The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 1,469 new cases of COVID-19 and 44 new deaths due to the virus countywide, and a total of 1,874 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley since the pandemic began, 117 more than reported Wednesday.

In the SCV, 21 people have died of the virus to date — 16 resided in the city of Santa Clarita, 1 in Acton, 1 in Castaic, 1 in unincorporated Valencia and 2 in communities not yet named.

The large increase in positive cases reflects a lag in reporting from one lab of over 500 positive cases.

Countywide, Public Health has reported 59,650 positive cases of COVID-19 and a total of 2,531 deaths to date.

Ninety-three percent of people who died in L.A. County had underlying health conditions.

California Update
Statewide, California had 119,807 total confirmed cases and 4,422 deaths from COVID-19 as of May 31. There were 3,109 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,058 ICU hospitalizations.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of June 3, local health departments have reported 10,519 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 64 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
Of the 1,874 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 807

Castaic: 930 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility)

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 36

Stevenson Ranch: 34

Val Verde: 28

Acton: 11

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 9

Agua Dulce: 9

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 4

Elizabeth Lake: 3

Bouquet Canyon: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 1

*Note: The county is not able to break out separate numbers for Castaic and the PDC/NCCF because the county uses geotagging software that is not easy to change, according to county spokesperson Stephanie English.

Henry Mayo Thursday Update
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported its 11th COVID-related death on Wednesday, June 3, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

Eleven of the SCV’s 21 fatalities to date have occurred at Henry Mayo.

As of Wednesday, of the 1,824 persons tested at Henry Mayo to date, 227 tested positive, 1,810 were negative, 17 were pending and 8 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care. A total of 84 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 (Wednesdays), unless there is a drastic change in the number of cases or a death has been confirmed, Moody said.

L.A. County Demographics
Twenty-seven people who died were over the age of 65 years old; 15 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and two people who died were between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Thirty-four people had underlying health conditions including 21 people over the age of 65 years old, 12 people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and one person between the ages of 18 and 40 years old.

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 2,341 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health) 41% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 28% among White residents, 18% among Asian residents, 12% among African American residents, 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and residents identifying with other races. Upon further investigation, 53 cases and two deaths reported earlier were not LA County residents. As of today, 6,766 people who tested positive for COVID-19 (11% of positive cases) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. There are 1,457 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 nearly 659,000 individuals and 8% of people testing positive.

“To everyone across our L.A. County community who is mourning a loved one who has passed away from COVID-19, we share in your sorrow. We are thinking of you and praying for you every day,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “If you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19 while out and in large crowds, because you were in close contact for at least 15 minutes with people who were not wearing face coverings, please remember that the virus has a long incubation period and it will be important to remain away from others as much as possible for 14 days. Testing negative for COVID-19 right after you’ve been exposed does not mean you can’t become infected later during the incubation period, so please stay away from others for 14 days after possible exposure. Should you develop symptoms within 14 days of exposure, please contact your healthcare provider to connect to care and testing.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of widespread transmission, everyone should always wear a face covering securely over their nose and mouth and keep six feet apart from others not in your household when out and about. If you have been in a crowded setting, where people are congregating who are not using face coverings or distancing, please also consider the following: • If you live with persons who are elderly or have high risk conditions, you should also maintain a six-foot distance and wear a face covering when you are with them at home, avoid preparing food for others, sharing utensils, bedding and towels, and increase cleaning and disinfecting of common surfaces.

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.

The current Safer at Work and in the Community Health Officer Order allows for in-person dining at restaurants and hair salons to reopen once the establishments are able to implement the required distancing and infection control directives. The Health Officer Order specifically requires businesses to follow the COVID-19 infection control protocols. Restaurant and hair salon owners and operators must complete and implement these protocols prior to reopening. Brewpubs, breweries, bars, pubs, craft distilleries, and wineries that do not offer sit-down, dine-in meals are still required to remain closed. Higher-risk businesses remain closed.

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.

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.

California Demographics
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 there is nearly a four-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.

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 3, there have been 2,182,671 tests conducted in California and reported to the California Department of Public Health. This represents an increase of 51,377 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.

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.

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.

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.

To view the L.A. County Incident Report for Thursday, see below:

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