On Friday, Los Angeles County Public Health officials confirmed five new deaths and a doubling of new cases in a week with 1,107 new cases of COVID-19 countywide.

Last Friday, Public Health reported 549 COVID-19 cases.

Public Health also reported 28,475 total cases of COVID-19 in the Santa Clarita Valley since the pandemic began.

There are 320 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized; an increase from the 280 hospitalizations reported last Friday.

Today’s daily test positivity rate is 2.4%, an increase from last week’s rate of 1.5%.

Of the five new deaths reported today, one person that passed away was over the age of 80, one person who passed was between the ages of 50 and 64, and one person who passed was between the ages of 30 and 49. Two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach.

To date, Public Health identified 1,255,434 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,530 deaths.

Testing results are available for more than 7,094,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive.

“Our hearts go to everyone who has lost a loved one, a friend, a neighbor, or a co-worker to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

Case Rates Among Healthcare Workers

Currently, the low case rates among healthcare workers at nursing homes and at all healthcare facilities reflects their high vaccination rates.

Healthcare worker cases plummeted since they began receiving vaccinations in December 2020. During the last week of December, there were nearly 2,000 new cases of COVID-19 among healthcare workers.

Last week, there were 75 new cases among healthcare workers reported across the entire county.

To date, 271 healthcare workers have tragically passed away from COVID-19. At the peak of the surge, the week of January 3, 2021, 24 healthcare workers passed away. Since mid-May, two healthcare workers have passed away from COVID-19.

Throughout the pandemic, nursing facility staff have accounted for one-fourth of healthcare worker cases. Fortunately, cases among nursing facility staff also dropped since they began receiving vaccinations.

The last week of December 2020, more than 1,100 nursing facility staff tested positive for COVID-19. For the week of June 20, a total of only six nursing facility staff tested positive for COVID-19.

Currently, 84% of skilled nursing facility staff are fully vaccinated.

California Friday Snapshot

California Department of Public Health confirmed Friday 3,724,833 cases and 63,376 deaths to date.

There are 1,343 confirmed hospitalizations and 321 ICU hospitalizations in the state.

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

As of July 8, local health departments have reported 113,555 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 475 deaths statewide.

There were 2,411 newly recorded confirmed cases Thursday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 2.3%.

The 7-day average is 3.3 cases per 100K.

There have been 70,577,115 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 121,341 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of July 9, providers have reported administering a total of 42,280,518 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 48,477,535 doses have been delivered to entities within the state.

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.

See more California information later in this report.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update

As of Friday, July 9, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital had zero tests pending, 13 patients hospitalized, a total of 1,258 patients treated and discharged since the pandemic began, and no additional deaths, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

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. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard confirmed 309 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents.

The following is the community breakdown of the 309 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:
The following is the community breakdown of the 309 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

266 in Santa Clarita

17 in Castaic

6 in Acton

6 in Stevenson Ranch

4 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

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 28,475 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 20,854

* Castaic: 3,787 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 1,183

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 861

* Acton: 502

* Val Verde: 340

* Agua Dulce: 293

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 201

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 135

* Elizabeth Lake: 82

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69

* Bouquet Canyon: 49

* Lake Hughes: 42

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 41

* Sand Canyon: 18

* San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

* Placerita 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.

L.A. County Vaccine Update

With increased COVID-19 transmission among unvaccinated people, Public Health encourages those that are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination and not yet vaccinated, to get vaccinated without delay.

It takes time before you are considered fully vaccinated. For all of the vaccines, you are only considered fully protected two weeks after all doses are complete. Vaccination is the best protection against this disease.

Public Health advises that anyone not fully vaccinated should take all precautions – wear a mask in indoor public settings, move social activities outdoors as much as possible, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently when outside your home.

“There are slightly under 4 million residents in L.A. County that are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19, and the risk of increased spread remains high among communities with lower vaccination rates,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “This is particularly true if there are gatherings with unvaccinated friends and family in indoor settings. The need for masking and infection control among those not yet vaccinated remains important. This Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus spreads more easily than others. With vaccinations and good prevention measures, almost all of this transmission can be prevented.”

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

There are now three new vaccination locations at Ted Watkins Memorial Park in L.A., Norwalk Arts and Sports Complex and the Senior Citizens Center in Commerce. No appointments are needed and both the Pfizer and the J&J vaccines will be available.

Beginning today Friday, July 9 through next Thursday, July 15 at County-run vaccination sites, LA City sites, and St. John’s Well Child and Family Center sites, everyone 18 and older coming to get a vaccine will have an opportunity to win one of seven packages of concert tickets. Prizes will include tickets to see Celine Dion, Grupo Firma, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, and Dan and Shay at Staples Center, and box seats to four classical concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. Official rules and participating site locations are posted online on the Los Angeles Vaccination Sweepstakes page.

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 July 5, there have been 567 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.

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 Update

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 June 27 to July 3, the average time patients waited for test results was under one day.

During this same time period, 87% of patients received test results in one day and 97% 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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