The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the license for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older, officials announced Monday. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine continues to be available under emergency use authorization for those 12 through 15-years-old and for a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.

The licensing approval was announced after another thorough evaluation of safety and effectiveness data by a panel of scientific and medical experts. FDA-approved vaccines undergo the agency’s standard process for reviewing the quality, safety and effectiveness of medical products.

Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Monday confirmed seven new deaths and 2,331 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 32,442 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The number of cases and deaths are likely to reflect reporting delays over the weekend.

Of the 7 new deaths reported today, two people who passed away were over the age of 80, four people who passed were between the ages of 65 and 79, and one person who passed was between the ages of 50 and 64.

“To the families that are experiencing the profound grief of losing a loved one to COVID-19, we send you our deepest condolences,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer.

To date, Public Health identified 1,385,505 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 25,078 deaths.

There are 1,722 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for nearly 7,940,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 2.8%, a slight decrease from last week’s same-day rate of 3.4%

Healthcare Facility Vaccine Verification Compliance

Today, acute care and long-term care facilities, high-risk congregate facilities, and other healthcare facilities must be in full compliance with the State’s Order that requires these facilities to verify the vaccine status of all workers. The State Order also requires compliance with respirator and masking mandates and screening testing. And, by September 30, healthcare workers are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Santa Clarita Valley Monday Update

As of 6 p.m. Sunday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard confirmed a total of 313 COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 313 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

269 in Santa Clarita

15 (**revised from 16) in Castaic

8 in Acton

6 in Stevenson Ranch

6 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

0 (**revised from 1) in Lake Hughes

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Valencia

1 in Val Verde

Of the 32,442 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 24,259

Castaic: 3,583 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,491

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,006

Acton: 625

Val Verde: 383

Agua Dulce: 351

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 242

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 153

Elizabeth Lake: 91

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 70

Bouquet Canyon: 57

Saugus/Canyon Country: 46

Lake Hughes: 46 (*revised from 47)

Sand Canyon: 19

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

Placerita Canyon: 4

*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.

William S. Hart Union High School District COVID-19 Dashboard

The William S. Hart Union High School District provides ongoing information to our community regarding COVID-19 cases while maintaining confidentiality for our students and staff. The COVID-19 case data below is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive case in staff members or students by school site. The data below is specific to individuals who have been physically present on a District campus within 14 days of receiving a positive COVID-19 test. The District, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, conducts contact tracing and directly notifies and provides resources for parents of students identified as close contacts (6 feet or less for 15 cumulative minutes or more).

Note: To see the communication process in the event of a positive COVID-19 case, visit https://www.hartdistrict.org/apps/pages/covid-19dashboard.

Student Dashboard:

Student Dashboard: The COVID-19 case data is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive case in students by school site.

Staff Dashboard:

Staff Dashboard: The COVID-19 case data is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive case in staff members by school site.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Monday Update

As of Monday, Aug. 23, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital had one tests pending, 35 patients hospitalized, a total of 1,402 patients treated and discharged since the pandemic began hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

Additionally, Moody confirmed one new death today making it the 156th COVID-related death since the pandemic began at Henry Mayo.

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.

California Monday Snapshot

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today issued a statement from Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer, following federal approval of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals ages 16 and older:

“Today’s announcement by our federal partners underscores the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine and comes at a critical juncture as many of our communities are grappling with increasing cases fueled by the faster spreading Delta variant,” said Dr. Aragón. “For weeks we have watched cases go up at an alarming pace among individuals who are not vaccinated while the vaccinated are largely protected, especially against severe and long-term illness. We know the vaccines work. We know vaccines are safe. We know they save lives. If you are not vaccinated, let this be the milestone that gets you there. Get vaccinated to protect yourself and help put an end to this deadly pandemic,” he said.

California Department of Public Health confirmed Monday 4,123,250 cases and 64,677 deaths to date.

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

There were 10,274 newly reported confirmed cases Sunday.

As of August 22, local health departments have reported 120,227 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 486 deaths statewide

Cases are increasing statewide, largely among unvaccinated populations:

– For the week of August 9 – August 15, the average case rate among unvaccinated Californians is 51 per 100,000 per day and the average case rate among vaccinated Californians is significantly lower at 7.6 per 100,000 per day.

– The vast majority of new cases are among the unvaccinated with 500% higher case rates among the unvaccinated than for those who are vaccinated.

The 7-day positivity rate is 5.4%.

There have been 79,431,188 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 312,540 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of August 23, according to the CDC, 79.4% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose. Providers have reported to CDPH that a total of 46,057,281 vaccine doses have been administered statewide.

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.

L.A. County Vaccine Information

Public Health encourages everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated – it is the most important step you can take to protect yourself, your loved ones, and our L.A. County community and to ultimately end this pandemic. If you still need to get vaccinated, Public Health can help. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated against COVID-19. Many vaccination sites across the county, including all the County-run sites, are also offering third doses of vaccine to eligible immunocompromised people.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and remains the most powerful tool we have to both lower our risk of infection and protect against serious illness and death from COVID-19 if infected. The other tools to help reduce and prevent transmission are wearing a mask, keeping your distance, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, and washing your hands frequently. We are grateful to the many scientists and researchers who have worked tirelessly to develop and evaluate the vaccines during the most challenging public health crisis of our lifetime. We are also grateful to the FDA for their thoughtful analyses and review processes to ensure that we can have the highest confidence that the vaccine is safe and effective. I hope the milestone of this vaccine’s full approval gives those that were waiting to get vaccinated the confidence to now take this important step,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer.

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.
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 Aug. 16, there have been 594 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

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 August 8 to August 14, the average time patients waited for test results was one day.

During this same time period, 75% of patients received test results in one day and 93% 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.

* * * * *

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.

* * * * *