Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported an additional COVID-19 death Friday, bringing the total number of deaths from the virus to 189 since the onset of the pandemic, spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

The hospital also reported zero tests pending, 21 patients in the hospital, and a total of 1,683 patients who have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began.

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.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials confirmed Friday 27 new deaths and 3,360 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 40,114 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Of the 27 new deaths reported today, two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, four were between the ages of 50 and 64, eight were between the ages of 65-79 and twelve were over the age of 80 years old. Of the 27 newly reported deaths, 22 had underlying conditions.

To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 27,413. Information on the one death reported by the City of Long Beach is available at www.LongBeach.gov.

L.A. County Omicron Update:

Public Health officials confirmed Friday eight additional cases of the Omicron variant. Of the eight new Omicron cases, five people were fully vaccinated and one received a booster. One person reported international travel and one person reported domestic travel.

Moderna, Pfizer Boosters vs. J&J Booster

Public Health notes Thursday’s endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control of updated recommendations made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the prevention of COVID-19, expressing clinical preference for adults 18+ to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine over Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine.

As of Dec. 12, over 530,000 residents in L.A. County have received a dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine.

We remind residents that L.A. County’s supply of mRNA vaccines is abundant and that when it is time to get a booster dose, individuals previously vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should consider boosters with Pfizer or Moderna.

“We appreciate the CDC’s guidance on vaccine choice. While any vaccine is better than no vaccine, we urge those who have received Johnson and Johnson vaccines to obtain booster doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to ensure they are well protected from both suffering severe COVID outcomes and transmitting infection to others,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

Masking Compliance in L.A. County

Public Health data suggests that public mask wearing is one of the most effective strategies at reducing the spread of the virus when compliance is high.

In L.A. County schools, where mask wearing is mandatory indoors, this practice (in combination with other mitigation strategies and outbreak management) has kept transmission low. This protective effect was demonstrable even in elementary schools before 5-11 year old were eligible for vaccines. With more than 1.55 million students across 3,000 L.A. County schools, Public Health is routinely seeing less than a dozen outbreaks each week.

Public and business sector masking compliance is high, indicating the broad understanding that this small behavior change adds a layer of protection that enables us to engage in our customary activities without endangering ourselves or others. Public Health regularly conducts site visits to assess mask compliance across a variety of L.A. County businesses, during which we determine compliance among customers, employees and their staff, and overall safety requirements. Out of more than 1500 site visits conducted between December 4th-10th, the vast majority of businesses and industries, including restaurants, bars, food markets and hair salons, had masking compliance rates above 95%.

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

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 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 6:00 p.m. Friday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported two additional death in the city of Santa Clarita bringing the total number to 372 COVID-19 deaths to date in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The following is the community breakdown of the 372 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

306 in Santa Clarita

23 in Castaic

13 in Acton

9 in Stevenson Ranch

7 in unincorporated Canyon Country

5 in Agua Dulce

3 in Val Verde

2 in Valencia

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

0 in Lake Hughes (**revised from 1)

SCV Cases

Of the 40,114 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 29,459

Castaic: 4,710

Stevenson Ranch: 1,927

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,258

Acton: 865

Val Verde: 460

Agua Dulce: 450

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 327

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 190

Elizabeth Lake: 128

Bouquet Canyon: 86

Lake Hughes: 77

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 70

Saugus/Canyon Country: 55

Sand Canyon: 24

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 23

Placerita Canyon: 5

*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 Update

On Friday, the California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly, and Director of the California Department of Public Health and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, issued a joint statement on the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup’s recommendation on the preferred use of Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

“We have an ample supply of the Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines so that every person in the state who needs one can get one.

“The way we get through this pandemic, and the faster spreading Omicron variant, is by ensuring all eligible Californians get vaccinated and boosted. Especially as we see an uptick in cases and hospitalizations statewide, we can’t stress enough the importance of scheduling your appointment today if you need a first or second dose or booster.”

With the colder months upon us, now is not the time to let our guard down. Californians should continue to practice the safety basics – including wearing a mask, getting tested if you’re exposed to the virus or have symptoms, and staying home when sick.

The COVID-19 vaccine is free for everyone ages 5 and up. To make a vaccine appointment, visit MyTurn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255.

For the latest information on COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, visit cdph.ca.gov/covid19.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released the most recent statistics Friday on COVID-19 and updates on the state’s pandemic response.

Cases

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

– Unvaccinated people were 7.1 times more likely to get COVID-19 (data from Nov. 28, 2021 to Dec. 4, 2021).

– Unvaccinated people were 12.8 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 (data from Nov. 21, 2021 to Nov. 27, 2021).

– Unvaccinated people were 15.8 times more likely to die from COVID-19 (data from Nov. 14, 2021 to Nov. 20, 2021).

Vaccinations

– 62,219,708total vaccines administered.

– 78.1% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 201,045 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 4,909,188 confirmed cases to date.

– Today’s average case count is 5,370 (average daily case count over 7 days).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 2.8% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 3,932 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 971 ICU patients statewide.

Deaths

– There have been 74,996 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 49 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

Health Care Workers

As of Dec. 16, local health departments have reported 132,437 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 532 deaths statewide.

Updated Guidance for Masking, Mega Events & Travel

Beginning Dec. 15, CDPH requires masks to be worn in all indoor public settings irrespective of vaccine status through January 15, 2022, at which point California will make further recommendations as needed in response to the pandemic.

CDPH has updated requirements for attending mega events, like concerts and sporting events. Prior to attending an event, attendees will now be required to provide either proof of vaccination, a negative antigen COVID-19 test within one day of the event, or a negative PCR test within two days of the event.

A travel advisory is now in effect. It is recommended that all travelers arriving in California test for COVID-19 within three to five days after arrival, regardless of their vaccination status.

California Omicron Variant

The recent emergence of the Omicron variant emphasizes the importance of getting a vaccine, booster and taking prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19.

As of Dec. 14, 2021, 48 confirmed cases associated with the Omicron variant have been reported to the state. This number will be updated weekly with the other variants California is currently monitoring on this webpage. For more information about the Omicron variant, see the Omicron variant fact sheet.

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results.

During the week of Dec. 5 to Dec. 11, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.1 days. During this same time period, 71% of patients received test results in one day and 97% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Dec. 13, there have been 740 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.

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.