The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 20 new deaths throughout L.A. County, 3,694 new cases countywide and 144 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 33,096, county case totals to 3,375,907 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 89,191, with 497 total SCV deaths from COVID-19 since March of 2020.

Hospitalization numbers for today and Thursday, Aug.25 are currently pending, as the county awaits more information from the California Department of Public Health.

Testing results are available for more than 12,450,321 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive.

Of the 20 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 30-49, two people were between the ages of 50-64, four people were between the ages of 65-79 and 13 people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 20 newly reported deaths, 19 had underlying health conditions.

Today’s positivity rate is 8.5%.

As Residents Continue to be Infected with COVID-19, Treatments to Prevent Serious Illness are Readily Available

As thousands of individuals in Los Angeles County continue to be infected with COVID-19, medical treatments are readily available to prevent patients who have one or more risk factors from becoming very sick, hospitalized, or dying from the infection. Residents who do become infected should contact their health provider as soon as possible because the treatments work best when symptoms are still mild or moderate.

The 7-day average case count is now at 2,976, a 17% decline from one week ago when an average of 3,577 cases were reported over the previous 7 days.

Deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, are at an average of 14 this past week, up slightly from an average of 12 deaths the week prior.

As thousands of residents test positive for COVID-19 every week, there continues to be those who are hospitalized for and, unfortunately, some who die from their infection.

There is an ample supply of potentially life-saving treatments – more than 135,000 – available at more than 1,000 hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, Public Health sites, and other locations across the county.

Residents who may be at higher risk of getting very sick if infected, including those who are 50 or older, unvaccinated or not up-to-date with vaccinations, and many other factors, can be treated with either an oral medication, Paxlovid or Molnupiravir, or an intravenous medication, Remdesivir or Bebtelovimab.

Paxlovid can be prescribed to people age 12 and older. It is taken by mouth twice daily for 5 days. Molnupiravir is only for adults age 18 and older and should not be given to a pregnant person. It is taken by mouth twice daily for 5 days.

So far, nearly 153,000 patient antiviral treatments have been administered in LA County, and medications are widely available, with more locations being added. Of the more than 1,000 health care facilities that have been allocated therapeutic medications to treat COVID, more than half of these sites are located in communities with the fewest resources and greatest health risk.

Also, 135 of these sites are convenient Test-to-Treat locations. These sites include CVS Minute Clinics and Walgreens that allow patients to walk in to get tested for COVID-19, evaluated, and treated on the same visit at the same location. To find a Test-to-Treat sites, residents can go to https://aspr.hhs.gov/TestToTreat/Pages/default.aspx.

Residents who are eligible to receive medication may also call the Public Health Telehealth Program at 1-833-540-0473, 7 days a week, between 8:00 am and 8:30 pm. This program, which has already assisted more than 3,400 patients, can answer questions, help direct residents to a Test-to-Treat site near their home, or connect individuals with a healthcare provider for a medical assessment through telehealth. If a person is determined to be eligible, they can receive medication shipped overnight to their home.

“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. “COVID therapeutic medications can be lifesaving for people with risk factors for developing severe illness. As a result, they have been provided for free by the federal government for many months up to this point in the pandemic. An important part of Public Health’s work is to partner with healthcare providers to make it as easy as possible to access these free medications for those that need them. These medications are all currently available for free, whether you have insurance or not. Note that in some cases, healthcare providers may charge for their medical assessment. Anyone with COVID who has risk factors for severe disease is encouraged to always consult with their own primary healthcare provider first, if you have one. Your own healthcare provider will always know your health best. If you don’t have a healthcare provider, call 2-1-1.”

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 one additional death in Santa Clarita bringing the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the SCV to 496.

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

Santa Clarita: 404

Castaic: 31

Acton: 18

Stevenson Ranch: 15

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 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 89,191 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 65,871

Castaic: 8,958

Stevenson Ranch: 5,273

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 3,239

Acton: 1,786

Val Verde: 985

Agua Dulce: 901

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 847

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 393

Elizabeth Lake: 244

Bouquet Canyon: 190

Lake Hughes: 183

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. 26.

Vaccinations

– 79,522,958 total vaccines administered.

– 80.1% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 20,500 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 10,237,892 confirmed cases to date.

– Friday’s average case count is 8,769 (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 10.0% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 3,143 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 385 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 94,047 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 33 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. 25, local health departments have reported 178,105 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 589 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. 14 to Aug. 20, the average time patients waited for test results was 0.8 day. During this same time period, 90% 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. 25, 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.