The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed six new deaths throughout L.A. County, 3,270 new cases countywide, with 114 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 31,991, county case totals to 2,888,408 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 74,321, with 470 total SCV deaths from COVID-19 since March of 2020.

There are 239 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,883,392 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

Public Health reported 3,270 new positive cases and six new deaths today. Of the six new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 18 and 29, three were between the ages of 50-64, and two were aged 80 years or older. Of the six newly reported deaths, five had underlying health conditions.

Today’s positivity rate is 2.3%.

Data is by date reported by DPH, but does not necessarily represent the date of testing, hospitalization, or death.

Black and Latinx Residents Have Higher Case, Hospitalization and Death Rates

The tragedy of the pandemic is not just the 32,000 lives lost, but also the huge disproportionality, most pronounced during the surges, which suggests that the factors contributing to the gaps are related to much more than individual choices.

With high transmission and increased cases, L.A. County must do everything it can to protect those experiencing higher case, hospitalization and death rates, including workers who have multiple exposures to others during their workday, people living in communities with high concentrations of poverty and Black and Latinx residents.

During each of the four surges, the disproportionality in case rates was exacerbated with case rates generally between two and four times higher among Black and Brown residents. At the peak of the summer 2020 surge, case rates among Latinx residents were nearly four times higher than White residents.

Black and Latinx residents also saw hospitalization rates that were three to four times higher than rates for White and Asian residents in the latest Omicron surge. The same trends are noted when looking at death rates, with Black and Latinx residents seeing rates that are two to three times higher than White and Asian residents during this last winter surge.

Disproportionality is also apparent when looking at case, death, and hospitalization rates by vaccination status and poverty level.

Fully vaccinated residents in the wealthiest communities were more than two times less likely to be hospitalized than those vaccinated and living in communities with high rates of poverty. In fact, those vaccinated living in communities with significant poverty were almost as likely to be hospitalized as those unvaccinated living in the wealthiest communities.

It is also important to note that those unvaccinated living in communities with high poverty are 11 times more likely to get infected than those unvaccinated living in the wealthiest communities.

There is also a similar gradient around deaths. Those unvaccinated living in high poverty communities are almost 12 times more likely to die than unvaccinated living in wealthier communities. And among those vaccinated, those living in communities of high poverty are two times more likely to die than those in the wealthiest communities.

These huge differences in case, hospitalization and death reflect in part exposures, community conditions and health status. Where people live and work really matters; many essential workers never stayed home and then returned to very densely populated communities and overcrowded housing.

L.A. County has a collective obligation to Public Health’s post-surge plan and expansive mitigation strategies allow us to consider taking public health measures that protect our most vulnerable residents, including those who are of older age; have underlying health conditions; live in communities with high poverty rates; are Black and Brown; are unvaccinated/not fully vaccinated; and face many exposures at work and in the community.

Appropriate strategies include continuing to ensure barrier-free access to testing, vaccinations, therapeutics and PPE and connecting residents and workers with services that address food, income and housing insecurity.

Resources are needed to support the network of trusted community-based and faith-based organizations in hard-hit communities that are the backbone of our public health response, including the promotoras and community health workers.

Our worksites need to be as safe as possible by ensuring adequate ventilation, implementing infection control standards, offering paid leave for those seeking health care and complying with Public Health safety measures.

“We continue to extend our deepest sympathies to everyone mourning the loss of a loved one, and offer our wishes for peace and healing,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As L.A. County continues in this different phase of the pandemic, Public Health’s goal has not changed, and we will work with partners to reduce serious illness and deaths from COVID-19. It is simply not appropriate to tolerate disproportionality that results in higher rates of illness, death, and long-term disability among some residents and workers when there are collective prevention strategies that can mitigate spread and serious illness.”

A wide range of data and dashboards on COVID-19 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are available on the Public Health website at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

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).

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 p.m. Friday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard remains unchanged from Monday, with 470 total deaths from COVID-19 in the Santa Clarita Valley.

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

Santa Clarita: 382

Castaic: 30

Acton: 17

Stevenson Ranch: 15

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 9 (revised from 10)

Agua Dulce: 6

Val Verde: 3 (revised from 4)

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Elizabeth Lake: 1

Newhall: 1

unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

SCV Cases

Of the 74,321 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 54,896

Castaic: 7,616

Stevenson Ranch: 4,175

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 2,656

Acton: 1,530

Val Verde: 863

Agua Dulce: 787

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 694

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 322

Elizabeth Lake: 208

Bouquet Canyon: 149

Lake Hughes: 149

Saugus/Canyon Country: 90

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 87

Sand Canyon: 49

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

The California Department of Public Health now updates their numbers on Tuesday and Friday. The information below is from the most recent data released Friday, May 6.

Vaccinations

– 74,907,314 total vaccines administered.

– 83.2% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 51,515 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 8,654,420 confirmed cases to date.

-Friday’s average case count is 5,453 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 5.4 times more likely to get COVID-19 than boosted individuals (April 11, 2022 – April 17, 2022).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 3.9% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 1,112 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 168 ICU patients statewide.

– Unvaccinated people are 9.3 times more likely to be hospitalized than boosted individuals (April 11, 2022 – April 17, 2022).

Deaths

– There have been 89,851 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 11 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 8.8 times more likely to die than boosted individuals (April 4, 2022 — April 10, 2022).

Health Care Workers

As of May 5, local health departments have reported 156,960 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 579 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 April 24 to April 30, the average time patients waited for test results was 0.7 day. During this same time period, 93% of patients received test results in one day and 99% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of May 2, there have been 968 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.