The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 16 new deaths throughout L.A. County, 8,954 new cases countywide and 255 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 32,508, county case totals to 3,207,071 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 84,137, with 483 total SCV deaths from COVID-19 since March of 2020.

There are 1,223 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,255,903 individuals, with 23% of people testing positive.

Of the 16 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 50-64, four people were between the ages of 65-79, and 11 people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 16 newly reported deaths, all had underlying health conditions.

Today’s positivity rate is 17%.

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

Public Health Urges Residents to Take Precautions to Limit Spread

Thursday, July 14, Los Angeles County entered the High COVID Community Level on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Community Levels framework after hospital admissions exceeded 10 new hospital admissions per 100,000 people. The county’s admission rate, at 10.5 hospital admissions per 100,000 people, is an 88% increase when compared to one month ago.

If L.A. County remains in the High COVID-19 Community Level for two consecutive weeks, universal indoor masking will be implemented on July 29 to help slow the rate of transmission and protect those most vulnerable.

It is important to note that indoor masking is already a required safety measure in many places, including at all healthcare settings, public transit and transit hubs, long-term care settings, shelters and cooling centers, and correctional facilities. Indoor masking also continues to be required at worksites with outbreaks, and is required for all individuals during the 10 days after a COVID diagnosis or exposure when they are around others.

Businesses and employers are allowed to require masks at work, and many have done just that, either by maintaining an indoor masking requirement throughout the pandemic or reinstating one as cases began increasing.

If the county implements universal indoor masking, residents and workers need to wear masks in all indoor public spaces, including shared office spaces, manufacturing facilities, retail stores and at indoor events. Indoor areas of restaurants and bars, children’s programs and educational settings, would need to institute universal masking as well.

Masking and testing are both powerful tools that can interrupt transmission thereby reducing risk. Masking lowers risk in two ways: It provides what some call “source control” meaning controlling the amount of virus entering the environment right at the source. When people who are infected wear a mask, they exhale far less virus into the air than infected people who do not mask. Masks also provide protection to the individual wearing a mask, by filtering virus from the air they are breathing. When everyone in a room is masked, safety is enhanced, as there is less virus circulating, and less likelihood that any virus circulating will penetrate the physical barrier of a well-fitting, high filtration mask.

Masks that offer beneficial protection provide both good filtration AND a good fit or seal around the edges. Well-fitting respirator-type masks such as N95s, KN95s, and KN94s offer the most protection because they are made with thicker materials that do the best job filtering out the virus. Note that individuals should not double mask with a respirator.

Testing to know your status is strongly recommended if exposed, if symptomatic, and right before gathering with others, especially if indoors and when gathering with anyone at higher risk of severe illness should they get infected. If attendees at a gathering have all tested negative prior to getting together, it is much less likely that anyone will be exhaling virus particles into the air. As a reminder, individuals can be contagious for COVID and not have symptoms, that can happen very early in their infection, before symptoms start, or it can happen if an individual has an asymptomatic case of COVID.

“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. “I recognize that when we return to universal indoor masking to help reduce high spread, for many this will feel like a step backwards. For others, indoor masking will feel unnecessary because of the availability of powerful vaccines and therapeutics. The reality is that because we are living with a mutating SARS-CoV-2 virus, there remains uncertainty around the trajectory of the pandemic. The best way to manage the uncertainty and to reduce morbidity and mortality is to remain open to using both the sophisticated tools we now have, such as tests, vaccines, and therapeutics, and the non-pharmaceutical strategies, such as masking, ventilation, and distancing to layer on protections to respond to the conditions at hand. One thing I feel certain about is that, given the rich toolkit at hand, we should not settle for the existing high rates of morbidity and mortality that disproportionately affect those most vulnerable; we do need to continue to take care of each other. With the high rates of transmission fueling the increased risks, sensible safety precautions that can slow down the spread of the virus are warranted and that includes universal indoor masking.”

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 4 p.m. Friday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported no additional deaths in the city of Santa Clarita, leaving the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the SCV at 483.

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

Santa Clarita: 393

Castaic: 31

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: 2

Newhall: 1

unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 1
 

SCV Cases

Of the 84,137 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 62,072

Castaic: 8,545

Stevenson Ranch: 4,951

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 3,050

Acton: 1,673

Val Verde: 925

Agua Dulce: 866

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 803

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 371

Elizabeth Lake: 235

Bouquet Canyon: 170

Lake Hughes: 173

Saugus/Canyon Country: 103

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 92

Sand Canyon: 53

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 38

Placerita Canyon: 17

*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, July 15.

Vaccinations

– 78,156,577 total vaccines administered.

– 79.5% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 35,869 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 9,677,827 confirmed cases to date.

– Friday’s average case count is 16,290 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 5.5 times more likely to get COVID-19 than boosted individuals (June 20, 2022 – June 26, 2022).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 16.7% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 4,432 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 481 ICU patients statewide.

– Unvaccinated people are 9.4 times more likely to be hospitalized than boosted individuals (June 20, 2022 – June 26, 2022).

Deaths

– There have been 92,185 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 22 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 8.2 times more likely to die than boosted individuals (June 13, 2022 – June 19, 2022).

Health Care Workers

As of July 14, local health departments have reported 171,143 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 583 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 July 3 to July 9, the average time patients waited for test results was 0.8 day. During this same time period, 86% of patients received test results in one day and 97% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of July 11, there have been 1,006 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 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.