Los Angeles County Public Health on Friday confirmed 374 new deaths and 692 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 27,284 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley. In addition, Public Health announced an update to the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order which will reflect newly permitted activities allowed in the orange tier effective Monday, April 5.

To date, Public Health identified 1,220,849 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 23,235 deaths.

“I send my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends who are grieving a loved one lost to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Our numbers have improved dramatically, but we cannot let up.”

There are 634 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 26% of these people are in the ICU.

Testing results are available for nearly 6,111,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 1.4%.

Orange Tier Update

The Los Angeles County Health Officer Order was updated Friday to reflect newly permitted activities allowed in the orange tier, beginning Monday, April 5 at 12:01 a.m.

Additional safety modifications are required or recommended for many sectors.

The modifications to the Health Officer Order include the following:

– Bars that do not provide meals will be allowed to open outdoors with distancing, masking and infection control safety measures. Indoor operations are not permitted. Visits are limited to 90 minutes. Masks are required except when people are eating or drinking. There can be no counter seating and people can eat or drink only when they are seated. Tables must be 8 feet apart, with a maximum of 6 people from up to 3 different households. There can be no live entertainment, television is permitted outdoors only and hours of operations are from 11:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.

– Breweries, Wineries, Distilleries that do not serve meals can remain open outdoors and can also open indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer. These establishments will follow the same public health directives as bars for their outdoor areas, however, there are additional requirements for indoor spaces: reservations are required for indoor seating, there is a maximum of 6 people per table and they must be from the same household, and there is no live entertainment or television viewing indoors.

– Restaurants can increase capacity for indoor dining to 50% capacity or 200 people, whichever is less with continued safety modifications.

– Cardrooms can operate indoors at 25% capacity. There must be 8-feet of distancing between tables and masks are always required. Food and beverages remain banned from card tables.

– Places of Worship can hold services indoors at 50% capacity.

– Fitness Centers can operate indoors at 25% capacity and indoor pools can now re-open. Masks are always required unless swimming.

– Movie Theatres can increase capacity to 50% or 200 people, whichever is less. Seats must be reserved, and each group must have 6 feet of distance from other groups in all directions. Eating is allowed in only designated areas or in your reserved seat.

– Family Entertainment Centers can open indoors at 25% capacity for distanced activities, such as bowling or escape rooms. Masks remain required.

– Grocery and Retail Stores can increase capacity to 75%, although Public Health strongly recommends grocery stores remain at 50% capacity until April 15 to allow as many grocery store workers as possible get vaccinated.

– Hair Salons, Barbershops and Personal Care Services can increase capacity to 75% with masks required, except for services where customers need to remove their masks. For services where customers must remove their face coverings, staff must wear a fitted N95 and goggles or a mask with a face shield.

– Museums, Zoos and Aquariums can be open indoors at 50% capacity.

– Youth and Adult Recreational Sports can apply to Public Health for approval for athletic events, tournaments or competitions that involve more than two teams or multiple individuals.

It is critical businesses follow Health Officer Order directives and infection protocols to protect workers and customers and minimize COVID-19 spread as much as possible. The County’s recovery and the safety of workers and customers depend on businesses fully implementing infection control and physical distancing requirements.

Effective April 1, amusement parks, outdoor live events and outdoor professional sporting events were permitted with the safety measures in place, including occupancy limits, distancing, masking and eating and drinking requirements.

“Continue to avoid large gatherings, wear your mask when you’re in public and around others, and continue washing your hands,” said Ferrer. “Following these safety measures is the only way we can avoid taking a step back on our recovery journey.”

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

California Friday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Thursday, April 1, California Department of Public Health officials confirmed 3,573,074 COVID-19 cases (up 2,414) with 58,269 deaths from the disease (up 179) since the pandemic began.

There were 2,414 newly recorded confirmed cases Thursday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 1.8%.

There have been 54,553,918 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 251,606 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

Due to improvements in reporting new test results, today’s test numbers are higher than normal and reflect data from multiple days.

As of April 2, providers have reported administering a total of 18,862,091 vaccine doses statewide.

The CDC reports that 24,073,790 doses have been delivered to entities within the state.

Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed.

CDPH also updated to the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy reopening framework allowing additional activities to resume with modifications to reduce risk.

