The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Monday confirmed 1,071 new cases of COVID-19 and 19 new deaths due to the virus countywide, with a total of 2,762 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley since the pandemic began, 1 more local case than reported Sunday.

In the SCV, 26 people have died of the virus to date — 21 resided in the city of Santa Clarita, 2 in Acton, 1 in Castaic, 1 in unincorporated Valencia, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon.

Countywide, Public Health has reported 73,791 positive cases of COVID-19 and a total of 2,926 deaths to date. Ninety-three percent of people who died had underlying health conditions.

Statewide, the California Department of Public Health has reported a total of 151,452 confirmed cases and 5,089 deaths from COVID-19. Currently, there are 3,103 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,220 ICU hospitalizations.

As of June 14, local health departments have reported 12,237 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 74 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Monday Update

Of the 2,762 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 894

Castaic: 1,715(includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 40

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 39

Val Verde: 23

Acton: 19

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 12

Agua Dulce: 9

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 5

Elizabeth Lake: 3

Bouquet Canyon: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 1

*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.

Henry Mayo Monday Update
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported its 12th COVID-related death on Tuesday, June 9 (the day when the most recent numbers were released), according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

As of June 9, of the 2,045 persons tested at Henry Mayo to date, 234 tested positive, 2,013 were negative, 60 were pending and 3 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care. A total of 91 COVID-19 patients have been discharged so far.

Discrepancies in the testing numbers are due to some patients being tested more than once, he said.

The hospital is now releasing numbers on a weekly basis (Wednesdays) unless there is a drastic change in the number of cases or a death has been confirmed, Moody said.

L.A. County Demographics

Fourteen people who died were over the age of 65 years, four people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Eleven people had underlying health conditions including 10 people over the age of 65 years old and one person between the ages of 41 to 65 years old.

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 2,720 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 41% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 29% among White residents, 17% among Asian residents, 11% among African American residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races.

Upon further investigation, 298 cases reported earlier were not LA County residents.

There are 1,285 people who are currently hospitalized, 31% of these people are in the ICU and 24% are on ventilators.

Public Health continues to track disproportionality in health outcomes by race, ethnicity and income level data of people who have been tested, hospitalized and died from COVID-19.

African Americans, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, and people living in communities with high levels of poverty continue to have the highest rate of death per 100,000 people for COVID-19 when compared to other groups.

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders have a death rate of 30 per 100,000, African Americans have a death of 31 per 100,000, Latinos/Latinxs have a death of 29 per 100,000, Asians have a death rate of 21 per 100,000, and Whites have a death rate of 15 per 100,000.

People who live in areas with high rates of poverty have almost four times the rate of deaths for COVID-19 with 51 per 100,000 people, compared with communities with very low poverty levels who had a death rate of 13 per 100,000.

Public Health continues collaboration with community, healthcare, and philanthropic partners to improve testing, connection to care and services, and in-language and culturally appropriate communications to the communities experiencing these inequitable outcomes.

L.A. County Testing

Testing capacity continues to increase in L.A. County, with testing results available for over 825,000 individuals and 8% of people testing positive.

Case investigation and contact tracing is a containment strategy that has been used by public health departments for decades to slow the spread of infectious diseases and manage outbreaks. Currently, Public Health has over 1500 persons working as contact tracers for the COVID-19 response.

Public Health interviews persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are residents of Los Angeles County, excluding Long Beach and Pasadena, to provide information about how to protect themselves and others, to find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious.

This involves identifying and interviewing every person who has been in close contact with someone who is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 in order to quarantine those exposed (contacts) and monitor them for signs and symptoms of the disease. This process is confidential and depends on the timeliness of the testing laboratory to report positive COVID-19 test results to Public Health, whether the report contains the individual’s complete and correct contact information, as well as whether individuals respond timely to Public Health’s case interview and contact tracer calls and emails.

Please remember that if you think you could be positive and are awaiting testing results, to stay at home and act as if you are positive for COVID-19. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside, or until you receive a negative result. Please also note a contact tracer will never ask for a Social Security number, payment or documented status.

“There are many families across our County who are experiencing the sorrow of losing a loved one to COVID-19. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you every day,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

“Contact tracing is a confidential and simple process that has been used by public health departments for decades to slow the spread of infectious diseases and avoid outbreaks,” Ferrer said. “When a person tests positive for COVID-19, it is important to find out where that person has been and who they were in close contact with while they could transmit the disease to others, so that anyone who may have been exposed knows that they may also be positive. If you are contacted by a contact tracer, you caller ID will identify them as “LA Public Health,” and it important that you answer or return their call.”

Healthcare Workers Testing
Public Health continues tracking the number of positive cases and deaths among healthcare workers related to the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Public Health has confirmed 44 people who died from COVID-19 worked in a healthcare setting; 32 people who died worked in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, six people worked in hospitals, two people worked in home health, one person worked in a correctional facility, one person worked in a laboratory, and one person worked in an outpatient facility.

