Map shows test orders placed through UCLA Health only.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed 29 new deaths and 620 new cases of 2019 novel coronavirus COVID-19 in the county on Wednesday, with a minimum of 153 cases to date in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Twenty-two of the people who died had underlying health conditions and 17 people were over the age of 65. One of the individuals over the age of 65 did not have underlying health conditions. Seven people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old and two of these individuals did not have underlying health conditions. One person was between the ages of 18 to 40 years old and had underlying health conditions.

Three deaths were reported by the city of Long Beach and one death by the city of Pasadena.

Over the last 48 hours, there have been 1,170 new cases.

To date, Public Health has identified 7,530 cases across all areas of L.A. County, including 198 deaths. As of Wednesday, 1,714 people who tested positive for COVID-19 (23% of positive cases) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness.

Testing capacity continues to increase in L.A. county, with more than 36,000 individuals tested and 15% of people testing positive.

Henry Mayo Update
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has seen the following as of noon Wednesday, according to spokesman Patrick Moody: Of 378 persons tested to date, 58 were positive, 305 negative, 23 are pending and 15 are currently hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care, one more than Tuesday.

“We have had no deaths attributed to COVID-19 (at the hospital),” Moody said Wednesday.

A minimum 139 cases have been reported for the Santa Clarita Valley, as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 122

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 11

Stevenson Ranch: 10

Castaic: 6

Acton: 1 to 4

Agua Dulce: 1 to 4

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 1 to 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.

The best community and individual defense against COVID-19 is to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoid being around sick people, practice physical distancing, especially by staying at home and wearing a face covering when out procuring or providing essential services.

COVID-19 impacts each person’s emotional wellbeing differently. One of the most important aspects of our mental health is feeling connected. Call, email, text or video chat with the people in your life. Reach out every day. This can often provide reassurance to those we care about and those who care about us. If you feel overwhelmed or stressed and would like to speak with someone, you can call the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Access Center 24/7 Helpline at 800-854-7771.

Public Health has noted that everyone should wear cloth face coverings when interacting with others while obtaining or providing essential supplies and services. Individuals should use a clean face covering anytime they will be in contact with other people who are not household members in public or private spaces.

N95 and surgical masks should only be used by healthcare workers, first responders, essential workers providing care for people who are ill, and people who are ill.

The best community and individual defense against COVID-19 is to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoid being around sick people, practice physical distancing, especially by staying at home and wearing a face covering when out procuring or providing essential services.

“Our hearts go out to every family who has experienced loss related to this COVID-19 pandemic,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “I want to acknowledge that for many residents, this week represents some of the holiest days of your faith traditions and the inability to fellowship in familiar ways makes celebrating this year particularly difficult. We are grateful to all the accommodations being made to allow people to connect spiritually while remaining physically distant.”

Public Health has issued the following guidance for people with mild illness during this time of increased spread:

If you are mildly sick, stay home for at least seven days and until 72 hours after being fever and symptom-free. Call your doctor if you are concerned and/or your symptoms worsen. Individuals who are elderly, have underlying health conditions or are pregnant may be at higher risk of serious illness and should contact their doctor early if they are sick.

Additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov .

*These numbers are subject to change based on further investigation.
**– means that case numbers are suppressed (between 1 and 4 cases in communities <25,000 people). ***Rate is crude and is per 100,000. This represents the number of cases per 100,000 people and allows for the proportional comparison of cities of different sizes.

Here’s the county incident report for April 8:

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 (CDC)

– Spanish

– World Health Organization

LA County residents can also call 2-1-1.

The Department of Public Health is committed to promoting health equity and ensuring optimal health and well-being for all 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health comprises nearly 4,500 employees and has an annual budget of $1.2 billion. To learn more about Los Angeles County Public Health, please visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.