The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Monday eight additional deaths and 16,269 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 46,251 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Note: Monday’s number of cases and deaths reflect the weekend reporting delays. Of the eight new deaths reported Monday, two people were between the ages of 30 and 49, one was between the ages of 50-64, three were between the ages of 65-79, and two were over the age of 80 years old. Of the eight newly reported deaths, seven had underlying conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 27,647.

Public Health has identified a total 1,757,522 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Monday’s positivity rate is 22.5%.

There are 1,792 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 10,113,300 individuals, with 16% of people testing positive.

Pediatric Hospitalizations Increasing

According to Public Health data, pediatric hospitalizations increased by nearly 190% between Dec. 4 and Dec. 25. And while the numbers of children hospitalized remain very small, those 0-4 years old saw the biggest rise in rates with a 3.25-fold increase, followed by 12-to-17- year- old teens, who had a 3.0-fold increase, and 5-to-11 -year- old, who saw an increase of 1.5-fold. Cases among children have also increased by 207% from the two-week period starting on Nov. 8 to the two-week period ending on Dec. 26.

With pediatric cases and hospitalizations rising and many children returning to in-person learning this week, Public Health asks that everyone focus on following the public health safety measures that reduce spread including wearing a medical grade mask indoors and in outdoor crowded spaces; testing all staff and students before or during the first few days of schools reopening; and strictly adhering to the revised quarantine and isolation requirements outlined in the L.A. County Health Officer Order issued on Dec. 31. Along with getting vaccinated and boosted, these are critical steps to help reduce transmission in the community and at our schools.

At-Home Test Kits Now Being Offered
This week, in an effort to increase capacity at schools to offer testing to returning students, Public Health and the L.A. County Office of Education are working to distribute at-home test kits provided by the state for the county’s 1.4 million school-aged students. Additionally, the L.A. County Home Test Collection program is offering free, at-home COVID nasal swab test kits via mail to all L.A. County residents who have experienced COVID-19 symptoms or believe they may have been exposed. These kits are free of charge and can be requested through the program’s website at www.covid19.lacounty.gov/hometest.

“I send my heartfelt condolences to everyone mourning the loss of a loved one to COVID-19,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As students return to the classroom, we all need to follow the public health safety measures in place to ensure our schools can open safely after the winter break. Because higher community transmission creates additional challenges at our schools, everyone needs to do their part to slow the spread of the virus.

“Most importantly, given that vaccinations and boosters provide the most protection against COVID-19, reducing transmission and disruptions in learning at schools, families need to act urgently to get their school-aged children vaccinated,” Ferrer continued. “Additionally, staff, teachers and older teens should be getting their boosters as soon as they are eligible. An important protection from transmission of this airborne virus are well-fitting, higher-grade masks and these should be worn by everyone at schools when indoors and in outdoor crowded spaces. And where possible, children and staff should have a negative COVID-19 test the first week they return to the classroom. I am grateful to the state, our partners at LACOE, and school district administrators and staff for everything they are doing to distribute these test kits to the students so that there is an additional layer of safety as schools reopen for a new semester.”

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 reported Monday zero tests pending, 38 patients in the hospital, a total of 1,742 patients who have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, and no additional deceased, confirmed spokesman Patrick Moody.

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 5:00 p.m. Monday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard remains unchanged as of Friday, with a total number of 376 COVID-19 deaths to date in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The following is the community breakdown of the 376 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

310 in Santa Clarita

23 in Castaic

13 in Acton

9 in Stevenson Ranch

7 in unincorporated Canyon Country

5 in Agua Dulce

3 in Val Verde

2 in Valencia

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

0 in Lake Hughes (**revised from 1)

SCV Cases

Of the 46,251 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 34,139

Castaic: 5,138

Stevenson Ranch: 2,403

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,521

Acton: 935

Val Verde: 517

Agua Dulce: 490

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 401

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 205

Elizabeth Lake: 136

Bouquet Canyon: 95

Lake Hughes: 83

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 72

Saugus/Canyon Country: 57

Sand Canyon: 26

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 26

Placerita Canyon: 7
*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 released the most recent statistics Monday on COVID-19 and updates on the state’s pandemic response. The most up to date data is available on the state’s COVID-19 data dashboard.

Note: Data for cases, deaths and testing was not reported over the holiday weekend. It will be updated in tomorrow’s news release.

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.

– Unvaccinated people were 5.2 times more likely to get COVID-19 (data from Dec. 13, 2021 to Dec. 19, 2021).

– Unvaccinated people were 14.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 (data from Dec. 6, 2021 to Dec. 12, 2021).

– Unvaccinated people were 15.0 times more likely to die from COVID-19 (data from Nov. 29, 2021 to Dec. 5, 2021).

Vaccinations

– 65,013,522 total vaccines administered.

– 79.5% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 141,886 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 5,191,438* confirmed cases to date.

– Monday’s average case count is 15,806* (average daily case count over 7 days).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 15.9%* (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 7,314 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 1,329 ICU patients statewide.

Deaths

– There have been 75,847* COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 45* Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of Dec. 19 to Dec. 25, the average time patients waited for test results was one day. During this same time period, 78% of patients received test results in one day and 95% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Dec. 27, there have been 773 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.

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.