The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Monday a total of 15 new deaths and 14,394 new cases countywide over the weekend, with 473 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 32,168, county case totals to 3,004,975 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 78,141 since March of 2020. SCV deaths from COVID-19 total 476. There are 530 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized countywide.

The number of cases and deaths are likely to reflect reporting delays over the weekend. Of the 15 new deaths reported today, two people were between the ages of 30-49, one person was between the ages of 50-64, four people were between the ages of 65-79, and five people were aged 80 years or older. For information on the three deaths reported by the city of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov. Of the 15 newly reported deaths, eleven had underlying health conditions.

Monday’s positivity rate is 3.6%.

There are 530 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,051,802 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

Testing

At-home testing for residents that have an exposure to a known case or have symptoms, and before and after indoor gatherings is critical to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While there are other illnesses that cause similar symptoms as COVID, given the high case rates, anyone with even mild illness should test themselves to be sure they are not sick with COVID and capable of infecting others. And since some infected individuals experience little or no illness, testing before indoor gatherings is another sensible step that can reduce the chance of gatherings turning into super-spreader events.

With the increase in new highly infectious sub-lineages of BA.2, transmission remains high in L.A. County. The average number of daily cases reported over the last seven days is 4,442. And the higher case numbers have translated to an increase in the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19. Over the last seven days, the average number of COVID-positive patients per day in LA County hospitals was 515, an increase of 118% from one month ago when the average number of COVID-positive patients per day was 236.

There are several FDA approved rapid tests that are available over-the-counter (OTC) for self-testing at home, at a business, or at other community settings. Most are antigen tests that provide results in a few minutes, as opposed to laboratory-based tests that may take several days to process.

At-home COVID-19 tests should be used when individuals have any COVID-19 symptoms, were exposed to someone with COVID-19, are traveling, and before going to an event or a gathering. Testing before an event or gathering is especially important if individuals at risk of severe disease, older adults, those who are immunocompromised, or people who are not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, including children who cannot get vaccinated yet, will be present.

A third round of at home tests can be ordered at no charge from the federal government at www.covidtests.gov. Residents who have health insurance can receive eight free at home tests each month for each insured member in their household. And many community organizations are distributing free test-kits to individuals with limited resources. Free OTC testing kits can be picked up at all Department of Public Health vaccination sites.

Individuals should talk with their doctor to make sure they understand what their viral test result means and any next steps. Those without easy access to a health care provider who have questions about their test result and what to do next can call the DPH COVID-19 information line at 1-833-540-0473, seven days a week.

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.

Schools Community Dashboard

Student Dashboard

Staff Dashboard

Santa Clarita Valley Monday Update
As of 4 p.m. Monday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported an additional death in the city of Santa Clarita, bringing the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the SCV to 476.

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

Santa Clarita: 387

Castaic: 31

Acton: 17

Stevenson Ranch: 15

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 9 (revised from 10)

Agua Dulce: 6

Val Verde: 3 (revised from 4)

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Elizabeth Lake: 1

Newhall: 1

unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

SCV Cases

Of the 78,141 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 57,597

Castaic: 8,049

Stevenson Ranch: 4,521

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 2,784

Acton: 1,586

Val Verde: 887

Agua Dulce: 818

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 742

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 339

Elizabeth Lake: 218

Lake Hughes: 160

Bouquet Canyon: 156

Saugus/Canyon Country: 96

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 88

Sand Canyon: 49

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 36

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

The California Department of Public Health now updates their numbers on Tuesday and Friday. The information below is from the most recent data released Friday, May 27.

Vaccinations

– 76,475,034 total vaccines administered.

– 83.6% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 44,128 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 8,989,279 confirmed cases to date.

– Friday’s average case count is 13,895 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 4.7 times more likely to get COVID-19 than boosted individuals (May 9, 2022 – May 15, 2022).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 8.3% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 2,415 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 276 ICU patients statewide.

– Unvaccinated people are 7.4 times more likely to be hospitalized than boosted individuals (May 9, 2022 – May 15, 2022).

Deaths

– There have been 90,815 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 9 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 7.4 times more likely to die than boosted individuals (May 2, 2022 – May 8, 2022).

Health Care Workers

As of June 2, local health departments have reported 162,287 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 580 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 May 22 to May 28, the average time patients waited for test results was 0.8 day. During this same time period, 89% of patients received test results in one day and 98% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of June 2, there have been 996 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.