The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Saturday 53 new deaths and 3,628 new cases of COVID-19, with 4,126 in the Santa Clarita Valley to date.

The higher case numbers are, in part, due to a resolution in the State of California electronic lab system and inclusion of backlogged positive results.

Younger adults still make up the majority of new positive cases with 76% of new cases today occurring in people under 50 years old, of which 54% of new cases were among people under the age of 30.

Public Health is reporting 2,016 confirmed cases currently hospitalized and 30% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU. There are a total of 2,598 confirmed and suspect cases that are currently hospitalized and 15% of these people are on ventilators. The hospitalization data is incomplete due to changes in reporting requirements from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This resulted in historical data from eight non-reporting hospitals not included in today’s update.

To date, Public Health has identified 172,325 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 4,351 deaths.

As of 3:45 p.m. Saturday, the Los Angeles County dashboard remains unchanged. Of the 42 SCV residents who have died of the virus to date, 33 resided in the city of Santa Clarita, 2 in Acton, 2 in Castaic, 2 in Stevenson Ranch, 1 in Val Verde, 1 in unincorporated Valencia, and 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon.

Statewide, the California Department of Public Health on Saturday confirmed a total of 445,400, with 8,337 deaths from the disease. There are 6,895 confirmed hospitalizations and 2,019 ICU hospitalizations in California.

California’s positivity rate – a key indicator of community spread – is trending upward in the 14-day average. Hospitalization rates are also trending upward in the 14-day average.

Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed, and the 7-day average more accurately describes trends in number of cases. The 7-day average number of new cases is 10,005 per day. The 7-day average from the week prior was 9,003.

Note on Hospitalization Numbers:
Since July 23, hospitalization numbers reflect a change in reporting requirements that were implemented last week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The change resulted in historical data from 39 non-reporting facilities not being part of recent updates, resulting in lower numbers. This data will be added back in as soon as it is available..

A total of 35 counties are required to close indoor operations for certain sectors based on the July 13 order to slow community transmission.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of July 24, local health departments have reported 21,226 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 119 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Saturday Update
Of the 4,126 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 1,948

Castaic: 1,848 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 100

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 75

Acton: 40

Val Verde: 39

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 32

Agua Dulce: 17

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 12

Elizabeth Lake: 5

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 4

Sand Canyon: 3

Bouquet Canyon: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

Saugus/Canyon Country: 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 Saturday Update
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital released its updated COVID-19 numbers Wednesday night.

As of Wednesday, of the 4,931 people tested at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital to date, 574 tested positive, 5,224 were negative, 302 were pending, 25 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (up 3 from a week ago), a total of 159 COVID-19 patients have been discharged so far, and the number of deceased remains 16, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said.

Discrepancies in the testing numbers are due to some patients being tested multiple times.

“Often a single patient is tested more than once,” Moody said.

The hospital is now releasing numbers on a weekly basis (Wednesdays) unless there is a drastic change in the number of cases or a death has been confirmed.

L.A. County
Countywide, of the 53 new deaths, 21 people that passed away (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena) were over the age of 80, 14 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, 12 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and six people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Forty-six people had underlying health conditions including 16 people over the age of 80 years old, 13 people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, 12 people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and five people between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Cumulatively, 92% percent of people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions.

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 4,063 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 48% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 25% among White residents, 15% among Asian residents, 11% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races. Upon further investigation, 60 cases and two deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

Testing results are available for 1,621,670 individuals with 10% of all people testing positive.

“To the families that are grieving the loss of a loved one to COVID-19, we send you our deepest sympathies and prayers to you every day. We’re also thinking of the many people who are hospitalized, sick and recovering from this virus,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “I know these are frustrating times and that we want life to return to normal. We want to join our friends for dinner inside a restaurant and gather with extended family for a summer barbeque. Unfortunately, we just are not at a point where those activities are safe. We need to commit to the behaviors that we know will reduce our infection rate and slow the spread of the virus. In order to stay safe, we need to continue wearing face coverings, avoiding gatherings with people we don’t live with, we need to wash our hands frequently, and keep physical distance from others. These are effective tools, that when used consistently, reduce transmission of the virus and save lives.”

