The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Friday no new deaths and 34 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley, with a total of 13 deaths and 1,641 new cases countywide.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 37,773, county case totals to 3,447,249 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 90,570 since March of 2020. SCV deaths from COVID-19 remain at 501.

Of the 13 new deaths reported Friday, two people were between the ages of 50-64, three people were between the ages of 65-79, and seven people were aged 80 years or older. For information on the one death reported by the city of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov. Of the 13 newly reported deaths, 10 had underlying health conditions.

Public Health has reported a total of positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Friday’s positivity rate is 4.5%.

There are 575 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,544,177 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive.

Importance of Vaccines

Vaccines continue to provide powerful protection against COVID-19, yet many L.A. County residents have not yet started their initial series or received any booster doses. There are currently 1.9 million unvaccinated residents 6 months and older, and of the 7.5 million age 5 and older who are fully vaccinated, 57% have not received any booster. With more infectious subvariants circulating in the county and immunity from vaccines and prior infections waning over time, it is critical for residents not up to date on their vaccines to take advantage of the new Fall booster that targets the currently circulating BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

Vaccines have continued to provide protection against the virus. For the two-week period ending Sept. 1, unvaccinated residents were two times more likely to get infected than those who are vaccinated and four times more likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated residents. Unvaccinated residents were also nearly seven times more likely to die from COVID-19 than vaccinated residents.

Sadly, because vaccination coverage is not similar across all age groups and race/ethnicity groups, there are some communities where there may be less protection from severe outcomes associated with COVID. As of Sept. 18, only 22% of Latinx and Black children ages 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated, compared to almost 42% of White children and 61% of Asian children in this age group.

Young Latinx and Black adults ages 18 to 29 also had significantly lower vaccination rates of 58% and about 48%, respectively, compared to 91% of Asian residents and almost 77% of White residents in the same age group.

As we enter Fall and prepare for Winter, residents are able to take advantage of the powerful protection offered by vaccines. Those who haven’t yet received their initial series may want to get started immediately since it will take a few weeks to reach maximum protection. The 7 million residents eligible to receive the new Fall boosters should know that the new boosters match the dominating variants that are circulating, adding to their value in countering the natural waning of immunity that happens with the passing of time. Residents ages 18 and older can receive either the Moderna or the Pfizer bivalent booster, while children ages 12 to 17 can receive the Pfizer bivalent booster. Both are given as a single booster dose, administered at least two months following primary or previous booster vaccination.

New bivalent boosters are likely to be available for children this Fall, possibly as soon as mid-October. These vaccines would provide protection against BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, just as they already do for adults. Pfizer’s bivalent booster would be for children ages 5 to 11, and Moderna’s would be for children ages 6 to 17.

The 7-day average case count in the county is 1,396, a 17% decline from one week ago when the 7-day average of 1675 cases was reported. The 7-day average test positivity rate remains stable at 4.5% over the past week.

Over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVID-positive patients in LA County hospitals was 602, a 16% decline from one week ago when the average number of daily COVID-positive patients per day was 713.

Deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, decreased slightly to 12 deaths reported each day this past week, a decrease from an average of 14 daily reported deaths a week ago.

To find a location for the new booster go to VaccinateLACounty.com or VacunateLosAngeles.com(en español). Click on “Find a Location” and then search by “Vaccine Type”.

If residents do become ill, fast and easy access to medicines is also crucial. As of last week, more than 550 sites offer therapeutics, many in communities that have been hard hit by COVID.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are recommended for everyone 5 years old and older to help protect against COVID-19. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites and many community sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

William S. Hart Union High School District

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.

Schools Community Dashboard

Student Dashboard

Staff Dashboard

Santa Clarita Valley Friday Update

As of 4 p.m. Friday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported no additional deaths from COVID-19, keeping the total in the SCV to 501.

