On Monday, Los Angeles County Public Health officials confirmed two new deaths and 1,233 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 28,956 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Public Health reported a significant increase in the number of people hospitalized each day for COVID-19 illness.

There are 528 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized; last Monday, there were 372 people hospitalized and on June 15, there were 218 people hospitalized.

Unfortunately, because cases have increased 700% since June 15, the County is now beginning to see corresponding increases in hospitalizations.

Test positivity increased 10-fold from 0.4% on June 15, to today’s test positivity rate of 4.1%.

Of the two new deaths reported today, one person that passed away was over the age of 80 and one person who passed was between the ages of 65 and 79.

The number of cases and deaths likely reflect reporting delays over the weekend. To date, Public Health identified 1,269,090 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,585 deaths.

Testing results are available for more than 7,182,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive.

“To everyone who has lost someone to COVID-19, our hearts and our deepest condolences go out to you,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

Masking in L.A. County

Due to the significant increased circulation of the more infectious Delta variant, the intermingling of unmasked individuals where vaccination status is unknown, and the risks to the almost 4 million people in L.A. County who have not been or are not eligible to be vaccinated, including 1.3 million children under 12 years of age, the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order was modified to require masking for everyone while indoors, regardless of vaccination status to prevent increased COVID-19 spread.

Masking for everyone while indoors, regardless of vaccination status, went into effect on Saturday at 11:59 p.m. in all indoor public places, venues, gatherings, and businesses (including offices, retail, restaurants, gyms, theaters, family entertainment centers, meetings, and state and local government offices serving the public).

Standard exceptions apply for children under the age of two, for those with certain medical conditions or disabilities that prevent masking, and for those whose job doesn’t permit masking.

Masking in Worksites/Businesses

Public Health is working closely with worksites and businesses so that they have the tools needed to ensure that their employees and customers are adhering to the indoor masking requirement.

Public Health inspectors continue to visit sites regularly to address questions and concerns, ensure compliance with Cal/OSHA standards and the Health Officer Order, and also respond to complaints of non-compliance.

Public Health utilizes education and information sharing as the primary step in gaining compliance. When compliance is not achieved at worksites and businesses, enforcement may include the issuance of a notice of violation or a citation.

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

California Monday Snapshot

California Department of Public Health confirmed Friday 3,762,462 cases and 63,649 deaths to date.

There were 14,097 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.

As of July 18, local health departments have reported 114,748 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 480 deaths statewide.

The 7-day positivity rate is 4.1%.

As of July 19, providers have reported administering a total of 42,972,332 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 48,804,085 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 19, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital had zero cases pending, 11 patients hospitalized, a total of 1,275 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 remained unchanged from Wednesday, with a total of 308 (revised down from 309) COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 308 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

266 in Santa Clarita

16 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 28,956 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 21,209

* Castaic: 3,828 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 1,225

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 876

* Acton: 508

* Val Verde: 344

* Agua Dulce: 297

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 208

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 137

* Elizabeth Lake: 82

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69

* Bouquet Canyon: 49

* Lake Hughes: 42

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 45

* Sand Canyon: 18

* 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.

L.A. County Vaccine Update

Public Health strongly urges those that are eligible and not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated now. Being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 lowers your risk of infection, and more significantly lowers your chance of being hospitalized or dying if you do get infected. The risk of increased spread is highest among individuals that remain unvaccinated. The more COVID-19 spreads, the more opportunities it has to mutate – and the more COVID-19 mutates, the greater the chance there may be another variant that can spread even more quickly or cause more harm to the people it infects.

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 tickets to family fun at the Staples Center, including performances by the Harlem Globetrotters, Disney on Ice, and the Gold Over America tour starring Simone Biles. Official rules and participating site locations are posted online on the Los Angeles County 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 12, there have been 570 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 July 4 to July 10, the average time patients waited for test results was under one day.

During this same time period, 86% of patients received test results in one day and 96% 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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