Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Friday confirmed 31 new deaths and 3,361 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 32,098 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Public Health has sadly confirmed one of today’s COVID-19 deaths is a teen between the ages of 12 and 17. The teen who passed away had underlying conditions.

To date, Public Health identified 1,376,551 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 25,032 deaths.

Of the 25,032 COVID-19 deaths, seven children in L.A. County have died of COVID-19 infection: 2 children under 12 years old and 5 children between the ages of 12 and 17.

“To everyone mourning a loved one lost to COVID-19, please know we keep you in our thoughts and prayers. And to the family mourning the loss of their child, I send my deepest sympathies during this unimaginable time,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

Of the 31 new deaths reported today, eight people who passed away were over the age of 80, 13 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, two people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, six people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and a teen between the ages of 12 and 17.

There are 1,786 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 23% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 7,900,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 3.6%.

Contact Tracing Efforts

As high transmission of COVID-19 continues in L.A. County, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health underscores the importance of getting tested for COVID-19 infection and participating in contact tracing efforts if you are positive or a close contact of someone infected with COVID-19.

Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 illness or close contacts of people infected with COVID-19, including fully vaccinated people, should get tested, and should remain isolated from others while waiting for test results.

Public Health urges residents to participate in case investigation and contact tracing efforts.

Anyone who receives a positive lab result or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19, should expect a call from a Public Health specialist to discuss how to protect themselves and others, how to isolate or quarantine, how to access services and providers, and to talk through other concerns or questions.

If you receive a call from Public Health, please speak with a Public Health specialist to help slow the spread. If a Public Health specialist calls, it will display on your phone as “LA Public Health” or as 833-641-0305.

You can also call Public Health at 833-540-0473 if you have tested positive and have questions or concerns about how to stay safe and keep others from getting infected. If you tested positive but have not gotten a call yet, please call 833-540-0473.

To date, more than 746,000 people who were positive for COVID-19 or close contacts completed interviews.

Santa Clarita Valley Friday Update

As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard confirmed a total of 313 COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 313 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

269 in Santa Clarita

16 in Castaic

7 in Acton

6 in Stevenson Ranch

5 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 32,098 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 23,998

Castaic: 3,550 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,469

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 996

Acton: 616

Val Verde: 380

Agua Dulce: 348

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 241

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 153

Elizabeth Lake: 91

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 70

Bouquet Canyon: 55

Saugus/Canyon Country: 46

Lake Hughes: 47

Sand Canyon: 19

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

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

As of Friday, Aug. 20, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital had zero tests pending, 38 patients hospitalized, a total of 1,390 patients treated and discharged since the pandemic began 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.

California Friday Snapshot

California Department of Public Health confirmed Friday 4,084,799 cases and 64,503 deaths to date.

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

There were 14,716 newly reported confirmed cases Thursday.

As of August 19, local health departments have reported 119,666 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 486 deaths statewide.

Cases are increasing statewide, largely among unvaccinated populations:

– For the week of August 9 – August 15, the average case rate among unvaccinated Californians is 51 per 100,000 per day and the average case rate among vaccinated Californians is significantly lower at 7.6 per 100,000 per day.

– The vast majority of new cases are among the unvaccinated with 500% higher case rates among the unvaccinated than for those who are vaccinated.

The 7-day positivity rate is 6.1%.

There have been 78,486,455 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 339,264 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of August 20, according to the CDC, 78.9% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose. Providers have reported to CDPH that a total of 45,790,177 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.

See more California information later in this report.

L.A. County Vaccine Information

“Everyone who is not yet vaccinated needs to know they do not have the same protection as vaccinated people. While the highest hospitalization rate is among older unvaccinated adults over 50, hospitalizations in younger unvaccinated adults between the ages of 18 and 49 have increased 226% since July 7. Relative to unvaccinated adults, hospitalization rates among vaccinated adults of all ages remain very low. The data continues to show how well protected vaccinated people are from bad outcomes. Our top priority is vaccinating those not yet vaccinated,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

L.A. County continues to offer vaccines at many different sites across the county to make it as easy as possible for eligible L.A. County residents to get vaccinated. Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Additionally, certain immunocompromised people are recommended for a third dose of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Public Health encourages individuals who have a qualifying condition to speak to their healthcare provider about getting a third dose. A third dose of COVID-19 vaccine is not recommended for the general public at this time. Many vaccination sites all across the county, including all the County-run sites, are offering third doses of the vaccine to those eligible.

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. 16, there have been 594 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

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 August 8 to August 14, the average time patients waited for test results was one day.

During this same time period, 75% of patients received test results in one day and 93% 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.

* * * * *

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.

* * * * *