The following is the community breakdown per L.A. County’s dashboard:

Santa Clarita: 407

Castaic: 32

Acton: 18

Stevenson Ranch: 16

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 10

Agua Dulce: 6

Val Verde: 3 (revised from 4)

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Elizabeth Lake: 2

Newhall: 1

unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

SCV Cases

Of the 90,570 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 66,887

Castaic: 9,070

Stevenson Ranch: 5,381

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 3,286

Acton: 1,813

Val Verde: 997

Agua Dulce: 919

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 861

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 403

Elizabeth Lake: 248

Lake Hughes: 190

Bouquet Canyon: 190

Saugus/Canyon Country: 105

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 100

Sand Canyon: 57

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 41

Placerita Canyon: 22

*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.

California Friday

The California Department of Public Health now updates their numbers on Thursdays. The information below is from the most recent data released Thursday, Sept. 22.

Vaccinations

– 80,646,485 total vaccines administered.

– 80.4% of the population has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 67,193 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 10,384,673 confirmed cases to date.

– Thursday’s average case count is 4,409 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– During July 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.6 times more likely to get COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 5.0% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 2,115 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 283 ICU patients statewide.

– During July 2022, unvaccinated people were 3.0 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Deaths

– There have been 95,009 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 26 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– During July 2022, unvaccinated people were 3.6 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Health Care Workers

As of Sept. 21, local health departments have reported 180,511 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 591 deaths statewide.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Sept. 12, there have been 1014 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) 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.

Mask Guidance: Under California’s mask guidance, universal masking is required only in specified higher risk settings like hospitals, public transit and congregate living facilities. Unvaccinated persons are required to mask in all indoor public settings. Fully vaccinated individuals are recommended to continue indoor masking when the risk may be high. Workplaces will continue to follow the COVID-19 prevention standards set by CalOSHA. Local health jurisdictions may implement requirements that are stricter than state guidance.

Slow the Spread: Get Vaccinated and Boosted for COVID-19

The risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection continues as a number of Californians remain unvaccinated and unboosted.

Real-world evidence continues to show that the vaccine is preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Public health officials urge Californians to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.

It is recommended that every vaccinated person 12 years or older should get a booster as long as they received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least five months ago or they received their Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.

Vaccination appointments can be made by visiting myturn.ca.gov or calling 1-833-422-4255. The consent of a parent or legal guardian may be needed for those under age 18 to receive a vaccination. Visit Vaccinate All 58 to learn more about the safe and effective vaccines available for all Californians 5+.

Your Actions Save Lives

Protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these prevention measures:

Keep California Healthy
Protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these prevention measures:

– Get vaccinated when it’s your turn. Californians age 16+ are eligible to make an appointment.

– If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches), call your health care provider.

– If you believe you have been exposed, get tested. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.

– Keep gatherings small and outdoors and follow state and local public health guidance.

– Wear a mask and get the most out of masking – an effective mask has both good fit and good filtration.

– Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

– Delay non-essential travel outside of California until you are fully vaccinated. Follow California’s travel advisory.

– Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay home from work and school if you feel ill.

– Add your phone to the fight by signing up for COVID-19 exposure notifications from CA Notify.

– Answer the call or text if a contact tracer from the CA COVID Team or your local health department tries to connect.

Additional data and udpates:

Tracking COVID-19 in California

State Dashboard – Daily COVID-19 data

County Map – Local data, including tier status and ICU capacity

Data and Tools – Models and dashboards for researchers, scientists, and the public

Blueprint for a Safer Economy– Data for establishing tier status

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

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:

– Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

– California Department of Public Health

– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

– Spanish

– World Health Organization

L.A. County residents can also call 2-1-1.

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 health care provider before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken. More than 85 community testing sites also offer free, confidential testing: Find a COVID-19 Testing Site.

For more information about what Californians can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19, visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California.

California continues to issue guidance on preparing and protecting California from COVID-19. Consolidated guidance is available on the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance webpage.