

*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.

Photo credit: @Reuters

L.A. County Vaccination Update

While COVID-19 vaccine supply remains very limited, Public Health has built an extensive network with pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, health clinics, and community vaccination sites, including six 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

Currently, more than 790,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the county.

People eligible for vaccine include frontline healthcare workers, residents and staff at long-term care facilities, and County residents age 65 and older.

Together, these groups total more than 2 million people eligible for the vaccine who each need 2 doses.

We are currently receiving, on average, 150,000 vaccine doses per week, so we ask the public to be patient as we do our best to meet the needs with limited supply.

“As vaccination of our healthcare workers and residents continues, we must continue the core public health actions that reduce transmission, save lives and get us back to re-opening up our schools for our children,” said Ferrer.

The State announced that it is transitioning to a more centralized distribution system.

This State-run system will be administered by Blue Shield of California and allows for direct distribution to a statewide network of vaccine providers, including the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

We look forward to working with the State to ensure that we have an optimal network of other providers across the county and to ensure efficient and equitable distribution of vaccine.

How to Sign Up for a Vaccine Appointment

The registration system for the vaccination centers listed above opened for healthcare workers on January 13 and for residents 65 and older on January 19.

L.A. County’s COVID-19 vaccine website at www.VaccinateLACounty.com has incorporated the state’s new appointment registration platform, MyTurn. The registration system features a streamlined process for residents eligible to receive the vaccine. The system lets residents know if they are currently eligible and, if they are, can help find and book appointments that are available in their area.

The site also alerts people who registered to when appointments open up, or when vaccinations are opening up to additional priority groups.

Currently, MyTurn will make appointments for our five large capacity sites as well as two other county-operated vaccination sites. It will also now allow residents to book their first and second dose appointments at the same time. Appointments for all other locations, such as pharmacies and clinics, are also available on the website.

For those without access to a computer or the internet, a county call center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to help schedule appointments at 833-540-0473. Residents are encouraged to use the website whenever possible to sign up for an appointment to avoid long wait times on the phone.

Every resident who gets the first dose is guaranteed a second dose. And most individuals will be able to receive their second dose at the same site where they received their first dose.

Many individuals vaccinated at a county site received the date and location of their second dose appointment on their vaccination card, which will be 21 days after their first dose if they received a Pfizer vaccine, and 28 days after their first dose if they received a Moderna vaccine. All residents will need to do is confirm the time that works for them via a registration link emailed to them.

For individuals vaccinated at the dozens of other sites across the county, including pharmacies, health centers, and city clinics, contact the provider or site where you were vaccinated to receive information confirming your second dose appointment.

L.A. County Demographics — Deaths by Age Group

Of the 228 new deaths reported today, 53 people who passed away were over the age of 80, 80 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 52 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, 21 people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and two people who died were between the ages of 18 and 29 years old. Fifteen deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach and five deaths were reported by the City of Pasadena.

L.A. County Demographics — Cases by Age Group (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena)

* 0 to 4: 20578

* 5 to 11: 49910

* 12 to 17: 62308

* 18 to 29: 249349

* 30 to 49: 349258

* 50 to 64: 200642

* 65 to 79: 79343

* over 80: 28694

* Under Investigation 6648

L.A. County Demographics — ‘Horrible Inequities’ in COVID Deaths

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, L.A. County Public Health officials have seen horrifying inequities throughout the pandemic exacerbated by the recent surge. Although cases are dropping overall, the gap remains distressingly wide between Latino/Latinx residents and other races.

Latino/Latinx residents are experiencing a 7-day cumulative daily rate of 1,900 new cases per 100,000 people. This rate for Latino/Latinx residents is more than two times that of African American/Black residents, the group with the second-highest case rate of about 795 cases per 100,000 per day. White residents experience 651 cases per 100,000 people per day and Asian residents experience 616 cases per 100,000 people per day.

The number of Latino/Latinx residents who died each day, over a 14-day average, increased more than 1,100%, from 3.5 deaths per 100,000 people in early November when the surge began, to 40 deaths per 100,000 people on January 15.

Over this same period, the mortality rate among African American/Black residents increased nearly 2,000%, from less than 1 death per 100,000 people to 20 deaths per 100,000 people. Deaths increased 3,300% among Asian residents, from 0.5 deaths per 100,000 people in early November to 17 deaths per 100,000 people.

