The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed six new deaths throughout L.A. County, 1,682 new cases countywide and 100 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 33,603, county case totals to 3,456,407 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 90,907 since March of 2020. SCV deaths from COVID-19 remain at 501.

Of the 6 new deaths reported today, two people were between the ages of 50-64, two people were between the ages of 65-79, and two people were aged 80 years or older. Of the six newly reported deaths, five had underlying health conditions.

Friday’s positivity rate is 4.3%.

There are 496 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,565,058 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive.

Wastewater Surveillance Shows Plateauing in Viral Concentrations

With more individuals using over-the-counter tests to assess COVID infections, the county COVID case rate, which doesn’t include the results from over-the-counter tests, may underestimate the level of transmission. Fortunately, Public Health is able to utilize wastewater surveillance to detect significant changes in viral loads or new variants.

Presently, there are four wastewater treatment plants that perform viral surveillance for SARS-CoV-2.

The two largest plants are the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant and the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant, serving about 7.5 million LA County residents across most of the county. At the Hyperion Plant, although viral concentrations declined notably in the first half of September, there was a small increase this past week. The Joint Water Pollution Control Plant reported small decreases throughout September.

The two smaller plants, the Lancaster Water Reclamation Plant that serves Lancaster and Palmdale, and the Tapia Water Reclamation Facility, serving Calabasas and surrounding areas, reported stable concentrations with small increases the past few days.

While the plateauing in viral concentrations in wastewater may signify that viral transmission is no longer decreasing, because most of our other early alert signals indicate low concern, we remain hopeful that transmission is not increasing at this time. However, the plateauing does highlight the need to carefully monitor the other signals to see if there are any additional signs in the next couple of weeks that suggest changes in transmission patterns or illness severity.

Overall, the county continues to report improved COVID-19 metrics. The 7-day average case count in the county is 1,297, an 8% decline from one week ago when the 7-day average of 1,397 cases was reported.

Over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVID-positive patients in L.A. County hospitals was 499, a 17% decline from one week ago when the average number of daily COVID-positive patients per day was 602.

Deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, remained stable at an average of 11 deaths reported each day this past week, nearly the same as an average of 12 daily reported deaths a week ago. The 7-day average test positivity rate remains stable at 4.3% over the past week.

The Omicron variant continues to account for 100% of Los Angeles County sequenced specimens, and the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron, remains the predominant subvariant. In the week ending Sept 10, 93% of all sequenced specimens were BA.5, the same as the week before, and the week before that. In Region 9, which includes California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and all of the U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean, the BA.5 subvariant is estimated to account for about 91% of sequenced specimens for the week ending September 24. Across the country, as of the week ending Sept. 24, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the BA.5 subvariant accounted for 83% of specimens. And according to the World Health Organization, BA.5 and BA.4 (and their sublineages, including BA.4.6) are the dominant variants in Europe.

The relative proportions of other key sublineages Public Health are tracking in the county have changed only slightly, including BA.2.12.1, which was under 1% last week has now declined all the way to zero. BA 4.6 continues to hover at about 3%. To date, 30 specimens of BA.2.75 total have been detected, with under 1% of sequenced specimens testing positive for this sublineage in the most recently available data.

Also last week, Public Health began tracking a new subvariant, called BF.7, a sublineage of BA.5, and is also referred to as BA.5.2.1.7. So far, seven sequenced specimens in L.A. County have been determined to be from BF.7. One was collected the week of Aug. 6, four were collected the week of Aug. 20 and two were collected the week of Sept. 10.

“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 begin to enjoy fall and start planning for gatherings and holidays, we need to prepare for the possibility that there can be significant transmission of both influenza and COVID this fall and winter. Both flu and COVID-19 are likely to infect more people when the days are shorter, and the temperatures are cooler. This is both because people spend more time indoors where respiratory virus can accumulate and jump more easily from person to person and because cooler weather allows the flu and SARS-CoV-2 virus particles to linger longer in the air and travel further, potentially infecting airways that have lower defenses. And while we don’t have certainty on what this winter will be like, including how much of a surge in COVID and flu we are likely to have, we do know that as the cooler weather sets in and cases rise, the risks will increase for some people more than others. Risks are elevated for older residents, for those with underlying health conditions, for those with more exposures, and for those unvaccinated. As we prepare for the upcoming holidays, one strategy for reducing risk for those most vulnerable for bad outcomes should they become infected, is for everyone, including those at lower risk, to get the fall COVID bivalent booster and the flu vaccine soon. This is because those at lower risk, including children, can easily transmit both flu and COVID to those more 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

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 501.

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

Santa Clarita: 407

Castaic: 32

Acton: 18

Stevenson Ranch: 16

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 90,907 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 67,104

Castaic: 9,091

Stevenson Ranch: 5,408

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 3,300

Acton: 1,862

Val Verde: 998

Agua Dulce: 921

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 862

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 404

Elizabeth Lake: 249

Bouquet Canyon: 190

Lake Hughes: 191

Saugus/Canyon Country: 106

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 100

Sand Canyon: 57

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 42

Placerita Canyon: 22

*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 Thursday

The California Department of Public Health now updates their numbers on Thursdays. The information below is from the most recent data released Thursday, Sept. 29.

Statewide COVID-19 Data

Rates of cases, hospitalizations and deaths are highest among unvaccinated individuals and lowest among boosted individuals. This is true for all age groups. See additional data for unvaccinated and vaccinated cases, hospitalizations, and deaths [here].

Vaccinations

– 81,210,441 total vaccines administered.

– 80.5% of the population has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 76,908 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 10,412,352 confirmed cases to date.

– Thursday’s average case count is 3,553 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– During July 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.6 times more likely to get COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 4.8% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 2,030 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 246 ICU patients statewide.

– During July 2022, unvaccinated people were 3.0 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Deaths

– There have been 95,165 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 26 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– During July 2022, unvaccinated people were 3.6 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Health Care Workers

* As of Sept. 28, local health departments have reported 180,870 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 588 deaths statewide.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

* As of Sept. 12, there have been 1014 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.

Updated Testing Requirements for Visitors to Health Care Facilities

Beginning Saturday, Sept. 17, visitors to health care facilities, such as skilled nursing facilities and general acute care hospitals, will no longer be required to be tested or show proof of vaccination in order to visit loved ones. Visitors must continue to comply with CDPH Masking Guidance while visiting loved ones indoors in these settings.

Facilities should continue to maintain all current infection prevention practices to protect the vulnerable populations in health care facilities. In addition, they should continue to offer testing for visitors per recommendations from CDPH and/or the local public health department and have the ability to ramp up testing if it is required again at a future date.

In August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in updated testing guidance, indicated screening testing is no longer recommended in general community settings. Therefore, CDPH has also updated COVID-19 testing guidance.

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.