The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Monday 7 new deaths and 378 new cases of COVID-19, with 27,176 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Note: The lower number of deaths and cases may reflect reporting delays over the weekend and holiday.

To date, Public Health identified 1,218,583 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 23,084 deaths.

There are 655 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 27% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 6,076,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive. Monday’s daily test positivity rate is 1.4%.

Of the seven new deaths reported Monday, four people that passed away were over the age of 80, one person who died was between the ages of 50 and 64, one person who died was between the ages of 30 and 49, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29.

California Monday Snapshot

Statewide, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) confirmed Monday 3,564,468 confirmed cases and 57,778 deaths to date. There are 2,254 confirmed hospitalizations and 576 ICU hospitalizations in the state.

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

There were 2,277 newly recorded confirmed cases Sunday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 1.6%.

There have been 53,558,339 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 217,271 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of March 29, providers have reported administering a total of 17,356,911 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 21,147,010 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.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of March 28, local health departments have reported 102,176 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 444 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Monday Update
As of 3:30 p.m. Monday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard recorded 299 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began.

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

257 lived in Santa Clarita

17 in Castaic

6 in Acton

5 in Stevenson Ranch

4 in Agua Dulce

3 in unincorporated Canyon Country

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Lake Hughes

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Val Verde

1 in Valencia

Of the 27,176 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 19,886

Castaic: 3,675

(includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,119

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 823

Acton: 460

Val Verde: 331

Agua Dulce: 267

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 184

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 128

Elizabeth Lake: 75

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 68

Bouquet Canyon: 47

Lake Hughes: 41

Saugus/Canyon Country: 39

Sand Canyon: 17

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

Placerita Canyon: 1

*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.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Monday Update
Hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said as of Monday, there are zero cases pending, four patients are hospitalized in a dedicated COVID-19 unit receiving ICU-level care, a total of 1,190 patients have been treated and discharged and no additional deaths (147 to date).

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

L.A. County

“For everyone grieving a loved one who passed away from COVID-19, we wish you healing and peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As we celebrate today the legacy of César Chavez and his commitment to social justice and the labor movement, let us honor all of the County’s workforce, particularly our essential workers, by protecting them from COVID-19. Every time the virus is passed from one person to another, community transmission increases along with the possibility of proliferation of variants. Poor health outcomes and death from COVID-19 are disproportionally experienced by Black and Brown workers and residents. All requirements and protocols in the Health Officer Order must be followed to interrupt potential transmission. Let today serve as reminder how critical it is for employers to support their workers by following all safety measures, providing maximum protections, and allowing for eligible workers to get vaccinated.”

With significant potential for transmission of COVID-19 at worksites, businesses are required to adhere to workplace protocols that require infection control, occupancy limits, distancing, masking, and appropriate PPE that protect employees, customers and residents from COVID-19 as much as possible. Businesses must ensure there are no crowded spaces or places, report outbreaks of three or more cases, and allow employees to work from home as much as possible, and to stay home if they’re feeling sick. Businesses must complete and post their safety protocols and maximize opportunities for customers or visitors to make use of services that minimize contact, such as contactless payment systems, curbside pick-up, and online purchases.

Businesses that are not adhering to safety protocols to protect workers and customers increase the risk for COVID-19 spread. Non-compliance and dangerous conditions at businesses and worksites can be reported to Public Health by phone at 888-700-9995 or online at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov. These tips can be submitted anonymously. Public Health investigates complaints and may issue citations for violations, and repeat violations may result in business closure.

For information about vaccine appointments in L.A. County and when your turn is coming up, to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, and much more, visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

The 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 Monday

Vaccine Eligibility Update

With supply of vaccines expected to significantly increase in the coming weeks, the state is expanding vaccine eligibility to more Californians. Starting April 1, individuals 50 and over will be eligible to make an appointment, and individuals 16 and over will be eligible to make an appointment to be vaccinated starting on April 15. To sign up for a notification when you’re eligible for a vaccine, please visit myturn.ca.gov. For more information on the vaccine effort, visit Vaccinate All 58.

Tracking Variants

Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been identified globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. These genetic mutations are expected, and some emerge and then disappear, while others persist or become common. Most variants do not have a meaningful impact. Public health becomes concerned about a variant when it affects COVID-19 transmission, severity, testing, treatment or vaccine effectiveness. Get more information on the variants CDPH is currently monitoring.

Blueprint for a Safer Economy
All counties are under 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. CDPH modified Blueprint thresholds on March 12 after the state successfully met its first vaccine equity milestone of 2 million administered vaccine doses in some of the state’s hardest hit communities.

Blueprint Summary as of March 23

8 counties in the Purple (widespread) Tier

39 counties in the Red (substantial) Tier

9 counties in Orange (moderate) Tier

2 counties in Yellow (minimal) Tier

Blueprint tiers are updated weekly on Tuesdays. Find the status of activities in specific counties.

Additional Date and Updates

County Map – Local data, including tier status and ICU capacity

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

Blueprint for a Safer Economy – Data for establishing tier status

Updated Travel Advisory
CDPH 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.

Safe Schools for All Plan
Gov. Newsom released his California’s Safe Schools for All plan, California’s framework to support schools to continue operating safely in person and to expand the number of schools safely resuming in-person instruction. View the data for public schools by selecting a specific district on the School Districts Reopening Map. The map includes reported outbreaks since January 1, 2021.

Vaccinate All 58
The COVID-19 shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in California, and additional shipments will continue to arrive throughout this week. The first doses 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 Vaccinate All 58.

New Testing Turnaround Time Dashboard
The testing turnaround dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of March 14 – March 20, the average time patients waited for test results was one day. During this same time period, 83% of patients received test results in one day and 97% received them within two days.

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.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
As of March 22, 413 cases cases Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (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.

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 is critical to preventing long-term complications.

New 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. View COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data and Cases and Deaths by Age Group.

Popular links include:

– 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)

Your Actions Save Lives
California is experiencing the fastest increase in cases we have seen yet – faster than what we experienced at the outset of the pandemic and this summer. If COVID-19 continues to spread at this rate, it could quickly overwhelm our health care system and lead to catastrophic outcomes. Protect yourself, family, friends and community by following these prevention measures:

– Staying home except for essential needs/activities and following local and state public health guidelines when visiting businesses that are open.

– Following the Limited Stay at Home Order that requires allnon-essential work and activities to stop between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in counties in the purple tier. The order took effect at 10 p.m. Saturday, November 21, and will remain in effect until 5 a.m. December 21.

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

– Keeping gatherings small, short and outdoors and limiting them to those 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.

– Following guidance from public health officials.

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:

– Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

– California Department of Public Health

– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

– Spanish

– World Health Organization

L.A. County residents can also call 2-1-1.

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.

For more information about what Californians can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19, visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California.

California continues to issue guidance on preparing and protecting California from COVID-19. Consolidated guidance is available on the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance webpage.