The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Monday confirmed 1 new death and 923 new positive cases of COVID-19, as the Santa Clarita Valley counts 6,782 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 70 deaths from the virus since the World Health Organization declared the pandemic on March 11.

The low number of new deaths and new cases reported Monday reflects a reporting lag from over the weekend, according to Public Health.

To date, the department has identified 289,366 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 6,877 deaths. Upon further investigation, eight cases reported earlier were not county residents.

There are 722 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 countywide, and 27% of them are in the ICU.

People older than 50 years of age continue to make up the majority (60%) of people hospitalized with COVID-19.

However, people between the ages of 18 and 29 years old have had a significant increase in hospitalizations and now comprise over 10% of hospitalizations. This has doubled from 5% of all hospitalizations seen in mid-May among this age group.

Test results are available for more than 2,894,000 county residents, with 9% of all people testing positive.

“We send our deepest sympathies to everyone who is grieving a loved one or friend who has passed away from COVID-19. We are so sorry for your loss,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, director of L.A. County Public Health.

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

California Monday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Sunday, October 18, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 870,791 COVID-19 cases (up 3,474), with 16,970 deaths from the disease (up 27).

There are 2,241 confirmed hospitalizations and 660 ICU hospitalizations in the state, a slight increase.

California’s 7-day positivity rate is 2.4% and the 14-day positivity rate is 2.5%, a slight downward trend.

As of October 18, local health departments have reported 42,498 confirmed positive cases in healthcare workers and 196 deaths statewide.

There have been 17,042,408 COVID-19 tests conducted in California, an increase of 150,346 over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

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

See more California info later in this report.

COVID Around the World: 40 Million Cases, 8 Million in U.S.

Worldwide, 40,246,655 people have been infected by COVID-19 while 1,115,985 people have died as of 11:24 Monday morning Pacific Time, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Since the pandemic began, more than 8,180,502 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 219,891.

The U.S., with 4.25% of the world’s population and more than 20% of the confirmed cases, also continues to lead the world in deaths.

By comparison, No. 2 Brazil’s death toll is 153,905. India, at No. 2 in cases, had confirmed 7,550,273 cases and 114,610 deaths as of Monday morning.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Monday Update
Late Wednesday, October 14, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia reported three additional COVID-19 deaths at the hospital, bringing Henry Mayo’s total to 29 fatalities since the pandemic began, according to spokesman Patrick Moody.

Henry Mayo releases statistics weekly, generally on Wednesdays, unless there is a drastic change in the number of cases or a COVID-related death has been confirmed, Moody said.

As of late Wednesday night, of the 9,238 people tested at Henry Mayo to date, 964 tested positive, 10,911 were negative, 30 were pending, 11 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (up 6 from last week), and a total of 280 COVID-19 patients have been treated and discharged so far.

Discrepancies in the testing numbers are due to some patients being tested multiple times. “Often a single patient is tested more than once,” Moody said.

Santa Clarita Valley Monday Update

As of 8 p.m. Saturday, October 17, the latest update to its COVID-19 data dashboard, L.A. County Public Health reported 68 deaths in the Santa Clarita Valley since the pandemic began, but had not yet logged the name of the community of residence for two of the three fatalities Henry Mayo reported Thursday.

Of the 70 SCV residents who have died since the pandemic began, 55 lived in the city of Santa Clarita, 5 in Castaic, 2 in Acton, 3 in Stevenson Ranch (up from 2), 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Val Verde, 1 in unincorporated Valencia and 2 in communities not yet identified.

Privacy laws prohibit the hospital from releasing the community of residence for patients who die.

Of the 6,781 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 3,945

Castaic: 2,152 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 189

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 161

Val Verde: 91

Acton: 78

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 52

Agua Dulce: 30

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 28

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 15

Bouquet Canyon: 10

Saugus/Canyon Country: 11

Elizabeth Lake: 7

Sand Canyon: 7

Lake Hughes: 5

*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.

More L.A. County Demographics: Age

The person whose death was reported Monday was older than 80 years of age and had underlying health conditions.

Ninety-two percent of the people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions.

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

* 0 to 4 4691

* 5 to 11 10142

* 12 to 17 12549

* 18 to 29 68087

* 30 to 49 93728

* 50 to 64 52794

* 65 to 79 20858

* over 80 9560

* Under Investigation 1663

More L.A. County Demographics: Race/Ethnicity

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 6,474 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 51% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 23% among White residents, 14% 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.

