The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has identified 227,346 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, including 5,089 cases in the Santa Clarita Valley, and a total of 5,446 deaths countywide to date.

Public Health confirmed Thursday 57 new deaths and 1,603 new cases of COVID-19.

Backlog cases from the state electronic lab report (ELR) are still anticipated. Data sources that track other key indicators, including hospitalizations and deaths, are not affected by this reporting issue.

Hypertension and Diabetes are Most Common Underlying Health Conditions in COVID-19 Deaths
Ninety-two percent of the people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions. Hypertension and diabetes are the most common underlying health conditions among people who died from COVID-19; neurologic conditions and cardiovascular disease is also common. Nearly 3,000 people had hypertension, more than 2,000 people had diabetes, 1,300 people had neurologic conditions, and 1,300 people had cardiovascular disease. Please note, each person may have multiple conditions. Although people over 65 years old make up the largest portion of people who died with underlying health conditions, younger people with underlying health conditions become seriously ill and die from the virus as well. Twenty-four percent or 1,145 number of people who died with underlying health conditions were between the ages of 41 and 64 years old, and 3% or 151 people, were between the ages of 18 and 40 years old.

California Thursday Snapshot
Statewide, the California Department of Public Health on Thursday confirmed a total of 644,751, with 11,686 deaths from the disease. There are 4,890 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,557 ICU hospitalizations in California.

Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.

There were 5,920 newly recorded confirmed cases Tuesday. Numbers do not represent true day-over-day change as these results include cases from prior to yesterday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 6.6% and the 14-day positivity rate is 6.6%.

There have been 10,227,966 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 87,283 over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As case numbers continue to rise in California, the total number of individuals who will have serious outcomes will also increase.

A total of 40 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 Aug. 19, local health departments have reported 29,260 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 143 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 5:00 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 data dashboard remains unchanged from Wednesday. Of the 52 SCV residents who have died of the virus since the pandemic began, 41 lived in the city of Santa Clarita, 4 in Castaic, 2 in Acton, 2 in Stevenson Ranch, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Val Verde, and 1 in unincorporated Valencia.

Of the 5,089 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 2,741

Castaic: 1,879 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 140

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 108

Acton: 55

Val Verde: 55

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 39

Agua Dulce: 24

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 22

Elizabeth Lake: 6

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 6

Bouquet Canyon: 6

Sand Canyon: 5

Lake Hughes: 2

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 Thursday Update
As of Wednesday, Aug. 19, of the 6,236 people tested at Henry Mayo to date, 748 tested positive, 7,075 were negative, 22 were pending, 7 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (down from 9 the previous Wednesday and 25 the week before that), and a total of 226 COVID-19 patients have been discharged so far. Fatalities at the hospital stand at 21, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

Henry Mayo now releases statistics weekly, (generally on Wednesdays), unless there is a drastic change in the number of cases or a COVID-related death has been confirmed.

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.

L.A. County

Backlog cases from the state electronic lab report (ELR) are still anticipated. Data sources that track other key indicators, including hospitalizations and deaths, are not affected by this reporting issue.

Of the 57 new deaths reported Thursday, 20 people that passed away (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena) were over the age of 80 years old, 19 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, 11 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and three people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Forty-five people had underlying health conditions including 18 people over the age of 80 years old, 16 people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, nine people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and three people between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Four death were reported by the city of Long Beach.

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 5,123 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 50% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 24% among White residents, 15% among Asian residents, 10% 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, 84 cases and three deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

There are 1,378 confirmed cases currently hospitalized and 31% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU. The average length of stay for people who are hospitalized for COVID-19 has shown steady decline. In early May, the average length of stay was a little over 10 days. In late July, the average length of stay had decreased to a little over 5 days. This may reflect improvements in treatment and a shift in the age distribution of hospitalized patients, with an increase in younger individuals. Testing results are available for more than 2,136,000 individuals with 10% of all people testing positive.

“To the families that are experiencing the sorrow of losing a loved one to COVID-19, I extend my deepest sympathies and wishes for peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “I’m sure we all know many people with, and we ourselves may have common health conditions that can contribute to more serious illness from COVID-19. These include people with obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. It is important to remember that many people with underlying health conditions go to work, are out shopping for groceries, and enjoy all our beautiful recreational spaces. We can all help protect them from becoming infected by wearing cloth face coverings, distancing, and isolating and quarantining when needed. These actions protect all others, including people who are at increased risk – these actions save lives.”

Public Health surveyed 341 skilled nursing facilities in the County on their compliance with mandated COVID-19 testing and on COVID-19 cases and outbreaks. All facilities responded. From August 2 through August 8, over 13,000 nursing home residents were tested and 1.7% tested positive for COVID-19. More than 22,000 staff were tested and 1.1% tested positive for COVID-19. Out of the 341 facilities, 69% were classified as having an outbreak, and 79% of these did not report any additional cases. Thirty-one percent of the facilities were classified as not having an outbreak, and 93% of these did not report any additional cases. Public Health is seeing a steady decline in COVID-19 deaths in skilled nursing facilities. In mid-May, deaths in skilled nursing facilities peaked at an average of 27 deaths per day. On August 11, the average number of daily deaths was nine.

Public health continues tracking the number of positive cases and deaths among healthcare workers related to the COVID-19 pandemic response. There have been a total 82 deaths and a total of positive 13,120 cases among healthcare workers and first responders in Los Angeles County. Nurses continue to account for the majority of positive cases at 37%. Over two-thirds of cases were among women (68%), nearly half of the healthcare workers are of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin (48%), and over half are between 18 and 40 years old (55%).

Given past ELR delays, the department urges any person with a positive lab result to call 1-833-540-0473 to connect with a public health specialist who can provide information about services and support. 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 Thursday/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
Counties on the County Monitoring List for three or more consecutive days – currently 40 counties accounting for the majority of the state’s population – must have closed indoor operations for additional activities. The July 13 order specifies that these indoor operations shall remain closed, even when a county is removed from the county monitoring list, until the state health officer modifies the order and authorizes re-opening. The state is actively reassessing the July 13 order in light of evolving scientific evidence regarding disease transmission and the risk of transmission in different settings and will provide updates in the coming week.

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 Aug. 18, 39 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide. 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.