The current mortality rate among white residents is 14 deaths per 100,000 people, up 1,400% from about 1 death per 100,000 people in early November.

Officials continue to see a high mortality rate among people living in areas with the highest levels of poverty, with three times the death rate compared to people living in the lowest levels of poverty.

Public Health takes seriously the mission to address disproportionate impacts on health. Officials say the county is working at increasing access to medical care and ensuring that every individual, family, and community has the resources needed and necessary to survive this pandemic. Individuals and families living in the hardest-hit communities remain a priority for us as we move forward, especially when it comes to vaccinations.

County to Align with Lifting of State’s Regional Stay Home Order

With the lifting of the state Regional Stay Home Order Monday, January 25, the County Health Officer Order issued on November 25 was reinstated.

This Order follows many of the state recommendations for sector closing and openings while introducing additional safety measures that reduce opportunities for transmission.

These measures include huge reductions in occupancy, requirements of masking for both workers and customers, distancing, infection control standards, and obligations for reporting outbreaks.

Restaurants will be allowed to reopen for in-person outdoor dining on Friday, January 29, provided they implement additional safety measures to mitigate the increased risk to workers since customers are permitted to spend time unmasked. Safety measures will also be required that increase distancing and eliminate any crowding.

Public Health is sending notices to businesses and other operations that are reopening to remind them of the safety directives that must be in place for them to open. Public Health will be issuing citations for violations.

See more about the lifting of the California Regional Stay Home Order below.

Avoid Super-Spread on Super Bowl Sunday

“We know that Super Bowl Sunday is coming up – and we can’t repeat the mistakes of the past,” Ferrer said. “It will be tragic if the Super Bowl becomes the Super-Spreader of coronavirus. For sports fans, please start planning now to find ways to enjoy the Super Bowl without putting your friends, your family and your neighbors at risk. Play it safe. Don’t organize a party at home. Don’t go to a super bowl party. Outdoor events are prohibited. We can’t afford for cases to rise again because we let our guard down on a Sunday or any other day.”

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 Regional Stay Home Order Lifted Jan. 25

On Monday, January 25, the California Department of Public Health lifted its Regional Stay-at-Home Order for all regions statewide, including the three regions that had still been under the order – San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area, and Southern California, including L.A. County. The counties’ four-week ICU capacity projections are now above 15%, the threshold that allows regions to exit the order.

The Sacramento Region exited the order on January 12 and the Northern California region never entered the order.

This action allows all counties statewide to return to 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 Los Angeles County, the majority of the state’s counties are still in the strictest or purple tier. CDPH provides tier updates each Tuesday. As always, individual counties may choose to impose stricter rules.

California Blueprint for a Safer Economy

Governor 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.

With the Regional Stay at Home Order 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.

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

* 3 counties are currently in the Red Tier (Alpine, Mariposa, and Trinity)

* 1 county is currently in the Orange Tier (Sierra)

* No counties are in the Yellow Tier

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

Vaccinate All 58
The state is working closely with community partners and stakeholders to help ensure the vaccine is distributed and administered equitably across California.

For more information, visit the CDPH COVID-19 Vaccine webpage and the Vaccinate All 58 webpage.

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 January 10 to January 16, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.5 days. During this same time period, 61% of patients received test results in one day and 85% 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.

‘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.

Youth and Recreational Adult Sports Update

With the end of the Regional Stay-at-Home Order, youth and recreational adult sports competition may resume in California consistent with the Blueprint for a Safer Economy tier guidance beginning January 25, 2021.

However, the majority of counties remain in the strictest or Widespread (Purple) Tier. In this tier, competition may only resume for outdoor low-contact sports.

A full list of allowed activities by tier is available in the Outdoor and Indoor Youth and Recreational Adult Sports guidance.

Participants in youth and adult sports, coaches and support staff must follow steps outlined in state guidance to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. Local health officers may implement more stringent rules tailored to local conditions and should be consulted to confirm if there are any local restrictions.

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.

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 January 25, there have been 188 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) have been reported statewide, 12 more than the previous week. To protect patient confidentiality in counties with fewer than 11 cases, we 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

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.

* Staying close to home, avoiding non-essential travel, and practicing self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival if you leave the state.

* Keeping interactions 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

* 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 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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