The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 17 new deaths throughout L.A. County, 3,756 new cases countywide and 89 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 34,296, county case totals to 3,577,685 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 94,472 since March of 2020. SCV deaths from COVID-19 remain at 518.

Of the 17 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 18 to 29, one person was between the ages of 30 to 49, three people were between the ages of 50 to 64, two people were between the ages of 65 to 79 and 10 people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 17 newly reported deaths, 16 had underlying health conditions.

Friday’s positivity rate is 12.1%.

There are 1,243 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,761,505 individuals, with 25% of people testing positive.

Public Health Asks Residents to Mask, Get Boosted

With a rise in COVID-19 cases, Los Angeles County moved into the CDC High Community Level this week, prompting Public Health officials to ask all residents to layer in sensible health protections including indoor masking and getting vaccinated and boosted.

With the COVID-19 case rate reaching 258 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people this week, and almost 15 hospital admissions per 100,000 people, the CDC High Community Level designation reflects both high transmission and increased stress on hospitals. The stress on the healthcare system is compounded by high rates of influenza and other respiratory illnesses.

Data shows that people over 65 and people living in areas with the highest poverty rate are more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID in Los Angeles County, regardless of vaccination status, and historically we have seen how a COVID surge can deepen these disparities. Many factors, including inadequate access to health-affirming resources and racism, contribute to these gaps. While COVID vaccines are not an equalizer, the rates of hospitalization and deaths are far higher for those unvaccinated, serving as a stark reminder of how powerful the vaccines continue to be.

Increased transmission of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County means there is a higher likelihood of catching COVID during routine activities, such as grocery shopping, eating out at restaurants, running errands, or attending a concert or large holiday party. At the current case rate, if you attend a party with 200 people, the chance that at least one person at the party is infected with COVID, is between 80-90%. If the case rate climbs to 350, that chance increases to almost 100%. And for the millions of people in the higher risk categories — elderly family members and friends, those with underlying health conditions, and those who are immunocompromised — increased chances of being exposed can have a devastating impact.

Higher transmission also leads to higher workplace absences and wider disruptions to everyday life, whether at healthcare facilities, retail stores, restaurants, delivery services, and even family gatherings.

One of the most effective ways to reduce COVID-19 transmission, along with transmission of other respiratory illnesses like flu and RSV, is to wear well-fitted, high-filtration masks indoors. Everyone ages 2 and older is asked to wear a mask in indoor public spaces, such as transit, retail, event venues, schools, and worksites when around others.

Protecting against severe illness is equally important and the new, bivalent booster and therapeutics provide protection against severe illness and death from COVID-19. There are also vaccines and anti-viral medications to prevent severe illness from influenza. Vaccines, boosters, and therapeutics are readily available at Public Health sites, pharmacies, and other locations across the county.

In addition, simple actions such as frequent handwashing and staying home when you are sick can help to further limit transmission. The same precautions that help limit the spread of COVID will also provide protection against RSV and flu.

Seniors and residents who can’t easily leave their home may contact the Public Health call center to arrange for at-home vaccinations and, if eligible, oral therapeutics by calling (833) 540-0473, seven days a week, from 8:00 am to 8:30 pm. Residents also may go to VaccinateLACounty.com to find nearby vaccination sites, request a mobile vaccination team for your worksite or community event, or an in-home visit if you or someone you know is homebound.

LA County residents also should take a COVID-19 test after a known exposure, if symptomatic, and before gatherings. Rapid tests are readily available and are likely to be covered by health insurance. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should isolate until day 10, or day 5 if you have a negative test.

These health measures are essential as LA County continues to see large increases in the number of reported COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The 7-day average case count in the county is 3,639, a nearly 19% increase from one week ago when the 7-day average of 3,053 cases was reported.

And over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVID-positive patients in LA County hospitals is 1245, an increase of 18% from last week when the average number of COVID-positive patients per day was 1056.

The county is currently reporting an average of 12 deaths per day, an increase from the average of 9 deaths reported per day a week ago.

“I send my condolences to those who have had someone close to them die from COVID-19. I wish you never had to feel this loss and I offer my deepest sympathies,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Our shared goal during this pandemic has always been to reduce the burden of disease, hospitalization and death and we all know it takes a community to do so. When you put on your mask for these few weeks during this surge, it is about the people of LA County. It is about every individual, every visitor, our healthcare workers, essential workers, and other people who serve. In addition to vaccination, it is one of the easiest things everyone can do right now.”

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.

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 including:

COVID-19 Daily Data (cases, deaths, testing, testing positivity rate, mortality rate, and hospitalizations)

Gender, Age, Race/Ethnicity and City/Community Cases and Deaths

Contact Tracing Metrics

Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics

Citations due to Health Officer Order Noncompliance

Outbreaks:

Residential Congregate Settings

Non-Residential Settings

Homeless Service Settings

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/

California Department of Public Health:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/nCOV2019.aspx

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Spanish https://espanol.cdc.gov/enes/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus

L.A. County residents can also call 2-1-1

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 in the SCV at 518.

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

Santa Clarita: 421

Castaic: 32

Acton: 19

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 94,472 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 69,811

Castaic: 9,364

Stevenson Ranch: 5,651

Canyon Country: 3,426

Acton: 1,909

Val Verde: 1,036

Agua Dulce: 949

Valencia: 899

Saugus: 420

Elizabeth Lake: 264

Bouquet Canyon: 200

Lake Hughes: 197

Saugus/Canyon Country: 122

Newhall: 100

Sand Canyon: 59

San Francisquito: 43

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, Dec. 8.

Vaccinations

– 86,031,799 total vaccines administered.

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

– 50,839 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 10,726,070 confirmed cases to date.

– The daily average case count is 7,805 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– During October 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.2 times more likely to get COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 11.7% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 4,387 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 487 ICU patients statewide.

– During October 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.4 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Deaths

– There have been 96,995 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 13 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– During October 2022, unvaccinated people were 3.1 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Health Care Workers

As of Dec. 7, local health departments have reported 185,446 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 595 deaths statewide.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Nov. 14, there have been 1,036 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.