The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Saturday confirmed 1,568 new cases of COVID-19 and 58 new deaths due to the virus countywide, with a total of 2,755 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley since the pandemic began, 27 more than reported Friday.

In the SCV, 25 people have died of the virus to date — 20 resided in the city of Santa Clarita, 2 in Acton, 1 in Castaic, 1 in unincorporated Valencia, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon.

Countywide, Public Health has reported 72,023 positive cases of COVID-19 and a total of 2,890 deaths to date. Ninety-three percent of people who died had underlying health conditions.

Statewide, the California Department of Public Health has reported a total of 145,643 confirmed cases and 4,989 deaths from COVID-19.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of June 12, local health departments have reported 11,969 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 70 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Saturday Update

Of the 2,755 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 886

Castaic: 1,720 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 39

Stevenson Ranch: 39

Val Verde: 23

Acton: 16

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 11

Agua Dulce: 9

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 5

Elizabeth Lake: 4

Bouquet Canyon: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 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
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported its 12th COVID-related death on Tuesday (the day when the most recent numbers were released), according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

As of Tuesday, of the 2,045 persons tested at Henry Mayo to date, 234 tested positive, 2,013 were negative, 60 were pending and 3 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care. A total of 91 COVID-19 patients have been discharged so far.

Discrepancies in the testing numbers are due to some patients being tested more than once, he said.

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

L.A. County Demographics
Thirty-six people who died were over the age of 65 years, 16 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old and four people who died were between the ages of 18 to 40. Forty-one people had underlying health conditions including 27 people over the age of 65 years old, 11 people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old and three people between the ages of 18 to 40.

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 2,688 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 41% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 29% among White residents, 17% among Asian residents, 11% among African American residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races. Upon further investigation, 21 cases reported earlier were not L.A. County residents. There are 1,397 people who are currently hospitalized, 30% of these people are in the ICU and 21% are on ventilators. Testing capacity continues to increase in L.A. County, with testing results available for over 768,000 individuals and 9% of people testing positive.

“For the many people across our communities who are experiencing the sadness of losing a loved one to COVID-19, we are deeply sorry for your loss,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “If you are out this weekend visiting businesses that have reopened, please remember to follow all of the directives for protecting one another from the spread of COVID-19, including keeping physical distance of at least 6 feet whenever possible, wearing a cloth face covering when around others, and washing hands frequently.”

Public Health is tracking key indicators and metrics through the recovery journey. Los Angeles County is currently seeing average daily deaths declining. On May 8, average daily deaths were 46; today the average daily deaths are 18. The average daily number of hospitalizations has decreased three percent over the past 14 days and has now plateaued. Capacity in intensive care units and the supply of ventilators have remained stable; the 3-day average number of available ICU beds (38 percent of total ICU bed capacity) and ventilators (67 percent of total ventilator capacity) has not decreased over the past 14 days. The county also has retained the capacity to test 15,000 people each day.

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.

Public Health released a modified Health Officer Order yesterday, June 12, that is designed to help move the county of Los Angeles into stage 3 of California’s Pandemic Resilience Roadmap. The modified Health Officer order allows for the following sectors to reopen once they implement the required protocols for infection control and distancing:

– Gyms and fitness facilities

– Pro-league arenas without live audiences

– Day camps

– Museums, galleries, zoos and aquariums

– Campgrounds, RV parks and outdoor recreation

– Music, film and television production

– Hotels for leisure travel

As with all businesses that are permitted to reopen, the Health Officer Order contains protocols for reopening to ensure it is done as safely as possible for employees, customers and residents. Employees and visitors to these businesses will need to wear a cloth face covering when around other people and practice physical distancing of at least 6 feet at all times. Some employees may also be required to wear face shields. The directives are contained in sector-specific protocols that guide re-opening and are available online. It is important for everyone to follow the directives and to do their part every day to keep everyone as safe as possible.

The Health Officer orders the continued closure of the following:

– Bars, wineries and brewery tasting rooms, lounges and nightclubs

– Cardrooms and satellite wagering facilities

– Public entertainment venues: movie theaters, live performance theaters, concert venues, theme parks and festivals

– Family entertainment centers such as bowling alleys, arcades, miniature golf and batting cages

– Personal care establishments including nail salons, body waxing, massage and body art establishments

– All playgrounds, except those within a school or childcare center

– Hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas not located on a residential property

– All events and gatherings, unless specifically allowed by the Order

The best protection against COVID-19 continues to be to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, self-isolate if you are sick, practice physical distancing, and wear a clean face covering when in contact with others from outside your household. People who have underlying health conditions remain at much greater risk for serious illness from COVID-19, so it will continue to be very important for the County’s vulnerable residents to stay at home as much as possible, to have groceries and medicine delivered, and to call their providers immediately if they have even mild symptoms.

Testing in California

As testing capacity continues to increase across the state, the California Department of Public Health is working to expand access to COVID-19 testing. Testing should be used for medical evaluation of persons with symptoms of COVID-19 as well as for efforts by public health agencies and essential employers to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. Individuals prioritized for testing include:

– Hospitalized patients

– Symptomatic and asymptomatic healthcare workers, first responders, and other social service employees

– Symptomatic individuals age 65 and older or symptomatic individuals of any age with chronic medical conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19 illness

– Individuals who are tested as part of disease control efforts in high-risk settings

– Asymptomatic residents and employees of congregate living facilities when needed to prevent disease transmission

– Symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in essential occupations such as grocery store and food supply workers, utility workers and public employees

– Other individuals with symptoms consistent with COVID-19

As of June 12, there have been 2,724,393 tests conducted in California and reported to the California Department of Public Health. This represents an increase of 62,135 tests over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

These numbers include data from commercial, private and academic labs, including Quest, LabCorp, Kaiser, University of California and Stanford, and the the 25 state and county health labs currently testing.

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.