The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Monday confirmed 16 new deaths and 652 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with the SCV total coming to 5,829 confirmed cases and 57 deaths.

To date, Public Health has identified 261,446 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 6,366 deaths. The number of cases and deaths reported Monday reflect a weekend reporting lag.

There are 739 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 and 31% of these people are in the ICU. This number has continued to trend lower since mid-August.

Testing results are available for more than 2,552,000 individuals with 9% of all people testing positive. There are 749 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 and 28% of these people are in the ICU.

There is significant potential for transmission of COVID-19 at workplaces, making it critically important for employers to adhere to the workplace protocols that require infection control, distancing, masking, and appropriate PPE for all workers.  This is particularly important since after work, many of us go home to family members and other people we live with, some of whom may be at higher risk for becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.

Public Health’s compliance team continues to visit businesses across the County every day. Inspectors review County reopening protocols with business owners and ensure they are familiar with all requirements related to disinfection, the use of face coverings, physical distancing, and any other specific required modifications and employee protections. Initial efforts of compliance inspections are focused on educating business owners and workers about how to stay safe but can result in citations for non-compliance where businesses are in violation of the Health Officer Order and protocols.

As a result of inspections conducted since August 30, 46 citations have been issued to 25 establishments. In some cases, these establishments were also closed because there were significant health and safety concerns or flagrant violations of the Health Officer Orders, including operating indoors in violation of the State and County Health Officer Orders.

Public Health has multiple ways for anonymous reporting of violations of Health Officer Orders and protocols in the workplace. Workers or employers can call the Environmental Health Customer Call Center at 888-700-9995, Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays or can make a complaint and report violations online at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Nearly two weeks ago, the County launched the Safety Compliance Certificate Program that allows businesses to complete an on-line training and self-certify that they are fully implementing the required COVID-19 Protocols to make their workplace as safe as possible for both employees and customers. A total of 663 businesses and 712 employees have taken the training and received the certificate. The training is free and is found on the Public Health website. As a reminder this training is not mandatory, and all businesses must still comply with required protocols. Businesses that complete the training can post the safety certificate.

“For those who are mourning loved ones and friends who have passed away from COVID-19, we are so sorry for your loss,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Worker protections and safe workplaces are an essential part of slowing the spread of COIVD-19 and protecting the health of our communities, and I want to thank all the workplaces who have followed the requirements for opening that are laid out in the Health Officer Order, as well as the workplaces that have diligently reported outbreaks and taken the infection control steps to protect their workers. We are working with the Board of Supervisors to establish worker public health councils that help ensure employee safety, particularly among sectors experiencing high numbers of cases and/or outbreaks.”

Of the 16 new deaths reported today, eight people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, four people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, two people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Eleven people who died had underlying health conditions including eight people over the age of 80, two people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, and one person between the ages of 30 and 49 years old.

“To the families grieving the loss of a loved one to COVID-19, our hearts go out to you every day,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

“I appreciate the diligent efforts everyone is making to slow the spread of COVID-19 and am grateful that daily hospitalizations and deaths have continued to decline,” Ferrer said. “This decline didn’t happen by chance – this happened because individuals and businesses are doing their part to take those actions that reduce transmission. As we move into another weekend, we can’t let our guard down.”

California Monday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Monday, September 21, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 781,694 confirmed cases to date. Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.

There were 3,294 newly recorded confirmed cases Sunday. Numbers do not represent true day-over-day change as these results include cases from prior to yesterday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 2.8% and the 14-day positivity rate is 3.1%.

There have been 13,672,782 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 149,624 over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As case numbers continue to rise in California, the total number of individuals who will have serious outcomes will also increase. There have been 15,018 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

COVID Around the World: USA Still Tops with Nearly 200K Deaths, But India Surges
Worldwide, 30,316,394 prople have been infected by COVID-19 while 948,365 people have died as of 1:22 Friday afternoon, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Since the pandemic began, more than 6,710,585 Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while the number of people in the U.S. who have died due to the virus has surpassed 198,306.

The United States, population 330 million, has the world’s highest numbers of cases and deaths. By comparison, India, population 1.4 billion, which took the No. 2 spot in cases over Labor Day Weekend, had confirmed 5,214,677 million cases and 84,372 deaths as of Friday afternoon. India is on track to soon surpass the U.S. in deaths. Brazil still has the second-highest death toll at 134,935.

Santa Clarita Valley Monday Update
As of 5:30 p.m. Monday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 data COVID-19 data dashboard reported a total of 57 deaths from COVID-19 in the Santa Clarita Valley. Of those who have died from the disease, 46 lived in the city of Santa Clarita, 4 in Castaic, 2 in Acton, 2 in Stevenson Ranch, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Val Verde, and 1 in unincorporated Valencia.

