California Public Health officials lifted the regional Stay at Home Order statewide on Monday as Los Angeles County Public Health officials confirmed 43 new deaths and 6,642 new cases of confirmed COVID-19 countywide, and Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia reported five new deaths on Saturday and Monday.

After reporting three fatalities Friday, the hospital reported four new deaths Saturday and one additional death Monday, bringing the number of people who have died at Henry Mayo to 39 so far in January, and 112 since the pandemic began, according to spokesman Patrick Moody.

The Santa Clarita Valley has reached a total of 23,227 cases — 560 more than Friday — and 195 deaths since L.A. county’s first confirmed COVID-19 infection one year ago on January 26, 2020.

Monday’s number of new cases and deaths reflect a reporting lag from over the weekend, L.A. County Public Health officials said in their daily update.

The seven-day average number of daily cases peaked on January 8 with more than 15,000 cases. As of January 20, that average dropped in half to 7,328 daily cases.

To date, Public Health has identified 1,079,396 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 15,303 deaths.

“To anyone mourning the loss of a loved one, a family member, a friend or co-worker, we offer our deepest sympathies. You remain in our thoughts, and our prayers,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Public Health director.

The average number of daily deaths from COVID-19 peaked at the beginning of the month and latest data shows that daily average dropped slightly to 162 deaths on January 17.

Public Health is still reporting many days with more than 200 deaths and it is highly likely that this continues for a few more weeks.

There are currently 6,486 people hospitalized with COVID-19, a downward trend, and 25% of these people are in the ICU.

Testing results are available for more than 5,400,000 individuals with 19% of all people testing positive. Monday’s daily test positivity rate is 11.9%.

California Lifts Regional Stay-at-Home Order; L.A. County to Align by Friday

On Monday, the state lifted the Regional Stay at Home Order and moved all counties back into the Blueprint for a Safer Economy color-coded tiers.

Los Angeles County, along with the majority of the state, is in the most restrictive purple tier.

With the lifting of the state’s Regional Stay-at-Home Order, the L.A. County Health Officer Order issued on Nov. 25 remains in effect until a new Health Officer Order is issued later this week to more fully align with the sector openings permitted in the purple tier.

The following is allowed starting Monday with adherence to all of the sector-specific directives to ensure distancing, wearing of face coverings, and infection control:

* Private gatherings outdoors up to 3 households and up to a total of 15 people

* Museums, zoos, aquariums outdoor operations at 50% occupancy

* Cardrooms outdoor operations at 50% occupancy

* Miniature golf, go-karts, batting cages outdoor operations at 50% occupancy

* Outdoor recreational activities are open

* Hotels & motels for tourism and individual travel allowed

* Fitness facilities open for outdoor operations

* Personal care services open indoors at 25% capacity

* Indoor mall, shopping center, lower-risk retail open at 25% indoor capacity; food courts and common areas closed

The following restrictions remain in effect until January 29:

* Restaurants, wineries, and breweries remain open for pick-up, delivery, and take-out only.

* Non-essential businesses closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Residents are advised to stay home as much as possible and always wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when outside their household and around others.

Read more about the state-county alignment here.

See more SCV and L.A. County info later in this report.

California Monday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Sunday, January 24, California Department of Public Health officials confirmed a total of 3,136,158 COVID-19 cases (up 27,007), with 37,118 deaths from the disease (up 324) since the pandemic began.

There are 17,432 confirmed hospitalizations and 4,395 ICU hospitalizations in the state, a downward trend.

As of Sunday, local health departments have reported 83,113 confirmed positive cases in healthcare workers and 328 deaths statewide.

There have been 40,688,908 COVID-19 tests conducted so far in California. This represents an increase of 403,193 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

The 7-day positivity rate is 8.0% and the 14-day positivity rate is 9.4%, on a downward trend.

Numbers do not represent true day-over-day change as these results may include cases from prior to yesterday.

As of Sunday, providers have reported administering a total of 2,437,504 vaccine doses statewide. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed.

Also as of Sunday, a total of 4,564,425 vaccine doses, which includes the first and second dose, have been shipped to local health departments and healthcare systems that have facilities in multiple counties.

See more California information later in this report.

Screencap from the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering COVID-19 dashboard, showing COVID cases in the United States as of Monday afternoon, January 25, 2021.

U.S. Deaths Surpass 420,000 People; Nearly 100,000,000 Cases Worldwide

Worldwide, 99,573,155 people have been infected by COVID-19 while 2,136,248 people have died of the virus as of 1:22 p.m. Monday Pacific Time, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

In the U.S., more than 25,235,095 Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The number of people in the U.S. who have died due to the virus has now surpassed 420,439.

