Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Friday confirmed 25 new deaths and 1,344 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 38,325 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Of the 25 new deaths reported today, 11 people who passed away were over the age of 80, eight people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, four people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49.

A year ago, about 7,200 people had lost their lives to the virus – today, that number has tragically increased by nearly 20,000. To date, Public Health has identified a total of 26,838 deaths and 1,509,073 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County.

There are 633 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 27% of these people are in the ICU. Last year at this time, there were over 900 patients each day receiving care for COVID-19 infections at hospitals.

Testing results are available for more than 9,222,000 individuals, with 15% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.0%, a dramatic decrease from last November 11 test positivity of 5.6%. While overall, it is clear the County is in better shape this November than we were last fall, the similar numbers for deaths is a reminder of the destructive power of this virus, and the relatively high numbers of cases and hospitalizations, a reflection of the dominance of the more infectious Delta variant.

Public Health provides a year-over-year snapshot as the County heads into the winter. Looking back a year ago, much has changed, while at the same time, some things remain the same.

Last year in November, the County reported daily deaths in the low 20’s.

COVID Cases at Schools

Public Health continues to track both staff and student cases at schools. Last week, there were 500 student cases and more than 2,600 student close contacts at schools. Among staff, we saw about 101 cases and 173 close contacts. These case numbers represent a 53% decline in student cases and a 48% decline in staff cases from the prior week. This amounts to a test positivity of 0.2% among students and staff being tested, with 0.2% identified as close contacts.

There were two outbreaks the week ending November 6: one in an elementary school and one in a youth sports program. With more than 3,000 TK-12 schools in L.A. County, this is a remarkably low number of outbreaks. Although we expect to continue to see outbreaks, we also expect that as confidence in vaccination safety for children increases – and with it, rising vaccination levels in school-aged children, we will eventually blunt outbreaks substantially.

Out of nearly 10.3 million L.A. County residents, including those who are not eligible for the vaccine, 70% have received at least one dose, and 63% are fully vaccinated. As of November 9, nearly 25,500 children aged 5 to 11 years old, nearly 3% of eligible residents in this age group, received their first doses of vaccines. More than 865,000 additional or booster doses have been administered in L.A. County.

Santa Clarita Valley Friday Update

As of 6 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard confirmed a total of 353 COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 353 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

296 in Santa Clarita

21 in Castaic

10 in Acton

8 in Stevenson Ranch

6 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 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)

Cases:

Of the 38,325 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 28,106

Castaic: 4,592 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,830

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,207

Acton: 798

Val Verde: 444

Agua Dulce: 425

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 306

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 171

Elizabeth Lake: 126

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 70

Bouquet Canyon: 75

Lake Hughes: 70

Saugus/Canyon Country: 54

Sand Canyon: 24

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 22

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.

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:

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Friday Update

As of Friday, Nov. 12, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital currently had zero tests pending, 19 patients in the hospital, a total of 1,623 patients who have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, and no additional deaths, spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

Privacy laws prohibit Henry Mayo from releasing the community of residence for patients who die at the hospital; residence info is reported by the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard.

California Friday Snapshot

Note: California Department of Public Health did not release data on COVID-19 Friday by the deadline.

The following data was released on Wednesday, Nov. 10:

Cases

– California has 4,714,839 confirmed cases to date.

– Today’s average case count is 5,080 (average daily case count over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 4,006 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 970 ICU patients statewide.

Deaths

– There have been 72,132 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 48 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

Vaccinations

– 54,700,680 total vaccines administered.

– 73.7% of the eligible population (12+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 162,308 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

For more vaccination data, visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Data Dashboard.

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 2.3% (average rate over 7 days).

Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are largely occurring among unvaccinated populations:

– Unvaccinated people were 6.9 times more likely to get COVID-19 (data from Oct. 15 to Oct. 31, 2021).

– Unvaccinated people were 9.8 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 (data from Oct. 18, 2021 to Oct. 24, 2021).

– Unvaccinated people were 16.9 times more likely to die from COVID-19 (data from Oct. 11, 2021 to Oct. 17, 2021).

See the data for unvaccinated and vaccinated cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

CDPH is working with local partners and health care providers to administer booster doses to all Californians who are eligible, including those aged 65+ and the immunocompromised, to ensure they maintain optimal protection from COVID-19 heading into the winter season. Boosters are recommended for all Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients aged 18 and older who were vaccinated two or more months ago. The CDC and Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup have declared the following groups of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna recipients eligible for a booster dose six months or more after their initial series:

– 65 years and older

– Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings

– Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions

– Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings

– Age 18+ who are at increased risk due to social inequity

Tips for Protecting Yourself and Others This Holiday Season

Take commonsense steps to protect yourself, your family and your community as you celebrate the holiday season.

See more California information later in this report.