Younger Groups Driving L.A. County Case Counts

People of all ages are at risk of being infected with COVID-19 and younger groups are driving L.A. County’s case counts, according to Public Health. Throughout the pandemic, people between the ages of 18 and 49 years old have had the highest number of cases, now accounting for 58% of all cases.

When you add teenagers, a group who may be out socializing, individuals between 12 through 50 years old account for 68% of new cases.

“We are seeing younger people become very seriously ill from COVID-19 and tragically, some die,” Ferrer said. “It is important that people of all ages use every tool we each have to protect themselves and each other from the transmission of the virus.”

Contact Tracing Update

Every day hundreds of Public Health specialists call people who are positive for COVID-19 and their close contacts.

From September 24 through October 14, a total of 13,278 people who were positive for COVID-19 completed interviews. Of these individuals, 54% reported being in close contact with at least one other person.

Since September, between 65% and 70% of both cases and contacts completed interviews. Almost one-third of the interviews are not completed primarily because people do not return calls and or refuse to provide requested information.

During the interview process, most people were unable to identify where they may have been exposed; however, of those that can identify possible exposure sites, 55% said they attended an event or gathering where two or more people became sick, and 17% said they attended a place of worship where people became sick.

More than 3,000 people who tested positive for COVID-19 spent time in a retail setting, like a grocery store or other shop. More than 1,400 people spent time in outdoor spaces, more than 600 people visited restaurants and more than 500 people had been in offices.

Obtaining as much information as possible from people during the case investigation interview helps contain the virus and minimize outbreaks and is a crucial part of protecting the health of communities.

Public Health encourages anyone who receives a call from Public Health to speak to our Public Health specialist. If a Public Health specialist calls, it will display on your phone as “LA Public Health” or as 833-641-0305.

“We are very grateful to everyone – both those who are identified cases and those who are their close contacts – who has completed an interview with our contact tracing staff,” Ferrer said. “Our team is here to help everyone in our communities stay as safe as possible. By talking with us, we can make sure you have the resources needed to protect those you love and those at increased risk for becoming seriously ill in our communities.”

Pregnant Women and COVID-19

As of October 13, there have been a total of three deaths among the 2,072 pregnant women that tested positive for COVID-19. All the women who died had underlying health conditions.

Eighty percent of pregnant women testing positive for COVID-19 are Latina/Latinx, 8% are White, 4% are African American/Black, 3% are Asian, 3% identify with another race, and race/ethnicity was unknown or unspecified for 2%.

The potential explanations for the disproportionality among Latinas are numerous and rooted in the inequities seen throughout this pandemic where Latinx communities have consistently experienced higher case, hospitalization, and death rates.

Among the 1,176 births where there was testing information, 17 babies tested positive for the virus.

Because Latinx residents are more likely to live in high-poverty areas where they have less access to the health affirming resources needed for optimal health and well-being and are more likely to work in lower-wage jobs with less control over their working conditions and a higher risk of workplace exposures, limiting workplace exposures is key to reducing the risk of exposure to pregnant Latinas and their partners.

L.A. County Public Health continues to work with employers to implement workplace protocols and to identify clusters of positive cases before they turn into a workplace outbreak.

Healthcare Workers in L.A. County

There have been a total of 101 COVID-19 deaths and a total of 16,435 positive cases among healthcare workers and first responders in Los Angeles County.

Nurses continue to account for the majority of cases (36%) and deaths (44%) among healthcare workers. One-third (33%) of healthcare workers who tested positive for the virus worked at skilled nursing and assisted living facilities and 26% of healthcare workers testing positive worked at hospitals.

Latino/Latinx people account for nearly 50% of all cases among healthcare workers, Asian healthcare workers account for nearly 15%, White healthcare workers account for 11%, and African American/Black healthcare workers account for nearly 7%.

Public Health works with organizations across the county to ensure that health care workers are protected at worksites and have the personal protective equipment needed to stay safe.

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 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.

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 October 4 to October 10, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 68 percent of patients received test results in 1 day and 93 percent received them within two days. The testing turnaround time dashboard (PDF) is updated weekly.

As of September 22, California’s testing capacity and turnaround time have improved. As a result and until further notice, all four tiers in the Testing Prioritization Guidance originally dated July 14, 2020, will have equal priority for testing.

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 October 13, 111 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide, 7 more than last week.

To protect patient confidentiality in counties with fewer than 11 cases, CDPH is 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

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

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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