The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 14 new deaths throughout L.A. County, 1,017 new cases countywide and 30 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 33,889, county case totals to 3,476,928 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 91,503 since March of 2020. SCV deaths from COVID-19 remain at 506.

Of the 14 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 12-17, three people were between the ages of 50-64, five people were between the ages of 65-79, and four people were aged 80 years or older. For information about the one death reported by the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov. Of the 14 newly reported deaths, 12 had underlying health conditions.

Friday’s positivity rate is 3.6%.

There are 389 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,617,347 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive.

COVID-Associated Deaths Drive All-Cause Mortality Rate Increases in L.A. County Since 2020

While COVID-19 mortality is down this year, the impact of COVID-associated deaths remains significant and concerning, according to a new analysis by the Department of Public Health which found a vast majority of increases in all-cause mortality were due to COVID-associated deaths.

The Public Health data analysis reviewed COVID and non-COVID mortality rates for four 6-month periods of January through June, from 2019 to 2022. During the 10-year period ending in 2019, before the pandemic, the all-cause mortality rate had been stable with a slight downward trend.

The most dramatic finding is that when the pandemic started, the all-cause mortality rate for the first half of 2020 increased from about 298 deaths per 100,000 people to almost 336 deaths per 100,000 people. In 2021, it increased even more significantly to almost 400 deaths per 100,000 people. During the first half of 2022, it dropped back to about 336 deaths, but this is still considerably higher compared to the 2019 all-cause mortality rate.

The majority of these increases in all-cause mortality were due to COVID-associated deaths, but COVID deaths do not account for all of the increase. The COVID-19 pandemic also may have led to more deaths from other causes through delayed care for other conditions, health systems being overwhelmed, or people being apprehensive about potential exposure to the virus.

The leading causes of death shifted during the pandemic. For the first six months of 2019 and 2020, coronary heart disease was the leading cause of death, with just over 50 deaths per 100,000 people. Although COVID cases didn’t rise until March 2020, deaths associated with COVID increased dramatically and COVID mortality became the second leading cause of death for the first six months of 2020, with 28 deaths per 100,000 people.

In 2021, COVID was by far, the leading cause of death, causing almost 96 deaths per 100,000 people, while coronary heart disease continued to be responsible for about the same number of deaths – about 51 deaths per 100,000 people. For the first half of 2022, coronary heart disease again was the leading cause of death, with COVID close behind as the second-leading cause of death.

The analysis also recognized that the COVID-specific mortality rate in 2022 among Latinos and Blacks is about twice as high compared to the rate among Asians and Whites.

The analysis reviewed mortality rates by age groups and found that while death rates associated with COVID have been highest among older residents, younger adults experienced a greater increase in mortality rates than older adults, when comparing 2022 to 2019. For example, the all-cause mortality rate in 2022 is 29% higher for 18-to-29-year-olds, and 36% higher for 30-to-49-year-olds compared to their respective rates in 2019. By contrast, the all-cause mortality rate in 2022 vs. 2019 is 12% higher for 50-to-64-year-olds, 15% higher for 65-to-79-year-olds, and 6.5% higher among those 80 years and older.

To reduce the high death rates associated with COVID, residents should use all the resources available to protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. While vaccines and boosters play a critical role, therapeutics can also play an important role.

There are four different COVID-19 therapeutics that healthcare providers have available to treat people with symptoms of COVID. The specific medication they choose to treat a patient will depend on a variety of factors, including the patient’s prior medical history and response to other medications.

For those at higher risk for severe illness, telehealth allows residents who have tested positive for COVID to be screened for and access therapeutics from their home. If eligible for treatment, a prescription can be called into a local pharmacy or overnight shipped to the patient’s home.

If a resident’s regular provider doesn’t offer telehealth services, or a resident does not have a provider, they can call the Public Health Tele-Health Service at 1-833-540-0473, which is open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. The Public Health Tele-Health Service and medications are offered free of charge.

Currently, the county overall continues to report improved COVID-19 metrics. The seven-day average case count in the county is 874, an 8% decline from one week ago when the seven-day average of 946 cases was reported.

Over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVID-positive patients in L.A. County hospitals declined slightly to 404, a 13% decline from one week ago when the average number of daily COVID-positive patients per day was 467.

Deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, remained relatively stable at 12 deaths reported each day this past week.

“I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost a loved one from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “After the high death rates associated with COVID in the past three years, all county residents should take advantage of the resources available in the coming months to protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death, including therapeutics. It’s important to note that these treatments are not a replacement for vaccination and getting boosted. The best way to avoid severe symptoms, and the potential of long COVID, is to do everything you can to avoid infection in the first place. However, breakthrough infections happen, and these medications effectively reduce severe outcomes associated with COVID-19. I hope that as we get closer to the holidays and the colder weather, each of us can be sure we continue to do our part to protect those most vulnerable by staying home if sick, getting tested when exposed, ill or gathering indoors with others at elevated risk, and taking advantage of the new boosters that protect against Omicron.”

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.

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 leaving the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the SCV at 506.

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

Santa Clarita: 410

Castaic: 32

Acton: 18

Stevenson Ranch: 17

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 10

Agua Dulce: 6

Elizabeth Lake: 3

Val Verde: 3 (revised from 4)

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Newhall: 1

Unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 1
 

SCV Cases

Of the 91,503 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 67,573

Castaic: 9,143

Stevenson Ranch: 5,459

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 3,323

Acton: 1,840

Val Verde: 1,002

Agua Dulce: 927

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 866

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 407

Elizabeth Lake: 251

Bouquet Canyon: 191

Lake Hughes: 193

Saugus/Canyon Country: 106

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 100

Sand Canyon: 58

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 42

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, Oct. 20.

Vaccinations

– 82,974,516 total vaccines administered.

– 72.4% of the population has been vaccinated with a primary series.

– 82,852 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 10,476,942 confirmed cases to date.

– Thursday’s average case count is 2,580 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– During August 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.7 times more likely to get COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Testing

The testing positivity rate is 4.4% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 1,617 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 210 ICU patients statewide.

– During August 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 95,808 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 21 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– During August 2022, unvaccinated people were 3.3 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Health Care Workers

As of Oct. 18, local health departments have reported 181,908 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 589 deaths statewide.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Oct. 11, there have been 1,025 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.

Updated Boosters for Children
California Health & Human Services and CDPH sent a statement on Oct. 13, 2022 on the expanded eligibility for the updated Moderna and Pfizer boosters. Eligibility for the updated Moderna booster now extends to individuals 6 years of age and older and eligibility for the updated Pfizer booster now extends to individuals 5 years of age and older. This statement follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation and has the support of the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.

Changes to Definition of Close Contact
CDPH is revising the definition of close contact related to COVID-19. The update, in keeping with the state’s SMARTER plan, provides strategies for responding to direct and indirect COVID-19 exposure in indoor environments, and aligns with the most current science, data, and information. These changes take effect Friday, Oct. 14, 2022.

The amended order can be viewed here, as well as a Q&A.

Updated Testing Requirements for Visitors to Health Care Facilities

Beginning Saturday, Sept. 17, visitors to health care facilities, such as skilled nursing facilities and general acute care hospitals, will no longer be required to be tested or show proof of vaccination in order to visit loved ones. Visitors must continue to comply with CDPH Masking Guidance while visiting loved ones indoors in these settings.

Facilities should continue to maintain all current infection prevention practices to protect the vulnerable populations in health care facilities. In addition, they should continue to offer testing for visitors per recommendations from CDPH and/or the local public health department and have the ability to ramp up testing if it is required again at a future date.

In August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in updated testing guidance, indicated screening testing is no longer recommended in general community settings. Therefore, CDPH has also updated COVID-19 testing guidance.

Preparing for a Healthy 2022-23 School Year

The Safe Schools for All Hub consolidates key resources and information related to COVID-19 and schools.

Learn more about the COVID-19 mitigation strategies to keep students, staff, and communities safe in the 2022-23 K-12 Schools Guidance.

Get more information on changes to COVID-19 testing strategies for the 2022-23 school year in the 2022-23 K-12 Schools Testing Framework.

The CDPH Testing Taskforce School Testing team has released a 2022-2023 K-12 Schools Testing Framework Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

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 individual six months of age and older receive their primary COVID-19 vaccine series and booster dose.

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.