The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed eight new deaths throughout L.A. County, which includes one new death reported in Santa Clarita, 5,800 new cases countywide and 173 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 32,117, county case totals to 2,961,673 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 76,838, with 474 total SCV deaths from COVID-19 since March of 2020.

There are 455 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,999,130 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

Of the eight new deaths reported today, one was between the ages of 50-64, three were between the ages of 65-79, and three were aged 80 years or older. Of the eight newly reported deaths, all had underlying health conditions. Information on the one death reported by the city of Long Beach can be found at longbeach.gov. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 32,117.

Today’s positivity rate is 4.3%.

Data is by date reported by DPH, but does not necessarily represent the date of testing, hospitalization, or death.

Vaccines Still Best Resource to Combat Covid

Even with new variants on the rise in LA County, the COVID vaccines hold up well for residents in all age and race/ethnic groups and are our best defense against severe illness. This is especially important as the Memorial Day holiday weekend begins and there are more opportunities for virus spread as many attend gatherings.

Among all age groups, vaccines substantially reduce the risk for hospitalizations and deaths. Unvaccinated LA County residents ages five and older were almost five times more likely to be hospitalized than those fully vaccinated, with the greatest impact among 65-79-year-old residents. The hospitalization rate for unvaccinated individuals ages 65-79 was more than 10 times higher than the rate for fully vaccinated individuals ages 65-79 for a three-month period ending April 30.

For the 14-day period ending May 5, unvaccinated residents age five and older, were almost eight times more likely to die from COVID-19 than their fully vaccinated counterparts. And again, for residents ages 65-79, differences by vaccination status were more pronounced; unvaccinated residents in this age group were 21 times more likely to die than those fully vaccinated.

Vaccines remain a powerful tool across all race/ethnic groups and, across all groups, those fully vaccinated have lower rates of hospitalizations and deaths than those unvaccinated. For instance, the hospitalization rate for unvaccinated Latinx residents was more than three times higher than the rate for vaccinated Latinx residents and the death rate for unvaccinated Latinx residents was over seven times higher than the death rate for their fully vaccinated counterparts.

Despite their clear benefit, vaccines are not equalizers and disparities in outcomes still exist even among vaccinated groups. For example, the death rates for fully vaccinated Latinx and Black residents were about three times higher than the rates for fully vaccinated Asian residents. These differences reflect differences in exposures, community conditions, health status, and social determinants of health that put Black and Brown residents at higher risk for infection and severe outcomes.

As residents plan to travel and gather with others this summer, maximizing protection from vaccines is critically important. Those eligible for boosters should not delay getting their third or fourth dose since the evidence indicates that vaccine efficacy wanes over time. With the proliferation of highly infectious Omicron variants and the potential for new sub-lineages to increase risk for severe illness, there is little advantage waiting until later in the year to get boosted. To find a nearby location offering free COVID-19 vaccines and boosters or to schedule an appointment to be vaccinated for free in your home, please contact the Public Health Call Center, seven days a week from 8:00 am to 8:30 pm at: (833) 540-0473 or visit Vaccinate L.A. County.

“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. “As we celebrate Memorial Day this Monday, I’d like to extend my gratitude to all of our armed forces members and their families who have dedicated their lives to protecting us through their military service. Many of us will attend events or host gatherings honoring these courageous men and women this long weekend. Regardless of how you plan to spend the holiday, we ask that you reduce the chance of getting or spreading COVID-19 by taking advantage of four powerful tools vaccinations, masking, testing and therapeutics.”

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 5 p.m. Friday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported one additional death in Santa Clarita increasing the number of total deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic to 474 in the Santa Clarita Valley.

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

Santa Clarita: 385

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: 1

Newhall: 1

unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

SCV Cases

Of the 76,838 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 56,649

Castaic: 7, 956

Stevenson Ranch: 4,395

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 2,732

Acton: 1,563

Val Verde: 881

Agua Dulce: 800

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 723

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 335

Elizabeth Lake: 214

Bouquet Canyon: 155

Lake Hughes: 152

Saugus/Canyon Country: 95

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 88

Sand Canyon: 49

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 36

Placerita Canyon: 15

*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, May 27.

Vaccinations

– 76,146,348 total vaccines administered.

– 84.1% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 53,127 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 8,896,174 confirmed cases to date.

– Friday’s average case count is 12,362 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 4.8 times more likely to get COVID-19 than boosted individuals (May 2, 2022 – May 8, 2022).

Testing

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

Hospitalizations

– There are 2,056 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 244 ICU patients statewide.

– Unvaccinated people are 6.8 times more likely to be hospitalized than boosted individuals (May 2, 2022 – May 8, 2022).

Deaths

– There have been 90,612 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 9 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 10.1 times more likely to die than boosted individuals (April 25, 2022 – May 1, 2022).

Health Care Workers

As of May 26, local health departments have reported 160,894 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 580 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 May 15 to May 21, 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 98% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of May 26, 2022, there have been 984 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.

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 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.