The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed seven new deaths throughout L.A. County, 1,447 new cases countywide and 50 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 33,999, county case totals to 3,493,150 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 91,986 since March of 2020. SCV deaths from COVID-19 remain at 510.

Of the seven new deaths reported today, four people were between the ages of 65-79 and three people were aged 80 years or older. Of the seven newly reported deaths, all had underlying health conditions.

Friday’s positivity rate is 5.0%.

There are 453 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,653,863 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive.

All Residents Should Get Updated Fall COVID-19 Booster Now

For the past month, LA County has been noting signals that the COVID-19 case rate may no longer be declining locally. The steady decline observed since July appeared to plateau in mid-October. This week, LA County is reporting a nearly 10% increase in the 7-day-average case from one week ago. Careful monitoring of case rates, as well as the LA County Early Alert signals, will continue to help LA County prepare for a potential COVID-19 surge this winter fueled by more infectious variants.

While Omicron BA.5 continues to be the dominant subvariant, each week it is accounting for a smaller proportion of samples. As of the week ending Oct. 15, it accounted for about 72% of sequenced specimens. BF.7, a descendant of BA.5, makes up the second largest proportion of cases sequenced at 7.8%.

Recently, Public Health added two additional descendant strains of BA.5 to weekly variant reporting: BQ.1 and BQ.1.1. Each of these sublineages account for 3.4% of sequenced specimens for the week ending October 15.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as of about two weeks ago, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 combined, accounted for nearly 17% of cases across the country, up considerably from about 9% the week before. There are reports that BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 have some growth advantages over some of the other sublineages, and they may begin to increase here as well.

One thing that everyone can do to prepare is to make sure they have the updated COVID-19 Fall bivalent booster, available for people 5 years and older. A bivalent booster that can protect against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the more recently spreading Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. These two subvariants are different, but they have the same spike protein, and the new Fall bivalent booster offers protection against both. The bivalent booster is also expected to provide protection against the BQ strains.

Unfortunately, in LA County, uptake of the bivalent booster lags. While nearly 85% of residents ages 5 and older have received their primary vaccine series, only 11% of eligible people, those who have the primary series vaccine and for those who it has been more than two months since their last COVID booster, have received the new bivalent booster. Of the nearly 1.27 million residents ages 65 and older who are eligible for a bivalent booster dose, only about 20%, 283,000 people, have received one. More than 980,000 people in this older age group, who are more vulnerable to severe outcomes from COVID-19, are eligible for the new booster, yet have not received it.

These updated Fall COVID-19 boosters, plus flu vaccines, are readily available at Public Health sites, pharmacies, and other locations across the county. Seniors and residents who can’t easily leave their home can contact Public Health telehealth services at (833) 540-0473, seven days a week, from 8:00 am to 8:30 pm to arrange for at-home COVID-19 Fall booster and primary series vaccinations or transportation to a vaccination center. Insurance is not required, and callers can be assisted in multiple languages.

Residents can also go to VaccinateLACounty.com to find nearby vaccination sites, request a mobile vaccination team for your worksite or community event, or an in-home visit if you or someone you know is homebound.

The 7-day average case count in the county is 1,083, a nearly 10% increase from one week ago when the 7-day average of 988 cases was reported.

Over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVID-positive patients in LA County hospitals increased slightly to 403. The week before, the average daily COVID-positive patients per day was 389.

Deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, have decreased slightly and they are at an average of 8 deaths reported each day this past week.

“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. “With recent unusually high levels of flu and other respiratory diseases, there are signs the county could be headed toward a COVID surge this fall and winter. As families are about to start their holiday travel and get-togethers, it continues to be important to follow simple steps to prevent respiratory illness and COVID-19. The first, and most important, health measure we can take is to receive the new COVID-19 bivalent booster if we are at least two months out from our last dose. More than seven million people in LA County face waning immunity from their previous vaccine and booster doses, and with few community-wide safety measures in place, more people may be vulnerable this fall and winter. Getting the new updated booster is likely to help keep many out of the hospital, which could keep our healthcare system from getting overwhelmed. Other sensible health steps include getting the seasonal flu vaccine, washing hands frequently, wearing well-fitted, high filtration masks to limit the spread of disease, and staying home if you do become ill with respiratory symptoms like coughing or sneezing, a sore throat, or fever.”

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, keeping the total number of deaths in the SCV at 510.

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

Santa Clarita: 413

Castaic: 32

Acton: 19

Stevenson Ranch: 17

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 10

Agua Dulce: 6

Elizabeth Lake: 3

Val Verde: 3 (revised from 4)

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Newhall: 1

Unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 1
 

SCV Cases

Of the 91,986 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 67,936

Castaic: 9,182

Stevenson Ranch: 5,496

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 3,338

Acton: 1,854

Val Verde: 1,006

Agua Dulce: 929

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 870

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 408

Elizabeth Lake: 252

Bouquet Canyon: 191

Lake Hughes: 195

Saugus/Canyon Country: 106

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 100

Sand Canyon: 59

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 Friday

The California Department of Public Health now updates their numbers on Thursdays. The information below is from the most recent data released Thursday, Nov. 3.

Vaccinations

– 84,145,540 total vaccines administered.

– 72.4% of the population has been vaccinated with a primary series.

– 78,515 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 10,519,175 confirmed cases to date.

– Thursday’s average case count is 2,460 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– During September 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.5 times more likely to get COVID-19 than people who were
vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Testing

The testing positivity rate is 4.5% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 1,700 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 196 ICU patients statewide.

– During September 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.7 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Deaths

– There have been 96,185 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 14 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– During September 2022, unvaccinated people were 3.1 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Health Care Workers

As of Nov. 1, local health departments have reported 182,678 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 592 deaths statewide.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Oct. 11, there have been 1,025 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 Boosters for Children
California Health & Human Services and CDPH sent a statement on Oct. 13, 2022 on the expanded eligibility for the updated Moderna and Pfizer boosters. Eligibility for the updated Moderna booster now extends to individuals 6 years of age and older and eligibility for the updated Pfizer booster now extends to individuals 5 years of age and older. This statement follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation and has the support of the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.

Changes to Definition of Close Contact
CDPH is revising the definition of close contact related to COVID-19. The update, in keeping with the state’s SMARTER plan, provides strategies for responding to direct and indirect COVID-19 exposure in indoor environments, and aligns with the most current science, data, and information. These changes take effect Friday, Oct. 14, 2022.

The amended order can be viewed here, as well as a Q&A.

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.