The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 19 new deaths throughout L.A. County, 4,864 new cases countywide and 146 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 32,826, county case totals to 3,325,622 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 87,292, with 489 total SCV deaths from COVID-19 since March of 2020.

There are 1,206 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,364,821 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive.

Of the 19 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 12-17, one person was between the ages of 30-49, four people were between the ages of 50-64, five people were between the ages of 65-79, and seven people were aged 80 years or older. For information on the one death reported by the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov. Of the 19 newly reported deaths, 16 had underlying health conditions.

Today’s positivity rate is 12.8%.

County Still in High Community Level, Residents Urged to be Fully Vaccinated to Increase Protection

Los Angeles County’s COVID-19 cases continue their recent decline, while hospitalization and hospital admissions appear to have plateaued. Los Angeles County remains at the high community level on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 framework this week, but Public Health is monitoring metrics that may move the county to the medium community level.

L.A. County’s 7-day case rate, which while still appreciably elevated at 376 cases per week per 100,000 people, represents a considerable decline from the case rate of 426 a week ago.

According to the L.A. County hospital metrics data CDC reported out on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, the county’s hospital admission rate declined enough to move the county back down into the Medium Community Level. However, the preliminary data that CDC posted yesterday, calculated the hospital admission rate at 10.1 keeping LA County in the High Community level. Additionally, the 7-day average for the proportion of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients is 7.0%, a small decline from the 7.2% CDC reported last Wednesday.

Given declining cases and continued efforts to slow the spread, it is possible for the county to quickly move and remain in the Medium Community Level in the weeks ahead. This is especially important with schools opening soon across the county.

Additionally, L.A. County reported declines in five of its Early Alert signals: the percent of Emergency Department visits that are COVID-related, the case rate in the lowest income areas, number of new outbreaks opened per week in skilled nursing facilities, number of new outbreaks opened per week in settings for people experiencing homelessness, and number of worksite case clusters per week.

Getting vaccinated and boosted remains a critical tool for staying as safe as possible, especially when transmission remains high. One opportunity to increase vaccination rates is the new Novavax vaccine that was recently approved by the FDA and is now available here. The Novavax vaccine is authorized for use as a two-dose primary series for adults 18 and older with the two doses given three to eight weeks apart. This vaccine was made using technology that has been used in vaccines for more than 30 years.

L.A. County Public Health vaccination sites, mobile vaccination teams, and several of our partners providing mobile vaccine clinics began offering the Novavax vaccine this week and additional providers will be added in coming weeks. There is a link at VaccinateLACounty.com to make it very easy to find Novavax locations by clicking on the FIND A NOVAVAX VACCINATION SITE to get a list of all locations and their hours.

“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. “There are still about 2 million people in LA County who have not been vaccinated; we urge those who haven’t yet begun their primary series to speak with your medical provider about your concerns and the steps to take to protect yourself from your increased risk of experiencing the dangerous outcomes associated with COVID. Also, with the start of the school year just around the corner, now would be the perfect time for parents to get their children’s COVID-19 vaccinations up-to-date. Over the past several months, vaccines for the youngest children, between the age of 6 months and 4 years, are among the most recent to become available. Let us continue to take care of each other, and our communities, by being fully vaccinated. We have made great strides in protecting our most vulnerable residents, and I am grateful for everyone who continues to care about the health of our community as summer transitions to fall.”

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 no additional deaths leaving the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the SCV at 489.

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

Santa Clarita: 399

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 87,292 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 64,424

Castaic: 8,797

Stevenson Ranch: 5,163

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 3,170

Acton: 1,745

Val Verde: 964

Agua Dulce: 893

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 838

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 387

Elizabeth Lake: 238

Bouquet Canyon: 179

Lake Hughes: 181

Saugus/Canyon Country: 105

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 94

Sand Canyon: 56

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 40

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. 5.

Vaccinations

– 78,998,017 total vaccines administered.

– 79.9% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 32,891 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 10,024,326 confirmed cases to date.

– Tuesday’s average case count is 15,128 (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 14.4% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 4,435 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 505 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 93,056 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 31 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. 4, local health departments have reported 175,312 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 587 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 24 to July 30, the average time patients waited for test results was 0.8 day. During this same time period, 87% 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. 4, there have been 1010 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.