L.A. County Vaccine/Booster Information

Public Health encourages everyone to prepare for the winter. There are strategies everyone can use to reduce transmission as the weather cools. Please help everyone 5 years and up in your family and your social circle get vaccinated – and, if it is your time, please make sure you and others you know who were vaccinated a while back return for a booster dose. Many adults 18 and over are now eligible for booster doses, and here in California and the County, boosters are available for all adults 6 months out from receiving their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or 2 months out from receiving Johnson & Johnson. Getting boosted before the holidays is important, particularly if gathering with others or traveling.

Get tested before gathering with people who are at high risk for bad outcomes of a COVID infection, such as elderly people, immunocompromised people, or people who have not yet been vaccinated. And given how significant transmission is across the county, when gathering in crowded places, especially indoors, be extra sure to wear a mask when you aren’t eating or drinking.

“To everyone who is grieving the loss of a family member or friend to this virus, please know that our hearts are broken for you, and we share with you our hope for your comfort and peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As we enter this cold weather season, we have many tools available to us that were either unavailable or much less available at the same time last year. For starters, vaccination is now available at no charge for all L.A. County residents five years and up, meaning that more than 9.7 million residents (95% of L.A. County) can now get vaccinated. As a result of widespread vaccine availability, more people are getting protected each day from both catching and spreading COVID-19. Additionally, with boosters enabling us to refresh immunity for so many adults, the protection vaccines offer is now more durable for all vaccine recipients. The single most important thing we can do as a community to reduce our risk of another surge is to decrease our numbers of unvaccinated people; this means that our collective priority remains helping unvaccinated people, including children, get their first doses of vaccine countywide.”

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 where first, second, and third doses are available.

Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to learn how to make an appointment at vaccination sites. If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment.

L.A. County Public Health’s Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

Each week, the California Department of Public Health updates the number of cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) reported in the state.

As of Nov. 8, there have been 696 cases of 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.

Parents should be aware of the signs and symptoms of MIS-C including fever that does not go away, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes, or feeling tired.

Although very rare, COVID-19 cases among children can sometimes result a few weeks later in very serious illness known as Multi-symptom Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

Upgrade your Mask

Good fit and filtration continue to be the best way to get the most out of your mask. The best masks for preventing COVID-19 include the N95, KN95 and KF94. If you don’t have access to one of these masks, wear a surgical mask or a surgical mask with a cloth mask on top. If you choose a fabric mask, opt for one with three of more cloth layers. No matter what kind of mask you wear, check the fit by avoiding gaps above the nose or on the sides.

Vaccine Eligibility

As of May 13, vaccination appointments for individuals aged 12+ can be made by visiting myturn.ca.gov. The consent of a parent or legal guardian may be needed for those between the ages of 12 and 17 to receive a vaccination. For more information on the vaccine effort, visit Vaccinate All 58.

Tracking COVID-19 in California

* State Dashboard – Daily COVID-19 data

* County Map – Local data

* Data and Tools – Models and dashboards for researchers, scientists, and the public

* 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

California Testing & Turnaround Time

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

During the week of Oct. 24 to Oct. 30, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.0 day. During this same time period, 78% of patients received test results in one day and 95% received them within two days.

Protect Yourself and Your Family: Your Actions Save Lives

Protect yourself, family, friends, and community by following these prevention measures:

* Getting vaccinated when it’s your turn. Californians age 16+ are eligible to make an appointment.

* Avoiding non-essential travel, and practicing self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival if you leave the state.

* Keeping interactions limited to people who live in your household.

* Wearing a cloth face mask when out in public.

* Washing hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.

* Avoiding touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.

* Covering a cough or sneeze with your sleeve or disposable tissue. Wash your hands afterward.

* Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.

* Staying away from work, school, or other people if you become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough.

* Staying home except for essential needs/activities following local and state public health guidelines when patronizing approved businesses. To the extent that sectors are re-opened, Californians may leave their homes to work at, patronize, or otherwise engage with those businesses, establishments or activities.

* Getting tested if you believe you’ve been exposed. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.

* Adding your phone to the fight by signing up for COVID-19 exposure notifications from CA Notify.

* Answering the call if a contact tracer from the CA COVID Team or local health department tries to connect.

* Following guidance from public health officials.

California COVID-19 Data and Tools

A wide range of data and analysis guides California’s response to COVID-19. The state is making the data and its analytical tools available to researchers, scientists and the public at covid19.ca.gov.

* The Statewide COVID-19 Dashboard

* The California COVID-19 Assessment Tool (CalCAT)

* State Cases and Deaths Associated with COVID-19 by Age Group

* COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data

* COVID-19 Hospital Data and Case Statistics

* View additional datasets at the California Open Data Portal (including Testing Data, PPE Logistics Data, Hospital Data, Homeless Impact and more)

Consolidated guidance is available on the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance webpage.

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Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus (COVID-19):

* Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

* California Department of Public Health

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

* Spanish

* World Health Organization

* Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Dashboard

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

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