Of the 5,829 cases reported to Public Health among SCV residents to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 3,341

Castaic: 1,937 (most from Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 159

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 130

Val Verde: 69

Acton: 68

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 42

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 27

Agua Dulce: 26

Elizabeth Lake: 7

Bouquet Canyon: 6

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 7

Sand Canyon: 6

Lake Hughes: 3

Saugus/Canyon Country: 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.

Underlying Health Conditions

Ninety-two percent of the people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions.  Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 5,989 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 51% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 23% among White residents, 15% among Asian residents, 10% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races.  Upon further investigation, three cases and three deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

Because COVID-19 can be deadly to anyone and is widespread in L.A. County, the guidance continues to be for everyone to avoid being exposed to the virus.

Limit going out in public to what is essential, distance six feet away from others when out in public, wear a face covering, and wash hands frequently.

It is important to isolate if you are sick and get tested if you have symptoms or think you were exposed to someone with COVID-19. This is the best way to prevent getting and spreading COVID-19.

L.A. County Demographics: Age

Of the 16 new deaths reported Monday, eight people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, four people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, two people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Eleven people who died had underlying health conditions including eight people over the age of 80, two people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, and one person between the ages of 30 and 49 years old.

Cases by Age Group (Los Angeles County only — excluding Long Beach and Pasadena)

* 0 to 4 4118

* 5 to 11 8903

* 12 to 17 11043

* 18 to 29 61483

* 30 to 49 84781

* 50 to 64 47778

* 65 to 79 18948

* over 80 8850

* Under Investigation 1517

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.

California Blueprint for a Safer Economy

California Testing

The testing turnaround dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. California has worked to reduce testing turnaround times in recent weeks to help curb the spread of the virus. During the week of September 6 to September 12, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 69 percent of patients received test results in 1 day and 90 percent received them within two days. The testing turnaround time dashboard (PDF) is updated weekly.

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 more than one-and-a-half times their population representation across all adult age categories. For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, overall numbers are low, but almost double 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.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

Each week, the California Department of Public Health updates the number of cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) reported in the state.

As of September 14, 80 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide. To protect patient confidentiality in counties with fewer than 11 cases, we are not providing total counts at this time.

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. Parents should be aware of the signs and symptoms of MIS-C including fever that does not go away, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes or feeling tired. Contact your child’s doctor immediately if your child has these symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment of patients is critical to preventing long-term complications.

Racial Demographics – A More Complete Picture

Health Care Worker Infection Rates

As of September 20, local health departments have reported 37,205 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 177 deaths statewide.

Protect Yourself and Your Family

Every person has a role to play. Protecting yourself and your family comes down to common sense:

* Staying home except for essential needs/activities following local and state public health guidelines when patronizing approved businesses. To the extent that sectors are re-opened, Californians may leave their homes to work at, patronize, or otherwise engage with those businesses, establishments or activities.

* Practicing social distancing

* Wearing a cloth face mask when out in public

* Washing hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds

* Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands

* Covering a cough or sneeze with your sleeve, or disposable tissue. Wash your hands afterward

* Avoiding close contact with people who are sick

* Staying away from work, school or other people if you become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough

* Following guidance from public health officials

Your Actions Save Lives

Every person has a role to play. Protecting yourself and your family comes down to common sense:

• Staying home except for essential needs/activities following local and state public health guidelines when patronizing approved businesses. To the extent that such sectors are re-opened, Californians may leave their homes to work at, patronize, or otherwise engage with those businesses, establishments or activities.
• Practicing social distancing.
• Wearing a cloth face mask when out in public.
• Washing hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
• Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Covering a cough or sneeze with your sleeve, or disposable tissue. Wash your hands afterward.
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
• Staying away from work, school or other people if you become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough.
• Answer the call if a contact tracer from the CA COVID Team or your local health department tries to connect. Contact tracers will connect you to free, confidential testing and other resources, if needed.
• Following guidance from public health officials.

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.

It’s important if someone thinks they could be positive for COVID-19 and are awaiting testing results to stay at home and act as if they are positive. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside.

If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a public health specialist to discuss how to protect themselves and others, to find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious.

California COVID-19 Data and Tools

A wide range of data and analysis guides California’s response to COVID-19. The state is making the data and its analytical tools available to researchers, scientists and the public at covid19.ca.gov.

* The Statewide COVID-19 Dashboard

* The California COVID-19 Assessment Tool (CalCAT)

* State Cases and Deaths Associated with COVID-19 by Age Group

* COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data

* COVID-19 Hospital Data and Case Statistics

* View additional datasets at the California Open Data Portal (including Testing Data, PPE Logistics Data, Hospital Data, Homeless Impact and more)

Consolidated guidance is available on the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance webpage.

* * * * *

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus (COVID-19):

* Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

* California Department of Public Health

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

* Spanish

* World Health Organization

* Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Dashboard

L.A. County residents can also call 2-1-1.

* * * * *