The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Monday 40 additional deaths, 1,136 new cases of COVID-19 countywide Sunday and 291 new cases Monday, with 52 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 31,315, county case totals to 2,813,689 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 71,975 since March of 2020.

Monday’s case and death numbers reflect delays in weekend reporting. Of the 40 new deaths reported Monday, three people were between the ages of 30-49, four were between the ages of 50-64, 11 were between the ages of 65-79, and 22 were aged 80 years or older. Of the 40 newly reported deaths, 31 had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 31,315.

Public Health has reported a total of 2,813,689 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Note that 1,706 cases have been added to the cumulative total of positive cases due to a backlog of cases not reported during the surge from Sterling Pathology Labs. Today’s positivity rate is 0.6%.

There are 491 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,552,500 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

Hospitalizations in L.A. County continue to decline, reducing stress on the healthcare system. This progress reflects the lower rate of COVID-19 transmission in the community and is providing much needed relief to healthcare workers who are at elevated risk.

Currently, 491 people are hospitalized, representing a 32% decrease from last Monday when there were 731 people hospitalized with COVID-19 and the first time L.A. County has fewer than 500 people hospitalized since July 17, 2021. The seven-day average of new daily admissions of people with COVID-19 decreased by 38%, from 100 patients one week ago to 62 admissions today. Also, just 5% of COVID positive hospitalized patients are currently in the ICU.

Cases among healthcare workers are also decreasing. Between Feb. 27 and March 5, Public Health reported a total of 80 new positive cases among healthcare workers; this is a decrease of 93% from the week of Dec. 26, when 1,205 positive cases were reported.

Given the elevated risk among patients and healthcare workers, several safety requirements remain in place at healthcare facilities, including the requirement that everyone wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. For the highest level of protection, respirators such as a N95, KN95 and KF94 that fit well and provide a tight seal on the face are better than a cloth mask or a medical mask.

Additionally, all staff at healthcare facilities are required to be vaccinated and boosted, as the vaccines continue to provide the best protection against severe illness. Currently, unvaccinated people are 5 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital compared to those fully vaccinated without boosters and 11 times more likely than residents who are vaccinated and boosted. Unvaccinated people are also 15 more likely to die from COVID-19 than fully vaccinated individuals regardless of their booster status.

“Our hearts go out to everyone mourning the loss of a loved one as residents continue to become seriously ill and pass away from COVID,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Our county is in a much better place than a few months ago at the peak of the surge when more than 4,800 people were hospitalized with COVID-19. The declines reflect decreases in community transmission and have resulted in reduced stress across our health care system allowing health care providers to return to providing a full range of essential prevention and treatment services. Keeping transmission as low as possible is key to protecting both our health care system and vulnerable residents; this will require a willingness to continue sensible protections that dampen spread of the virus. While masking indoors is no longer required, given continued substantial transmission, wearing masks when in close contact with others in public spaces, remains a very important layer of protection, as is being fully vaccinated and boosted.”

To keep workplaces and schools open, residents and workers are asked to:

– Get tested to help reduce the spread, especially if you traveled for the holidays, have had a possible exposure, or have symptoms, or are gathering with people not in your household

– Adhere to masking requirements when indoors or at crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status

– Residents are legally required to be isolated if they have a positive COVID test result and vaccinated close contacts with symptoms and unvaccinated close contacts need to be quarantined.

For information on where you can get tested, please visit www.covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/.

For updated isolation and quarantine guidance, please visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are recommended for everyone 5 years old and older to help protect against COVID-19. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites and many community sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

To find a vaccination site near you, or to make an appointment, please visit:

www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or

www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

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

Staff Dashboard

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital currently has zero tests pending, three patients in the hospital, a total of 2,206 patients who have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, with no additional deaths, spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed Monday.

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.

Santa Clarita Valley Monday Update
As of 5 p.m. Monday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard revised the number of deaths in the city of Santa Clarita to 364, bringing the total number in the SCV to 448.

The following is the community breakdown per L.A. County’s dashboard:

Santa Clarita: 364 (revised from 366)

Castaic: 28

Acton: 17

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 9 (revised from 10)

Stevenson Ranch: 14

Agua Dulce: 5

Val Verde: 4

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Elizabeth Lake: 1

Newhall: 1

unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 0 (**revised from 1)

SCV Cases

Of the 71,975 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 53,496

Castaic: 7,065

Stevenson Ranch: 3,981

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 2,576

Acton: 1,507

Val Verde: 828

Agua Dulce: 778

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 665

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 309

Elizabeth Lake: 203

Bouquet Canyon: 148

Lake Hughes: 146

Saugus/Canyon Country: 89

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 87

Sand Canyon: 48

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 34

Placerita Canyon: 15

*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.

California Monday

Statewide COVID-19 Data

Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are largely occurring among unvaccinated populations. See the data for unvaccinated and vaccinated cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

Vaccinations

– 72,218,906 total vaccines administered.

– 83.5% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 30,056 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 8,438,328 confirmed cases to date.

– Monday’s average case count is 3,407 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 5.4 times more likely to get COVID-19 than boosted individuals (Feb. 14, 2022 – Feb. 20, 2022).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 1.5% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 2,291 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 439 ICU patients statewide.

– Unvaccinated people are 8.9 times more likely to be hospitalized than boosted individuals (Feb. 14, 2022 – Feb. 20, 2022).

Deaths

– There have been 86,794 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 109 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 16.6 times more likely to die than boosted individuals (Feb. 7, 2022 – Feb. 13, 2022).

Health Care Workers

Note: There has been no update of positive cases among health care workers since Jan. 6. As of Jan. 6, local health departments have reported 136,816 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 540 deaths statewide.

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of Feb. 27 to March 5, the average time patients waited for test results was 1 day. During this same time period, 90% of patients received test results in one day and 97% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of March 7, there have been 889 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) 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.

Additional Updates

Mask Guidance: Under California’s mask guidance, universal masking is required only in specified higher risk settings like hospitals, public transit and congregate living facilities. Unvaccinated persons are required to mask in all indoor public settings. Fully vaccinated individuals are recommended to continue indoor masking when the risk may be high. Workplaces will continue to follow the COVID-19 prevention standards set by CalOSHA. Local health jurisdictions may implement requirements that are stricter than state guidance.

Slow the Spread: Get Vaccinated and Boosted for COVID-19

The risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection continues as a number of Californians remain unvaccinated and unboosted.

Real-world evidence continues to show that the vaccine is preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Public health officials urge Californians to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.

It is recommended that every vaccinated person 12 years or older should get a booster as long as they received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least five months ago or they received their Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.

Vaccination appointments can be made by visiting myturn.ca.gov or calling 1-833-422-4255. The consent of a parent or legal guardian may be needed for those under age 18 to receive a vaccination. Visit Vaccinate All 58 to learn more about the safe and effective vaccines available for all Californians 5+.

Your Actions Save Lives

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

Keep California Healthy
Protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these prevention measures:

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

– If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches), call your health care provider.

– If you believe you have been exposed, get tested. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.

– Keep gatherings small and outdoors and follow state and local public health guidance.

– Wear a mask and get the most out of masking – an effective mask has both good fit and good filtration.

– Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

– Delay non-essential travel outside of California until you are fully vaccinated. Follow California’s travel advisory.

– Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay home from work and school if you feel ill.

– Add your phone to the fight by signing up for COVID-19 exposure notifications from CA Notify.

– Answer the call or text if a contact tracer from the CA COVID Team or your local health department tries to connect.

Additional data and udpates:

Tracking COVID-19 in California

State Dashboard – Daily COVID-19 data

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

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

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.