Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital announced Monday two additional deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total since the onset of the pandemic to 227, spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

The hospital currently has zero pending, five patients in the hospital, and a total of 2,198 patients who have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began.

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.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 43 additional deaths, 531 cases on Sunday and 1,144 new cases countywide Monday, with 59 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 31,046, county case totals to 2,805,119 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 71,846 since March of 2020.

Of the 43 new deaths reported for Sunday and Monday, two people were between the ages of 30-49, 12 were between the ages of 50-64, 12 were between the ages of 65-79, and 17 were aged 80 years or older. Of the 43 newly reported deaths, 35 had underlying health conditions.

Monday’s positivity rate is 1.0%.

There are 731 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,488,400 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

Public Health Strongly Recommends Masking Indoors in Public Settings to Protect Those at Elevated Risk

With updated masking guidance now in effect in L.A. County, Public Health continues to strongly recommend wearing masks indoors in public settings, particularly if you, or someone you live with, is at elevated risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Masks are still required while indoors at all schools until March 12, when masking indoors for both vaccinated and unvaccinated students, staff, teachers, and visitors will be strongly recommended. Masks are also required at all healthcare facilities, long-term care facilities, correctional and detention facilities, shelters, and on public transit.

While any mask is better than no mask, it is important to recognize that well-fitting respirators provide the most protection, especially for those at elevated risk. Respirators such as a N95, KN95 and KF94 are designed to filter out very small particles, with N95 and KN95 respirators filtering at least 95% of airborne particles and KF94s filtering at least 94%. Respirators that fit well and provide a tight seal on the face provide more protection than a cloth mask or a medical mask. They may be less comfortable because they fit more tightly. When choosing a respirator, residents should consider how well it fits and read the manufacturer instructions on how to wear, store, and clean or properly dispose of the respirator.

While well-fitting medical masks, also called surgical masks, provide less protection than respirators, they are better than cloth masks. The best medical masks have a nose wire and at least three layers of non-woven or spun bound fabric and melt-blown fabric, which are often made of polypropylene. Cloth masks without a filter or layer of synthetic non-woven material provide the least amount of protection.

At all sites where masking indoors is no longer mandatory, employers are required to offer, for voluntary use, medical grade masks and respirators to employees working indoors in close contact with other workers, customers and/or members of the public.

Note that Public Health may also require masking at businesses or worksites during an outbreak, as masking, along with other mitigation strategies, are effective in slowing outbreaks. For the week ending March 5, there were a total of 78 active outbreaks across non-healthcare, non-residential, non-educational settings in L.A. County. That represents a 45% decrease when compared to the week ending on February 26.

Worksites are required to report clusters of three or more cases within 14 days to Public Health as part of a broader strategy to ensure workplace safety and protect employees. Worksites can report a cluster to DPH online or by phone at (888) 397-3993.

Workers who are concerned about possible COVID-19 or other workplace safety concerns, or that an employer may not be following the County Health Officer Order or other requirement, have several options for filing a complaint. To file a complaint with Public Health, which can be submitted anonymously, workers can call our Environmental Health Customer Call Center at (888) 700-9995 or by clicking on the “Report a Problem” at www.ph.lacounty.gov/eh. To file a complaint with Cal/OSHA about employee safety, workplace safety, or hazardous conditions, workers can call (833) 579-0927 or email the local Cal/OSHA Enforcement Office that serves the location of the job site.

“I send my heartfelt condolences and wishes of healing to the countless people who have lost a loved one to this pandemic,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Although masking is not required, both the state and our Public Health Department are strongly recommending masking, regardless of vaccination status, in indoor public spaces. And those who are at elevated risk, or who live with someone who is at elevated risk, should wear a well-fitting respirator, as they provide the best protection against COVID-19. COVID related illness can be quite dangerous for many, since even those initially experiencing relatively mild illness can go on to develop long COVID. Taking sensible precautions remains the best way to keep everyone as safe as possible.”

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

Santa Clarita Valley Monday Update
As of 4:30 p.m. Monday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported four new deaths from COVID-19 in the Santa Clarita Valley, bringing the total number in the SCV to 443.

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

Santa Clarita: 362

Castaic: 28

Acton: 17

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 9 (revised from 10)

Stevenson Ranch: 12

Agua Dulce: 5

Val Verde: 3

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 71,846 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 53,412

Castaic: 7,053

Stevenson Ranch: 3,968

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 2,569

Acton: 1,500

Val Verde: 825

Agua Dulce: 777

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 664

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 309

Elizabeth Lake: 203

Bouquet Canyon: 148

Lake Hughes: 145

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

– 71,926,958 total vaccines administered.

– 83.3% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 41,436 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 8,412,311 confirmed cases to date.

– Monday’s average case count is 4,687 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 5.3 times more likely to get COVID-19 than boosted individuals (Feb. 7 – Feb. 13).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 2.5% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 3,139 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 620 ICU patients statewide.

– Unvaccinated people are 8.9 times more likely to be hospitalized than boosted individuals (Feb. 7 Feb. 13).

Deaths

– There have been 85,849 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 147 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 17.1 times more likely to die than boosted individuals (Jan. 31 – Feb. 6).

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. 20 to Feb. 26, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.1 day. During this same time period, 89% of patients received test results in one day and 96% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Feb. 28, there have been 867 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.