For one health care worker who passed away, their workplace setting is not specified. Twenty of the health care workers who died identified as Asian, 18 of the people who died were Latino/Latinx, two of the people who died were African American, two of the people who died were White, one person identified with another race, and for one person who died, their race and ethnicity was not specified.

A total of 6,561 confirmed cases of COVID-19 occurred among healthcare workers and first responders; this is an additional 530 new cases reported since the previous week.

Six percent of healthcare workers with COVID-19 have been hospitalized. Forty-four percent of cases are among nurses, though cases have been identified among a range of occupational roles, including caregivers, people who work in administration, physicians and medical assistants. Sixty percent of these cases reported a known source of exposure, and 79% of healthcare workers with known exposure reported being exposed in a healthcare facility.

Healthcare workers who are positive worked at 27 different occupational settings, with the vast majority of cases among healthcare workers from skilled nursing facilities and hospitals.

Stage 3 Modified Health Order
Public Health issued a modified Health Officer Order designed to help move the county of Los Angeles into Stage 3 of California’s Pandemic Resilience Roadmap. The modified Health Officer Order allows for the following sectors to reopen once they implement the required protocols for infection control and distancing:

* Gyms and fitness facilities

* Pro-league arenas without live audiences

* Day camps

* Museums, galleries, zoos and aquariums

* Campgrounds, RV parks and outdoor recreation

* Music, film and television production

* Hotels for leisure travel

As with all businesses that are permitted to reopen, the Health Officer Order contains protocols for reopening to ensure it is done as safely as possible for employees, customers and residents.

Employees and visitors to these businesses will need to wear a cloth face covering when around other people and practice physical distancing of at least 6 feet at all times. Some employees may also be required to wear face shields. The directives are contained in sector-specific protocols that guide re-opening and are available online.

It is important for everyone to follow the directives and to do their part every day to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Best Protections

Because COVID-19 is still relatively easy to transmit and continues to cause serious illness and death, everyone should always wear a face covering securely over their nose and mouth and keep six feet apart from others not in their household when out and about.

Businesses must continue to implement their physical distancing and infection control protocols that protect both employees and customers.

If anyone has been in a crowded setting, where people are congregating who are not using face coverings or distancing, or if you had close contact (within 6 feet for greater than 15 minutes) with non-household members who were not wearing face coverings please consider the following:

* If you live with persons who are elderly or have high-risk conditions, you should also maintain a six-foot distance and wear a face covering when you are with them at home, avoid preparing food for others, sharing utensils, bedding and towels, and increase cleaning and disinfecting of common surfaces.

* Consider getting tested for COVID-19 if you have been exposed to someone that is positive or likely positive.

The best protection against COVID-19 continues to be to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, self-isolate if you are sick, practice physical distancing and wear a clean face covering when in contact with others from outside your household.

People who have underlying health conditions remain at much greater risk for serious illness from COVID-19, so it will continue to be very important for the county’s vulnerable residents to stay at home as much as possible, to have groceries and medicine delivered, and to call their providers immediately if they have even mild symptoms.

The Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Here’s the L.A. County incident report for Monday, June 15:

[Open .pdf in new window]

California Demographics

Overall, for adults 18 and older, Latinos, African Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are dying at disproportionately higher levels. The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in African Americans is about double their population representation across all adult age categories.

For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, overall numbers are low, but there is nearly a four-fold difference between the proportion of COVID-19 deaths and their population representation. More males are dying from COVID-19 than females, in line with national trends.

More information is available at COVID-19 Race and Ethnicity Data.

Testing in California
California’s positivity rate – a key indicator of community spread – remains stable in the 14-day average. Hospitalization rates remain stable over the long-term while showing a slight uptick in the 14-day average.

As testing capacity continues to increase across the state, the California Department of Public Health is working to expand access to COVID-19 testing. Testing should be used for medical evaluation of persons with symptoms of COVID-19 as well as for efforts by public health agencies and essential employers to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19.

As of June 14, there have been 2,868,182 tests conducted in California and reported to the California Department of Public Health. This represents an increase of 66,186 tests over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

These numbers include data from commercial, private and academic labs, including Quest, LabCorp, Kaiser, University of California and Stanford, and the the 25 state and county health labs currently testing.

More than 85 community testing sites also offer free, confidential testing: Find a COVID-19 Testing Site.

New Data Portal

The state has launched a new, user-friendly data portal at COVID-19 Statewide Update that tracks COVID-19 cases statewide and by county, gender, age and ethnicity. The portal also outlines statewide hospitalizations and testing efforts. The data presented on the portal will be updated daily and will include additional information as it is available.

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.