Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Friday confirmed 144 new deaths and 1,838 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 26,045 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

To date, Public Health identified 1,189,232 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 21,241 deaths.

Over the last five days, the County has averaged 1,820 new cases a day.

“Our hearts go out to the families and friends grieving the loss of a loved one to COVID-19. We are deeply sorry for your loss and wish you peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

There are 1,886 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 30% of these people are in the ICU.

The daily number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has steadily declined from a high of over 8,000 in January.

Testing results are available for more than 5,811,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 2.9%.

Vaccine Update: Nearly 2 Million Doses Administered; Additional Sectors Eligible March 1

Nearly 1,960,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across Los Angeles County. Of those vaccinated, 600,497 people have received second doses.

The County’s network of vaccination sites had the capacity to administer 500,000 doses this week, although we only received 211,000 doses of vaccine last week.

Next week on Monday, March 1, three additional sectors become eligible to receive vaccinations: education and childcare workers, food and agriculture workers, and emergency services and law enforcement workers.

The County expects to receive 269,000 doses to be distributed next week, of these, 103,000 will be provided for first doses.

Those who fall under the newly eligible sectors will be able to get vaccinated at many sites across the County.

Workers will be required to show proof of their identity with a photo ID and proof that they reside or work in L.A. County.

“We are very hopeful our allocation of COVID-19 vaccination doses increases as more vaccine options become available,” said Ferre. “The more people that are protected with vaccine, combined with businesses and residents following the safety measures, the quicker we drive down cases and the sooner we move to less restrictive tiers that allow for additional reopening.”

Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Update

The FDA has recommended Emergency Use Authorization for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This vaccine requires a single dose.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial data indicate that the vaccine is very effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 disease and 100% effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths.

With the potential influx of supply, this vaccine could greatly accelerate progress in the vaccination efforts.

Partnerships have been established to facilitate the vaccination process throughout the County.

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

California Friday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Thursday, Feb. 25, California Department of Public Health officials confirmed 3,465,726 COVID-19 cases (up 5,400) with 51,382 deaths from the disease (up 391) since the pandemic began.

There are 5,590 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,640 ICU hospitalizations in the state, continuing a downward trend.

As of Feb. 25, local health departments have reported 94,769 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 396 deaths statewide.

There have been 47,995,576 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 181,416 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

The 7-day positivity rate is 2.7% and the 14-day positivity rate is 2.9%, continuing a flattening trend.

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

As of Feb. 26, providers have reported administering a total of 8,243,711 vaccine doses statewide. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed.

The CDC reports that 10,302,040 doses have been delivered to entities within the state, and 11,186,365 vaccine doses, which includes the first and second dose, have been shipped.

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, February 26, 2021.

U.S. Deaths Pass Half a Million People as Case Numbers Decline

Worldwide, 113,372,398 people have been infected by COVID-19 while 2,515,869 people have died of the virus as of 5:22 p.m. Friday Pacific Time, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

In the U.S., more than 28,481,921 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 510,306.

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 252,835 — half of the U.S. total — and No. 3 in cases with 10,455,630. India (population 1.353 billion) is No. 2 in cases, with 11,063,491 confirmed infections and No. 4 in deaths with 156,825, behind No. 3 Mexico’s 183,692 deaths, as of Friday afternoon.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update

Note: The hospital did not release new data as of deadline Friday.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported one new death Wednesday from COVID-19, bringing the hospital’s total COVID-19 fatalities to 141 to date, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

As of Wednesday, no cases were pending, 17 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated COVID-19 unit receiving ICU-level care, and a total of 1,142 patients had been treated and discharged, Moody said.

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 had adjusted its tally to 265 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began.

Of the 265 SCV residents who have died, 227 lived in Santa Clarita, 16 in Castaic, seven in Acton, four in Stevenson Ranch, three in unincorporated Canyon Country, three in Agua Dulce, one in Newhall, one in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, one in Lake Hughes, one in Val Verde, one in Valencia.

Of the 26,045 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 19,024

* Castaic: 3,576 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 1,049

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 788

* Acton: 444

* Val Verde: 309

* Agua Dulce: 252

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 179

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 131

* Elizabeth Lake: 74

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 66

* Bouquet Canyon: 43

* Lake Hughes: 40

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 40

* Sand Canyon: 15

* San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 14

* 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.

Vaccine Information

At this time, vaccination still continues to be only open to healthcare workers, residents, and staff at long-term care facilities, and people who are age 65 or older which account for approximately 2.2 million people in L.A. County.

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 state is also transitioning the vaccination effort statewide to be coordinated by Blue Shield of California. During and after this transition, Public Health’s website, www.VaccinateLACounty.com and www.VaccunateLosAngeles.com, will remain a portal for the latest information about COVID-19 and the vaccine and link people to the statewide appointment registration system.

Second Doses Guaranteed

In L.A. County, every resident is guaranteed a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

For complete details and a second-dose FAQ, click here.

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

* 0 to 4: 22186

* 5 to 11: 53738

* 12 to 17: 67359

* 18 to 29: 266451

* 30 to 49: 374790

* 50 to 64: 217630

* 65 to 79: 86857

* over 80: 31513

* Under Investigation 6782

L.A. County Demographics — Deaths

Among these people who died, 47% were older than 80 years old and about half were male, 46% were Latino/Latinx, 29% were white, 16% were Asian, and 8% were Black/African American. Four people who died were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders and one person was an American Indian or Alaska Native. Sixty-three percent of the people died at a hospital and 16% died at a skilled nursing facility.

Of the 144 new deaths reported today, 47 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 45 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 40 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, six people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and two people who died were between the ages of 18 and 29. Three deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach and one death was reported by the City of Pasadena.

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 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.

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

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

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

* No counties are in the Yellow Tier

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.

‘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 7 to February 13, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.1 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 February 22, 302 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide, 36 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: 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 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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