The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 13 new deaths throughout L.A. County, 4,274 new cases countywide and 125 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 33,003, county case totals to 3,375,907 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 88,584, with 493 total SCV deaths from COVID-19 since March of 2020.

There are 940 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,422,000 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive.

Of the 13 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 30 to 49, three people were between the ages of 50-64, two people were between the ages of 65-79, and seven people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 13 newly reported deaths, 11 had underlying health conditions.

Today’s positivity rate is 10.1%.

Residents Can Take Steps to Protect the Most Vulnerable

As Los Angeles County’s COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline, residents can help protect those who are the most vulnerable to the virus. Residents can help reduce the high rate of transmission by being fully vaccinated, getting tested when exposed and before gatherings, masking indoors, and staying home while sick or recovering from COVID-19.

The Omicron variant continues to account for 100% of sequenced specimens and the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron remains the most predominant subvariant. In the week ending July 30, 88% of all sequenced specimens in L.A. County were BA.5. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, across the country, as of the week ending Aug. 13, the BA.5 subvariant accounted for 89% of specimens.

The relative proportions of other key sublineages Public Health is tracking changed only slightly, including BA.2.12.1 which has declined to 4%, and BA 4.6 which remains at just over 1.5%. To date, only three specimens of BA.2.75 have been detected, indicating no increased circulation of this sublineage here. This is welcome news since it indicates that the new strains currently circulating remain at a low level and do not appear poised to outcompete BA.5 in the very near future.

The 7-day average case count today is 3,577 cases, a 2% drop from 3,660 cases a week prior. The 7-day average test positivity rate over the past week also declined slightly to 10.1%, from 10.7% one week ago.

Over the last seven days, the average number of COVID-positive patients per day in L.A. County hospitals was 1,009, a decline of 10% from one week ago when the 7-day average number of COVID-positive patients per day was 1,118. The CDC reported L.A. County’s hospital admission rate at 8.9 weekly hospital admissions per 100,000 people, a decrease from the rate of 9.9 reported a week ago.

Deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, dropped slightly to an average of 13 deaths reported each day this past week, compared to an average of 14 daily reported deaths one week ago.

Getting vaccinated continues to provide protection from severe illness and hospitalization, especially for the most vulnerable residents living in communities with high rates of poverty. For the 30-day period ending Aug. 4, unvaccinated residents living in the highest poverty areas were 11 times more likely to be hospitalized than their vaccinated counterparts. And while 77% of L.A. County residents age 5 and older are fully vaccinated, only 35% of children 5-11 years old are fully vaccinated, and less than 7% of children under 5 have received at least one dose.

There are thousands of vaccination locations across the county. Residents can visit the Public Health website at VaccinateLACounty.com or VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to find locations, and schedules for clinics offering COVID-19 vaccines.

For those who have any questions about vaccine safety and effectiveness, please reach out to your healthcare provider or speak with a Public Health staff member at the COVID-19 call center, 1-833-540-0473 between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:30 pm, seven days a 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. “While lower case and hospitalizations are welcomed, the continued high rate of transmission places many individuals at elevated risk of getting infected, and, for some, there can be serious consequences to a COVID infection. People facing higher risk from COVID include many of our family and friends, along with community residents we encounter every day. Older people, people with underlying health conditions, those who are immunocompromised and those who are unvaccinated are all at elevated risk of experiencing a bad outcome if they get infected. There are also many who face higher risk because their job brings them close to a large number of people. These are often the people we rely on every day to provide food and medicines, to take care of us when we are sick, to drive our buses and trains, to teach and care for our children, and to provide us with essential goods and services. Others face higher risk because they live in very dense communities and overcrowded housing, where viral spread is easier. Living through times of high viral transmission, is like getting through a bad storm. While it is very helpful if each of us is able to have good rain gear, when the storm is of long duration, we often need additional help from others. Having everyone masking when indoors, testing when exposed or sick, staying home when ill, and being up-to-date on their vaccines, provides additional protections that can make a difference for those must vulnerable.”

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

The Hart Community and District Dashboard was not available for Friday, Aug. 19.

Student Dashboard

The Hart District Student Dashboard was not available for Friday, Aug. 19.

Staff Dashboard

The Hart District Staff Dashboard was not available for Friday Aug. 19.

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 493.

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

Santa Clarita: 403

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 88,584 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 65,388

Castaic: 8,908

Stevenson Ranch: 5,242

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 3,219

Acton: 1,778

Val Verde: 978

Agua Dulce: 901

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 846

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 392

Elizabeth Lake: 243

Bouquet Canyon: 188

Lake Hughes: 181

Saugus/Canyon Country: 105

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 99

Sand Canyon: 57

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 41

Placerita Canyon: 18

*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, Aug. 19.

Vaccinations

– 79,368,117 total vaccines administered.

– 80.0% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 22,364 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 10,175,617 confirmed cases to date.

– Friday’s average case count is 10,322 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 6.9 times more likely to get COVID-19 than boosted individuals (July 11, 2022 – July 17, 2022).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 11.2% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 3,587 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 428 ICU patients statewide.

– Unvaccinated people are 11.7 times more likely to be hospitalized than boosted individuals (July 11, 2022 – July 17, 2022).

Deaths

– There have been 93,704 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 37 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 11.2 times more likely to die than boosted individuals (July 4, 2022 – July 10, 2022).

Health Care Workers

As of Aug. 18, local health departments have reported 177,229 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 588 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 Aug. 7 to Aug. 13, the average time patients waited for test results was 0.8 day. During this same time period, 89% of patients received test results in one day and 97% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Aug. 18, there have been 1011 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.

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.