The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Sunday confirmed 24 new deaths and 334 new cases of COVID-19, with at least 248 cases reported to date in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Sunday’s tally marks a significant drop from the 81 new deaths county health officials reported Saturday, which was the highest daily death toll to date.

Over the last 48 hours, there have been 978 new cases. Sixteen people who died were over the age of 65; 4 people who died were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old; three people who died were between the ages of 18 to 40 years old.

Twenty-three people who died had underlying health conditions; 13 people over the age of 65; three people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old; and three people between the ages of 18 to 40 years old. One death was reported by the city of Long Beach.

Santa Clarita Valley Update

Of the at least 248 cases have been reported for the Santa Clarita Valley to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 201

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 15

Stevenson Ranch: 13

Castaic: 10

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 516 persons tested at Henry Mayo to date, 107 were positive, 411 negative, 1 is pending and 33 are currently hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said Sunday.

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 21,” he said. There have been three deaths at the hospital to date.

County Totals, Racial & Ethnic Demographics
L.A. County Public Health has identified 12,341 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 600 deaths so far in the pandemic. Eighty-nine percent of people who died had underlying health conditions.

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 528 people (94 percent of the cases); 36% of deaths occurred among Latinx residents, 29% among White residents, 17% among Asian residents, 16% among African American residents, and 2% among residents identifying with other races.

Upon further investigation, 14 cases reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

As of Sunday, 3,387 people who tested positive for COVID-19 (29% of positive cases) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. Testing capacity continues to increase in L.A. County, with testing results available for more than 79,000 individuals and 15% of people testing positive.

“Though there are promising signs that our collective efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 are working, we are sad to report today that more Angelenos have lost their lives to COVID-19, and their loved ones are in our hearts as they mourn,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

“Despite the high number of total deaths and the continued increase in new cases, there is evidence that our physical distancing efforts are working,” Ferrer said. “As we plan ahead for recovery, we ask that all remain steadfast in complying with the directives laid out in our Safer at Home Order; stay home as much as possible, practice physical distancing at all times, wear face coverings when out in public, and keep hands clean. We know that these are extraordinarily difficult times, and appreciate the efforts made by everyone to bring wellness back to our community. Together we are saving lives and together we will get through this.”

Best Protections
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.