The updates include gatherings, private events or meetings such as receptions or conferences, and indoor seated live events and performances. The updates take effect April 15.

See more California information later in this report.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update

As of Friday, there are no cases pending, five patients are hospitalized in a dedicated COVID-19 unit receiving ICU-level care, and a total of 1,192 patients have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, Moody said.

There have been no additional deaths, keeping the total deaths at 147 to date.

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

Note: As of 6:00 p.m. Friday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard was experiencing technical issues. The most recent data from Wednesday recorded 300 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 300 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

* 258 lived in Santa Clarita

* 17 in Castaic

* 6 in Acton

* 5 in Stevenson Ranch

* 4 in Agua Dulce

* 3 in unincorporated Canyon Country

* 2 in Valencia

* 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

* 1 in Elizabeth Lake

* 1 in Lake Hughes

* 1 in Newhall

* 1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

* 1 in Val Verde

Of the 27,284 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 19,973

* Castaic: 3,683 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 1,123

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 828

* Acton: 462

* Val Verde: 334

* Agua Dulce: 265

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 185

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 128

* Elizabeth Lake: 75

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 68

* Bouquet Canyon: 47

* Lake Hughes: 41

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 39

* Sand Canyon: 17

* San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

* 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.

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

* 0 to 4: 28858

* 5 to 11: 55055

* 12 to 17: 68999

* 18 to 29: 273649

* 30 to 49: 384898

* 50 to 64: 223723

* 65 to 79: 89145

* over 80: 32466

* Under Investigation 694

L.A. County Demographics — Deaths

Of the 74 new deaths reported today, 29 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 21 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 18 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, three 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.

L.A. County Vaccine Update

More than 4,000,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people across Los Angeles County.

Of those vaccinated, 1,323,686 people received second doses and 78,653 people received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

As of March 27, 68.4% of L.A. County residents 65 and older received at least one dose of the vaccine. In total, 33% of the County’s population 18 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine.

This week, 378,400 total doses were allocated to L.A. County. The County could have booked almost 300,000 additional appointments this week but couldn’t because there weren’t enough vaccines.

Next week, Public Health is expecting to receive nearly 397,000 vaccine doses. This allocation includes approximately 151,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, 128,000 doses of Moderna vaccine, and 118,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Of the nearly 397,000 doses of vaccine we expect to receive next week, 68% of doses will go to sites located in the most vulnerable communities.

The State announced starting April 1, COVID-19 vaccine eligibility will expand to individuals age 50 and older, and starting April 15, for individuals age 16 and older.

The County hopes the expansion of eligibility includes increased doses of vaccine coming into L.A. County. Public Health greatly looks forward to this expansion, however, the success will be dependent on receiving a substantial increase in vaccine supplies.

“While we are making good progress with vaccination efforts, we have about a dozen more weeks before we can expect to reach 80% vaccine coverage for people 16 and older,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Please remain vigilant in taking the necessary safety measures to prevent spread and get vaccinated when it is your turn.

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

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)

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.

With the Regional Stay at Home Order was 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.

The California Department of Public Health modified Blueprint thresholds on March 12 after the state successfully met its first vaccine equity milestone of 2 million administered vaccine doses in some of the state’s hardest-hit communities.

Blueprint tiers are updated weekly on Tuesdays. The Blueprint summary as of March 30

* 3 counties are currently in the Purple (widespread) Tier

* 36 counties are currently in the Red (substantial) Tier (including Los Angeles County)

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

* 2 counties are in the Yellow (minimal) Tier

The state released updates to the state’s reopening framework on Friday, March 5. The updates will allow outdoor ballparks, stadiums, and theme parks to open with significantly reduced capacity, mandatory masking, and other public health precautions. The updates will take effect on April 1.

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.

Tracking Variants

Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been identified globally during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These genetic mutations are expected, and some emerge and then disappear, while others persist or become common. Most variants do not have a meaningful impact.

Public health becomes concerned about a variant when it affects COVID-19 transmission, severity, testing, treatment, or vaccine effectiveness.

Get more information here on the variants CDPH is currently monitoring.

‘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 March 7 to March 13, the average time patients waited for test results was one day. During this same time period, 81% of patients received test results in one day and 95% 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.

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 March 29, 443 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide. To protect patient confidentiality in counties with fewer than 11 cases, CDPH officials 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 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.

* 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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