Public Health is asking business owners to adhere to the Health Officer Order and renew their commitment to infectious disease control measures. They are urged to take immediate action to implement strategies that protect workers and customers. The Health Officer Order mandates all indoor operations at many businesses must be suspended. This includes the closure of indoor operations at restaurants, houses of worship, gyms and fitness centers, museums, hair salons and barbershops and personal care services. Flagrant violations of the Health Officer Order can result in citations, fines, and the full closure of non-compliant facilities.

It’s important if someone thinks they could be positive for COVID-19 and are awaiting testing results, to stay at home and act as if they are positive. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside. If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a public health specialist to discuss how to protect themselves and others, to find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious.

Public Health has a dedicated call line for confirmed cases of COVID-19. If you are positive for COVID-19 and have not yet connected with a public health specialist or need more information on services, call toll-free at 1-833-540-0473. Residents who do not have COVID-19 should continue to call 211 for resources or more information.

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 Saturday
There have been 7,047,355 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 131,479 over the prior 24-hour reporting period. As testing capacity continues to increase across the state, an increase in the number of positive cases has been expected – increasing the importance of positivity rates to find signs of community spread.The California Department of Public Health released updated testing guidance on July 14 that focuses on testing hospitalized individuals with signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and people being tested as part of the investigation and management of outbreaks, including contact tracing. The testing guidance also prioritizes individuals who have COVID-19 symptoms and individuals without symptoms who fall into high-risk categories, including people who live and work in nursing homes, homeless shelters and prisons, healthcare workers, and patients in hospitals. The new guidance will ensure that Californians who most need tests get them even if there are limited supplies.

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.

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)

County Monitoring Data
California is using data and science to respond to COVID-19. Data by county gives Californians insight into how their county is doing and provides an early indication of developing areas of concern. Counties on the County Monitoring List for three or more consecutive days must close indoor operations for additional activities. Currently, a total of 35 counties are required to close indoor operations.

For more information, County Data Monitoring page.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
Each week, the California Department of Public Health updates the number of cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) reported in the state. As of July 20, 23 cases of MIS-C have been reported from seven counties. Los Angeles County has reported the majority of cases (15). Additional cases have been reported from San Diego, Imperial, Kings, Monterey, Orange, and Sacramento counties. To protect patient confidentiality in counties with fewer than 11 cases, we are not providing total counts at this time.

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.

Racial Demographics – A More Complete Picture
The California Department of Public Health is committed to health equity and collecting more detailed racial and ethnic data that will provide additional understanding for determining future action. Health outcomes are affected by forces including structural racism, poverty and the disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions such as asthma and heart disease among Latinos and African American Californians. Only by looking at the full picture can we understand how to ensure the best outcomes for all Californians.

The differences in health outcomes related to COVID-19 are most stark in COVID-19 deaths. We have nearly complete data on race and ethnicity for COVID-19 deaths, and we are seeing the following trends. Overall, for adults 18 and older, Latinos, African Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are dying at disproportionately higher levels. The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in African Americans is about double their population representation across all adult age categories. For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, overall numbers are low, but about three-fold difference between the proportion of COVID-19 deaths and their population representation. More males are dying from COVID-19 than females, in line with national trends. More information is available at COVID-19 Race and Ethnicity Data.

New Data Portal
The state has launched a new, user-friendly data portal at COVID-19 Statewide Update that tracks COVID-19 cases statewide and by county, gender, age and ethnicity. The portal also outlines statewide hospitalizations and testing efforts. The data presented on the portal will be updated daily and will include additional information as it is available.

Your Actions Save Lives
Every person has a role to play. Protecting yourself and your family comes down to common sense:

– Staying home except for essential needs/activities following local and state public health guidelines when patronizing approved businesses. To the extent that such sectors are re-opened, Californians may leave their homes to work at, patronize, or otherwise engage with those businesses, establishments or activities.

– Practicing social distancing.

– 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.