With 4.25% of the world’s population (328.2 million) and more than 20% of the confirmed COVID-19 cases, the U.S. also continues to lead the world in deaths.

By comparison, Brazil (population 209.5 million) is No. 2 in deaths with 217,037, and No. 3 in cases with 8,844,577. India (population 1.353 billion) is No. 2 in cases, with 10,667,736 confirmed infections and 153,470 deaths as of Monday afternoon.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Monday Update

The four new deaths Saturday and new death Monday bring Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital’s COVID-19 death toll to 111, spokesman Patrick Moody said Monday afternoon.

In November, eight COVID-19 patients died at Henry Mayo. In December, four times that many people — 34 — died at the hospital, he said, an average of more than one death per day.

In 2021, as of January 25, the hospital has reported 39 patient deaths due to COVID-19, Moody confirmed.

As of Monday, 74 patients were hospitalized in dedicated COVID-19 units receiving ICU-level care (10 fewer than Friday), and a total of 968 COVID-19 patients have been treated and discharged so far, he said.

Henry Mayo releases complete statistics weekly, usually on Wednesdays, unless one or more new deaths occur.

Privacy laws prohibit Henry Mayo from releasing the community of residence for patients who die at the hospital; residence info is reported by the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard, which generally lags 48 hours behind.

Due to staffing shortages and a large number of COVID-19 patient admissions, Henry Mayo recently issued a “code triage” alert and put out a call for nurses and doctors to fill open staff positions.

Santa Clarita Valley Monday Update

As of 6 p.m. Saturday, the latest update of the L.A. County Public Health dashboard recorded 190 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began, but did not yet include the five new deaths at Henry Mayo reported Saturday and Monday.

Of the 195 SCV residents who have died, 162 lived in Santa Clarita, 11 in Castaic, six in Acton, four in Stevenson Ranch, three in unincorporated Canyon Country, two in Agua Dulce, one in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, one in Val Verde, and five in communities not yet named.

Of the 23,117 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 16,822

* Castaic: 3,352 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 907

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 670

* Acton: 380

* Val Verde: 259

* Agua Dulce: 203

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 154

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 112

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 61

* Elizabeth Lake: 68

* Bouquet Canyon: 39

* Lake Hughes: 35

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 29

* Sand Canyon: 13

* San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 13

*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.

A Year of COVID-19 in L.A. County

“(Tuesday) will mark the one-year anniversary of the first case of COVID-19 infection in Los Angeles County,” said L.A. County Public Health’s Barbara Ferrer.

“Since then, we have witnessed the horrific impact of this coronavirus on millions of lives in our county,” she said. “While our metrics are headed in the right direction, if we aren’t careful this can all quickly change. In order to prevent another increase in cases that leads us back to more restrictions, as sectors re-open, we strongly encourage everyone to follow the protocols that are in place and to keep doing what we know will help reduce transmissions — wear a face covering, maintain physical distance, avoid large gatherings and crowds. If you are at high risk for serious disease from COVID-19, we strongly recommend you continue to stay home as much as possible.”

L.A. County Vaccination Update

While COVID-19 vaccine supply remains very limited, Public Health has built an extensive network with pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, health clinics, and community vaccination sites, including six large capacity sites.

* Dodger Stadium (operated by the city of Los Angeles)

* Six Flags Magic Mountain, 26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia 91355

* California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St, Northridge 91330

* Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W McKinley Ave, Pomona 91768

* The Forum, 3900 W Manchester Blvd, Inglewood 90305

* L.A. County Office of Education, 12830 Columbia Way, Downey 90242

As of January 12, the total number of doses received in L.A. County was 685,075, and one week later, more than 525,000 doses had been administered. That means about 76% of all doses in hand have been put in people’s arms.

Public Health officials note that at any given time, there will always be a certain number of doses either in transit as they are being redistributed to more than 200 sites across the county, or are being used at these sites for the appointments coming up for the week.

Partnerships with cities, schools, businesses, labor unions, and health care providers will allow Public Health to build out a more expansive network so that when more vaccine doses arrive, we are ready.

How to Sign Up for a Vaccine Appointment

The registration system for the vaccination centers listed above opened for healthcare workers on January 13 and for residents 65 and older on January 19.

L.A. County’s COVID-19 vaccine website at www.VaccinateLACounty.com has incorporated the state’s new appointment registration platform, MyTurn. The registration system features a streamlined process for residents eligible to receive the vaccine. The system lets residents know if they are currently eligible and, if they are, can help find and book appointments that are available in their area.

The site also alerts people who registered to when appointments open up, or when vaccinations are opening up to additional priority groups.

