On Monday, Los Angeles County Public Health officials confirmed one new death and 1,059 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 28,578 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley. In addition, Public Health reported it is currently investigating 55 ongoing outbreaks which is a 25% increase from the 44 ongoing outbreak investigations reported a month ago.

While the increase in outbreak investigations is concerning, Public Health notes the number of outbreaks is still much lower than the 1,130 outbreak investigations that were reported in mid-February.

Of the outbreak investigations reported today, 20% are related to outbreaks in non-healthcare and non-residential workplaces.

The number of cases and deaths confirmed today likely reflect reporting delays over the weekend. Today’s reported COVID-19 death occurred in a person between the ages of 50 and 64 years old.

To date, Public Health identified 1,258,685 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,543 deaths.

“To those mourning the loss of a family member or friend, our hearts go out to you and we wish you healing and peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

There are 372 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for nearly 7,120,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 2.8%.

“Over 99% of the COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths we are seeing are among unvaccinated individuals,” said Ferrer. “Of the cases reported today, nearly 87% were under 50 years old.”

Public Health Highlights Business Requirements, Employee Masking

Public Health suggests that the best protection against COVID-19 for workers is to be fully vaccinated.

Because of increased transmission of COVID-19 and circulation of the highly transmissible Delta variant in L.A. County, Public Health encourages everyone who is not vaccinated and is eligible to get vaccinated, to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Public Health encourages everyone unvaccinated for COVID-19 to get fully vaccinated as schools and colleges start for the 2021 -2022 school year. If you begin your two-dose series for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines this week, it will allow enough time to be fully protected by the start of the school year.

For all of the vaccines, you are only considered fully protected two weeks after all doses are complete.

Masks are required for all not fully vaccinated employees when indoors or in vehicles. Employers are required, upon request, to offer all not fully vaccinated employees who work indoors with a respirator for voluntary use.

In settings where there is close contact with other people who may not be fully vaccinated, employees should consider wearing a higher level of protection, such as wearing two masks (double masking) or wearing a respirator (N95).

Employers are also required to report any cluster of worksite COVID-19 cases to Public Health. A cluster is when three or more laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are known or reported at the worksite within a 14-day period.

Identifying cases early provides an opportunity to contain outbreaks before they spread using appropriate workplace mitigation strategies, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine guidance, targeted vaccination strategies, and alignment of appropriate resources, including County mobile teams and community health workers to get in quickly, to reduce any chances that outbreaks will spread.

Violations of safety requirements and dangerous conditions at businesses can be reported anonymously to Public Health by phone at 888-700-9995 or online at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

California Monday Snapshot/ Updated K-12 Schools Guidance

California Department of Public Health has released updated COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2021-22 School Year, which follows Friday’s statement on the matter.

The guidance aligns California school policy with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) updated recommendations for K-12 schools.

It is the state’s goal that all students must have access to safe and full in-person instruction for the 2021-22 school year. The guidance emphasizes the following: vaccination for all eligible individuals to get COVID-19 rates down throughout the community; continued masking in schools, which enables no minimum physical distancing, allowing all students access to full in-person learning, and more targeted quarantine practices, keeping students in school, and access to a robust COVID-19 testing program as an available additional safety layer.

Recent evidence indicates that in-person instruction can occur safely without minimum physical distancing requirements when other mitigation strategies (such as masking) are fully implemented.

CDPH confirmed Monday 3,733,743 cases and 63,472 deaths to date.

There were 8,910 newly reported confirmed cases between Friday and Sunday. Data on cases, deaths, and testing is not reported on weekends or state holidays. This data is reported on the first day following the weekend or holiday. Data on administered vaccines is reported daily.

There are 1,484 confirmed hospitalizations and 341 ICU hospitalizations in the state.

Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.

As of July 11, local health departments have reported 113,884 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 477 deaths statewide.

There were 2,411 newly recorded confirmed cases Thursday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 2.6%.

There have been 71,038,074 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 460,959 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of July 12, providers have reported administering a total of 42,458,868 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 48,548,885 doses have been delivered to entities within the state.

Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed. For more vaccination data, visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Data Dashboard.

See more California information later in this report.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Monday Update

As of Monday, July 12, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital had zero tests pending, 11 patients hospitalized, a total of 1,264 patients treated and discharged since the pandemic began, and no additional deaths, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

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.

Santa Clarita Valley Monday Update

As of 6 p.m. Sunday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard confirmed 309 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents.

The following is the community breakdown of the 309 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:
The following is the community breakdown of the 309 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

266 in Santa Clarita

17 in Castaic

6 in Acton

6 in Stevenson Ranch

4 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Lake Hughes

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Valencia

1 in Val Verde

Of the 28,578 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 20,927

* Castaic: 3,797 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 1,193

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 867

* Acton: 503

* Val Verde: 340

* Agua Dulce: 293

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 201

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 135

* Elizabeth Lake: 82

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69

* Bouquet Canyon: 49

* Lake Hughes: 42

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 41

* Sand Canyon: 18

* San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

* Placerita Canyon: 3

*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.

L.A. County Vaccine Update

Public Health continues to build an extensive network with pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, health clinics, and community vaccination sites, including these large-capacity sites:

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

* College of the Canyons, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91355

* Palmdale Oasis Park Recreation Center, 3850 E Ave S, Palmdale, CA 93550

* California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles 90032 (operated by FEMA)

There are now three new vaccination locations at Ted Watkins Memorial Park in L.A., Norwalk Arts and Sports Complex and the Senior Citizens Center in Commerce. No appointments are needed and both the Pfizer and the J&J vaccines will be available.

Through Thursday, at County-run vaccination sites, LA City sites, and St. John’s Well Child and Family Center sites, everyone 18 and older coming to get a vaccine will have an opportunity to win one of seven packages of concert tickets. Prizes will include tickets to see Celine Dion, Grupo Firma, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, and Dan and Shay at Staples Center, and box seats to four classical concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. Official rules and participating site locations are posted online on the Los Angeles Vaccination Sweepstakes page. Winners will be contacted by phone and/or email.

Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to learn how to make an appointment at vaccination sites. If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

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.

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 July 5, there have been 567 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide.

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.

Although very rare, COVID-19 cases among children can sometimes result a few weeks later in very serious illness known as Multi-symptom Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

Vaccine Eligibility Update

As of May 13, vaccination appointments for individuals aged 12+ can be made by visiting myturn.ca.gov. The consent of a parent or legal guardian may be needed for those between the ages of 12 and 17 to receive a vaccination. For more information on the vaccine effort, visit Vaccinate All 58.

Tracking COVID-19 in California

* State Dashboard – Daily COVID-19 data

* County Map – Local data

* Data and Tools – Models and dashboards for researchers, scientists, and the public

* COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data – Weekly updated Race & Ethnicity data

* Cases and Deaths by Age Group – Weekly updated Deaths by Age Group data

* Health Equity Dashboard – See how COVID-19 highlights existing inequities in health

* Tracking Variants – Data on the variants California is currently monitoring

* Safe Schools for All Hub – Information about safe in-person instruction

* School Districts Reopening Map – data on public schools and reported outbreaks

California Testing & Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboardreports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results.

During the week of June 27 to July 3, the average time patients waited for test results was under one day.

During this same time period, 87% of patients received test results in one day and 97% received them within two days.

Protect Yourself and Your Family: Your Actions Save Lives

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

* Getting vaccinated when it’s your turn. Californians age 16+ are eligible to make an appointment.

* Avoiding non-essential travel, and practicing self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival if you leave the state.

* Keeping interactions limited 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.

* 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.

* Getting tested if you believe you’ve been exposed. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.

* 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.

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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