The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 70 additional deaths, including a child between the ages of 5-11 and 4,330 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 83 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 30,216, county case totals to 2,777,165 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 71,314 since March of 2020.

Today’s total number of cases reflect additional 889 cases due to reporting delays from a single lab. Of the 70 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 5-11, two people were between the ages of 18-29, five were between the ages of 30-49, 10 were between the ages of 50-64, 22 were between the ages of 65-79, and 28 were aged 80 years or older. Of the 70 newly reported deaths, 56 had underlying health conditions. Information on the one death reported by the City of Long Beach and one reported by the City of Pasadena is available at www.LongBeach.gov and www.CityofPasadena.net. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 30,216.

Public Health has reported a total of 2,777,165 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 2.6%.

There are 1,616 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,330,200 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

People Experiencing Homelessness Died from COVID at Twice the Rate as Other County Residents

Public Health data shows that mortality among people experiencing homelessness decreased by more than four-fold this winter surge compared to the previous winter surge. For the 2020-2021 winter surge, the death rate among people experiencing homelessness who were infected with COVID-19 between Oct. 31, 2020 to Feb. 16, 2021 was 237 deaths per 100,000. In comparison, the death rate among people experiencing homelessness who were infected with COVID-19 between Dec. 2, 2021 to Feb. 13, 2022 is currently at 52 deaths per 100,000. For L.A. County overall, the death rate for individuals who were infected with COVID-19 between Dec. 2, 2021, and Feb. 13, 2022, is 26 deaths per 100,000, underscoring the much higher risk of death for people experiencing homelessness. Of note, deaths from this surge period are still being reported and we expect the death rates for the individuals infected during the current surge may still rise.

This decline in mortality this year when compared to last year was despite a more than doubling in the case rate among people experiencing homelessness during the most recent Omicron winter surge when compared to the prior winter surge. This winter surge, the peak seven-day average daily case rate was 378 new cases per 100,000 people experiencing homelessness compared to 162 new cases per 100,000 people experiencing homelessness during the 2020-2021 winter surge.

While deaths have been lower among people experiencing homelessness during this last winter surge when compared to last year, the elevated case numbers have resulted in very high numbers of outbreaks investigated by Public Health. Between Dec. 2, 2021 and Feb. 13, 2022, Public Health initiated 379 outbreak investigations in settings where people experiencing homelessness lived and sought services. Fortunately, outbreaks at institutions and facilities serving people experiencing homelessness have recently started to steeply decline. For the week ending Feb. 6, Public Health initiated five new outbreak investigations, down from a high of 94 outbreak investigations initiated during the week ending Jan. 2.

One contributing factor to reducing the very high burden of mortality among people experiencing homelessness this past year, is the number of individuals who are vaccinated. As of Jan. 30, 2022, nearly 50,000, 75%, people experiencing homelessness have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 40,000, 61%, are fully vaccinated. There remains much work to do however, since the booster rate remains relatively low at 33%, or 10,391, among those eligible for an additional dose. Public Health will continue to prioritize booster outreach and vaccination efforts to ensure those persons experiencing homelessness have easy access to vaccinations.

Additionally, since December, Public Health has worked with partners to distribute more than 300,000 rapid antigen test kits and more than 50,000 KN95 respirators to guests and residents at 300 domestic violence and homeless shelters.

“I send my heartfelt condolences to everyone mourning the loss of a loved one to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As we enter the post-surge phase, and continue working towards a moderate transmission phase, we can best attend to the needs of the most vulnerable, including people experiencing homelessness, by using what we have learned from the past 2 years to provide essential protections when and where needed. Our collective efforts to vaccinate, boost, mask and take additional safety measures reduces the risks of severe illness or death for those most impacted by the overwhelming consequences of COVID. We are grateful to our partners for reaching out and providing services and support to those who remain unhoused and join with others to support and implement actions that address the devastating impact of homelessness on the health and well-being of so many residents.”

To keep workplaces and schools open, residents and workers are asked to:

– Get tested to help reduce the spread, especially if you traveled for the holidays, have had a possible exposure, or have symptoms, or are gathering with people not in your household

– Adhere to masking requirements when indoors or at crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status

– Residents are legally required to be isolated if they have a positive COVID test result and vaccinated close contacts with symptoms and unvaccinated close contacts need to be quarantined.

For information on where you can get tested, please visit www.covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/.

For updated isolation and quarantine guidance, please visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

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.

To find a vaccination site near you, or to make an appointment, please visit:

www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or

www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital

As of 5:30 p.m. Friday Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital did not report updated COVID information.

Privacy laws prohibit the hospital from releasing the community of residence for patients who die there; that info is reported by the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard, which generally lags 48 hours behind.

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

Staff Dashboard

Santa Clarita Valley Friday Update
As of 5:30 p.m. Friday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported no additional deaths from COVID-19 leaving the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the SCV to 426.

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

Santa Clarita: 350

Castaic: 27

Acton: 15

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 9 (revised from 10)

Stevenson Ranch: 10

Agua Dulce: 5

Val Verde: 3

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Elizabeth Lake: 1

Newhall: 1

unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 0 (**revised from 1)

SCV Cases

Of the 71,314 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 53,010

Castaic: 7,021

Stevenson Ranch: 3,937

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 2,539

Acton: 1,489

Val Verde: 820

Agua Dulce: 771

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 660

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 304

Elizabeth Lake: 200

Bouquet Canyon: 147

Lake Hughes: 144

Saugus/Canyon Country: 89

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 87

Sand Canyon: 47

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 34

Placerita Canyon: 15

*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

Statewide COVID-19 Data

Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are largely occurring among unvaccinated populations. See the data for unvaccinated and vaccinated cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

Vaccinations

– 71,016,438 total vaccines administered.

– 82.8% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 58,099 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 8,296,145 confirmed cases to date.

– Monday’s average case count is 17,074 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 5.6 times more likely to get COVID-19 than boosted individuals (Jan. 24, 2022 – Jan. 30, 2022).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 5.4% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 6,896 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 1,373 ICU patients statewide.

– Unvaccinated people are 11.7 times more likely to be hospitalized than boosted individuals (Jan. 24, 2022 – Jan. 30, 2022).

Deaths

– There have been 82,873 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 169 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 17.0 times more likely to die than boosted individuals (Jan. 17, 2022 – Jan. 23, 2022).

Health Care Workers

Note: As of February 17, local health departments have reported 147,203 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 559 deaths statewide.

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of Feb. 6 to Feb. 12, the average time patients waited for test results was one day. During this same time period, 87% of patients received test results in one day and 96% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Feb. 14, there have been 817 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.

Additional Updates

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.