Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Friday confirmed 37 new deaths and 2,673 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 34,056 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Of the 37 new deaths reported today, four people who passed away were over the age of 80, 11 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 12 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, seven people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29.

Two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach. To date, Public Health identified 1,414,854 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 25,401 deaths.

There are 1,641 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 27% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 8,200,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 3.3%.

“Our hearts go out to the families and friends facing the sorrow of losing a loved one to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

Tracking Variants: Delta, Mu

Public Health continues to track variant cases in Los Angeles County. While the most dominant circulating variant in L.A. County continues to be the highly transmissible Delta variant, a variant of concern, the Mu variant, is being closely monitored.

To date, Public Health has identified 167 Mu variants in L.A. County; these specimens were sequenced between June 19 and Aug. 21, with the majority of Mu specimens sequenced in July.

Mu was first identified in Colombia in January 2021 and has since been reported in 39 countries. The World Health Organization labeled variant Mu, lineage B.1.621, as a variant of interest on August 30, 2021.

The Mu variant is found to have key mutations linked to greater transmissibility and the potential to evade antibodies. More studies are needed to determine whether Mu variant is more contagious, more deadly or more resistant to vaccine and treatments than other COVID-19 strains.

Santa Clarita Valley Friday Update

As of 6 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard confirmed a total of 318 COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 318 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

270 in Santa Clarita

17 in Castaic (**revised from 15. But 18 initially)

8 in Acton

7 in Stevenson Ranch

6 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

2 in Val Verde

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Valencia

0 in Lake Hughes (**revised from 1)

Cases:

Of the 34,056 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 25,047

Castaic: 4,236 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,541

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,040

Acton: 654

Val Verde: 405

Agua Dulce: 363

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 250

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 157

Elizabeth Lake: 96

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 70

Bouquet Canyon: 62

Saugus/Canyon Country: 46

Lake Hughes: 49

Sand Canyon: 20

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 16

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.

William S. Hart Union High School District COVID-19 Dashboard

The William S. Hart Union High School District provides ongoing information to our community regarding COVID-19 cases while maintaining confidentiality for our students and staff. The COVID-19 case data below is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive case in staff members or students by school site. The data below is specific to individuals who have been physically present on a District campus within 14 days of receiving a positive COVID-19 test. The District, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, conducts contact tracing and directly notifies and provides resources for parents of students identified as close contacts (6 feet or less for 15 cumulative minutes or more).

Note: To see the communication process in the event of a positive COVID-19 case, visit https://www.hartdistrict.org/apps/pages/covid-19dashboard.

Student Dashboard:

Student Dashboard: The COVID-19 case data is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive case in students by school site.

Staff Dashboard:

Staff Dashboard: The COVID-19 case data is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive case in staff members by school site.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update

**NOTE: An update for Henry Mayo was not immediately available at the time of publication for Friday, Sept. 3.

As of Thursday, Sept. 2, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported zero tests pending, 40 patients hospitalized and a total of 1,437 patients treated and discharged since the pandemic began, with no additional deaths, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

The hospital’s death toll as a result of COVID-19 stands at 160.

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.

California Friday Snapshot

California Department of Public Health confirmed Friday 4,267,986 cases and 65,074 deaths to date.

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

There were 11,742 newly reported confirmed cases Thursday.

As of Sept. 2, local health departments have reported 121,920 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 494 deaths statewide.

Cases are increasing statewide, largely among unvaccinated populations:

– For the week of Aug. 15 – Aug. 21, the average case rate among unvaccinated Californians age 16 or older is 61.55 per 100,000 per day and the average case rate among vaccinated Californians age 16 or older is significantly lower at 10.77 per 100,000 per day.

– The vast majority of new cases are among the unvaccinated with 571% higher case rates among the unvaccinated than for those who are vaccinated.

The 7-day positivity rate is 4.9%.

There have been 83,316,120 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 343,646 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of Sept. 2, according to the CDC, 80.9% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose. Providers have reported to CDPH that a total of 47,188,403 vaccine doses have been administered statewide.

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.

San Joaquin Valley Region ICU Capacity

In accordance with the Public Health Order on Hospital and Health Care System Surge, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) publishes regional and statewide ICU capacity data on its website daily.

The San Joaquin Valley Region has met the threshold to enter surge protocols. It is the first region in the state to trigger the Public Health Order. Counties within the region include: Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne.

The regional threshold is triggered when a region has less than 10% of staffed adult ICU beds available for a period of three consecutive days.

For at least the next seven days, hospitals in the San Joaquin Valley Region must adhere to the following:

– All general acute care hospitals in the county that do have ICU bed capacity must accept transfer patients when clinically appropriate and directed by the Medical and Health Operational Area Coordinator (MHOAC).

– All general acute care hospitals in the region that do have ICU bed capacity must accept transfer patients when clinically appropriate and directed by the Regional Disaster Medical Health Specialist (RDMHS).

– If there is no ICU bed capacity within the region, then all general acute care hospitals in the State of California must accept transfer patients when clinically appropriate and directed by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) Director or designee.

The state has learned from previous increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations that coordination at the local, regional, and statewide levels is the best course of action. While the state works to further increase the number of eligible Californians vaccinated, we must take steps to protect the unvaccinated who are more at risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. This action will ensure the state’s health care delivery system is prepared and can respond appropriately.

The San Joaquin Valley Region will be reevaluated on Sept. 9.

See more California information later in this report.

L.A. County Information

“The identification of variants like Mu, and the spreading of variants across the globe, highlights the need for L.A. County residents to continue to take measures to protect themselves and others. This is what makes getting vaccinated and layering protections so important. These are actions that break the chain of transmission and limits COVID-19 proliferation that allows for the virus to mutate into something that could be more dangerous,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.
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 Aug. 30, there have been 592 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide (**revised from 596).

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

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 Aug. 15 to Aug. 21, the average time patients waited for test results was one day.

During this same time period, 69% of patients received test results in one day and 91% 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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