Currently, MyTurn will make appointments for our five large capacity sites as well as two other county-operated vaccination sites. Appointments for all other locations, such as pharmacies and clinics, are also available on the website.

For those without access to a computer or the internet, a county call center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to help schedule appointments at 833-540-0473. Residents are encouraged to use the website whenever possible to sign up for an appointment to avoid long wait times on the phone.

Unfortunately, with limited vaccine supply, there are not enough appointments available to meet demand right now.

L.A. County Demographics — Deaths by Age Group

Of the 43 new deaths reported Monday, 12 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 17 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, nine people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and one person who died was between the ages of 30 and 49. Two deaths were reported by the city of Pasadena.

L.A. County Demographics — Cases by Age Group (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena)

* 0 to 4: 20133

* 5 to 11: 48852

* 12 to 17: 60843

* 18 to 29: 244333

* 30 to 49: 341889

* 50 to 64: 195739

* 65 to 79: 77186

* over 80: 27926

* Under Investigation 6438

L.A. County Public Health’s 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 Lifts Regional Stay Home Order

California Department of Public Health lifted its Regional Stay-at-Home Order for all regions statewide, including the three regions that had still been under the order – San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area and Southern California — on Monday because the counties’ four-week ICU capacity projections are now above 15%, the threshold that allows regions to exit the order.

The Sacramento Region exited the order on January 12 and the Northern California region never entered the order.

This action allows all counties statewide to return to the rules and framework of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers that indicate which activities and businesses are open based on local case rates and test positivity.

The majority of the state’s counties are in the strictest, or purple tier. CDPH provides tier updates each Tuesday. As always, individual counties may choose to impose stricter rules.

California Blueprint for a Safer Economy

Governor Newsom’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy imposes risk-based criteria on tightening and loosening COVID-19 allowable activities and expands the length of time between changes to assess how any movement affects the trajectory of the disease.

Californians can go to covid19.ca.gov to find out where their county falls and what activities are allowable in each county.

Vaccinate All 58
The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are being administered to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. The state is working closely with community partners and stakeholders to help ensure the vaccine is distributed and administered equitably across California.

For more information, visit the CDPH COVID-19 Vaccine webpage and the Vaccinate All 58 webpage.

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

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 January 10 to January 16, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.5 days. During this same time period, 61% of patients received test results in one day and 85% received them within two days. The testing turnaround time dashboard (PDF) is updated weekly.

All four tiers in the Testing Prioritization Guidance originally dated July 14, 2020, have equal priority for testing.

‘Safe Schools for All’ Plan
Governor Newsom launched the Safe Schools for All Hub as a one-stop-shop for information about safe in-person instruction. For more information on the transparency, accountability, and assistance measures related to California’s Safe Schools for All plan, visit the hub.

Youth and Recreational Adult Sports Update

With the end of the Regional Stay-at-Home Order, youth and recreational adult sports competition may resume in California consistent with the Blueprint for a Safer Economy tier guidance beginning January 25, 2021.

However, the majority of counties remain in the strictest or Widespread (Purple) Tier. In this tier, competition may only resume for outdoor low-contact sports.

A full list of allowed activities by tier is available in the Outdoor and Indoor Youth and Recreational Adult Sports guidance.

Participants in youth and adult sports, coaches and support staff must follow steps outlined in state guidance to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. Local health officers may implement more stringent rules tailored to local conditions and should be consulted to confirm if there are any local restrictions.

Travel Advisory

California Public Health has issued an updated travel advisory. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Non-essential travelers from other states or countries are strongly discouraged from entering California and should adhere to the state’s self-quarantine procedures for 10 days.

California Demographics: Health Equity Dashboard

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted existing inequities in health that are the result of structural racism and poverty, and the disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions such as asthma and heart disease among Latinos and African Americans.

As part of its commitment to reduce health inequities and ensure the best outcomes for all Californians, the state has launched a Health Equity Dashboard on www.covid19.ca.gov/equity/ that tracks California’s health equity measure and data by race and ethnicity, age group, and sexual orientation/gender identity.

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 January 18, there have been 176 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (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 are critical to preventing long-term complications.

Protect Yourself and Your Family

Protect yourself, family, friends, and community by following these prevention measures:

* 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.

* Staying close to home, avoiding non-essential travel, and practicing self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival if you leave the state.

* Keeping interactions to people who live in your household.

* 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

* Adding your phone to the fight by signing up for COVID-19 exposure notifications from CA Notify.

* Answering the call if a contact tracer from the CA COVID Team or local health department tries to connect.

* 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, 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.

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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.

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