The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Friday confirmed 40 new deaths and 530 new cases of COVID-19, the first drop in new deaths after three consecutive record-setting days, peaking at 55 on Thursday.

However, the number of new cases spiked from 399 Thursday. Over the last 48 hours, there have been 966 new cases, with at least 233 reported in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed Friday afternoon that a third person had died at the hospital due to COVID-19.

Twenty-eight people who died were over the age of 65; eight people who died were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old; one death occurred between the ages of 18 to 40 years old; and one death is under investigation. Twenty-six people had underlying health conditions; nine people over the age of 65 and two people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old had no reported underlying health conditions. Two deaths were reported by the City of Pasadena.

Santa Clarita Valley Update

Of the at least 233 cases have been reported for the Santa Clarita Valley to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 188

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 15

Stevenson Ranch: 12

Castaic: 9

Acton: 5

Agua Dulce: 1 to 4

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 1 to 4

Val Verde: 1-4

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 1-4

Due to health privacy laws, the county does not report exact numbers of cases in communities with a population under 25,000 until there are 5 or more cases.

Henry Mayo Update
Of the 497 persons tested at Henry Mayo to date, 103 were positive, 394 negative, 6 are pending and 35 are currently hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said Friday.

Moody said the discrepancies in the numbers are due to some patients being tested more than once.

“The number of discharged COVID-19 patients is 17,” he said, also confirming the third death at the hospital.

County Totals, Racial & Ethnic Demographics
To date, Public Health has identified 11,391 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 495 deaths. Eighty-seven percent of people who died had underlying health conditions.

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 425 people (92 percent of the cases); 34% of deaths occurred among Latinx residents, 29% among White residents, 18% among Asian residents, 16% among African American residents, and 3% among residents identifying with other races.

Upon further investigation, 30 cases reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

As of Friday, 3,014 people who tested positive for COVID-19 (26% of positive cases) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. Testing capacity continues to increase in LA County, with testing results available for over 74,000 individuals and 14% of people testing positive.

“We are saddened by every life lost in L.A. County during this global crisis, and our hearts go out the loved ones who are mourning. We mourn with you,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Each day, we are inspired by all of you who are continuing to do your part to slow the spread of COVID-19. It is an unprecedented time, and so many have shown courage, goodwill and compassion as our lives have all changed dramatically and we’ve all been affected in different ways. These times are tough, but they are temporary. Remaining committed to the strategies that are helping us gradually get ahead of COVID-19, we will, one day at a time, get through this together.”

The best protection against COVID-19 is to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, self-isolate if you are sick, practice physical distancing (especially by staying at home) and wear a clean face covering when out in the public procuring or providing essential services. N95 and surgical masks should only be used by healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers providing care for people who are ill.

The current Health Officer Order extends the previous Health Officer Order through May 15 and requires essential businesses to provide a cloth face covering for all employees to wear while performing duties that involve contact with other employees and or the public and to post physical distancing plans.

The public is required to wear a face covering to enter essential businesses as well. Beaches, trails and trailheads and non-essential businesses remain closed, and all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a single household or living unit remain prohibited. Slowing the spread of COVID-19 requires that the public adhere to all the directives that limit interactions with those outside their households.

Public Health reminds everyone that if you are ill, even with mild symptoms, please self- isolate at home for 7 days and until you are fever and symptom free for 72 hours. If you have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 or is presumed to be infected with COVID-19, you must quarantine for 14 days from your last contact with that individual. Individuals who are elderly, have underlying health conditions or are pregnant may be at higher risk of serious illness and should contact their doctor as soon as they are sick.

For additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community, visit the Public Health website at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Here’s the county’s Incident Report for Friday, April 17, 2020:

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