The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 38 new deaths, including the Santa Clarita Valley’s 54th fatality and 1,636 new cases of confirmed COVID-19 countywide. The number of new cases reported Thursday include a backlog of 280 test results received from the State.

To date, Public Health identified 236,986 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, including 5,269 cases in the Santa Clarita Valley and a total of 5,701 deaths countywide. Nearly 65% of all cases reported by Public Health have occurred among people 49 years old and younger.

There are 1,168 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 32% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU. A month ago, the County was seeing over 2,000 daily hospitalizations regularly.

Public Health Offers Guidance to Peaceful Protestors
Public Health joins the many voices who are coming together in anger, frustration and protest against racism and violence. Public Health acknowledges the observance of the 50th Anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium, recognized as a national day of resistance against racism, sexism, imperialism, and fascism, with a focus this year on environmental and racial injustices.

There are many ways to observe the 50th Anniversary while avoiding gatherings and adhering to Public Health guidelines. However, for residents that plan on attending peaceful protests, please be aware of the elevated risks that come when people of different households gather during this pandemic, even when they are outdoors.

Protests can inadvertently result in transmission of COVID-19, including from people who are asymptomatic and have no idea that they are positive for the virus. If you unknowingly become infected, you may infect other people in your life, including people who are older or who have underlying health conditions that put them at far greater risk of becoming seriously ill and dying from COVID-19.

If you plan to attend a protest, please follow these guidelines:

– Stay home if you are feeling sick. Seek medical attention as needed if you have symptoms for COVID-19, and be tested for the virus – testing is widely available across L.A. County.

– If you are not sick and plan to attend a peaceful protest, wear a face covering over both your nose and mouth at all times and keep your physical distance, staying more than 3 steps away from anyone who is not from your household. Consider wearing eye protection. Encourage other attendees to do the same.

– Keep your hands clean before, during, and after the protests. Bring hand sanitizer or frequently wash your hands.

– If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 during a protest, it is very important that you quarantine for 14 days and stay away from all other people, especially those at greater risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. More guidance for attending protests is available online at: www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/.

California Thursday Snapshot
Statewide, the California Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday a total of 683,529, with 12,550 deaths from the disease. There are 4,293 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,349 ICU hospitalizations in California.

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

There were 4,430 newly recorded confirmed cases Wednesday. Numbers do not represent true day-over-day change as these results include cases from prior to yesterday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 5.6% and the 14-day positivity rate is 6.1%.

There have been 10,918,415 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 85,658 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 34 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. 26, local health departments have reported 31,115 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 150 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 5:00 p.m., Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 data dashboard reported the 54th death in the Santa Clarita Valley. Of the 54 SCV residents who have died of the virus since the pandemic began, 42 lived in the city of Santa Clarita, 5 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 5,269 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 2,881

Castaic: 1,893 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 147

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 114

Acton: 59

Val Verde: 59

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 40

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 26

Agua Dulce: 24

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. 26, of the 6,598 people tested at Henry Mayo to date, 774 tested positive, 7,552 were negative, 4 were pending, 11 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (up from 7 the previous Wednesday), and a total of 232 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

“We extend our wishes for healing to all those who are mourning loved ones and friends who have passed away from COVID-19. Please know our thoughts are with you during these very difficult times,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “ As we head into another summer weekend, please remember how important it is to continue taking all the steps we know work to lower the transmission of COVID-19. Let’s work together to prevent fun at the beach, picnicking in our parks, worshipping with our congregation, or attending peaceful protests from resulting in more transmission of COVID-19. When you are outside, for any activity where others are around, please wear a face covering at all times and keep at least 6 feet of distance from anyone not in your household. This is the best way we can care for and protect the people around us.”

Of the 38 new deaths reported today, 16 people that passed away (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena) were over the age of 80 years old, 11 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, eight people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Twenty-nine people had underlying health conditions including 16 people over the age of 80 years old, five people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, six people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and two people between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. One death was reported by the city of Long Beach.

Ninety-three percent of the people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 5,368 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 51% 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.

Testing results are available for more than 2,241,000 individuals with 10% of all people testing positive. Upon further investigation, 36 cases reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

The state recently released guidance about newly permitted activities at all schools across the state to help students that are high risk and high need. Public Health is closely reviewing the new guidance from the state and will be working with the Board of Supervisors to ensure that Health Officer Orders are adjusted so that when schools open for any new activities, they do so as safely as possible for all children and staff. Given the need to review the implications of the new state guidance on school re-opening plans, at this point, the school waiver process will not be opening for applications.

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 Tuesday/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 34 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 Monday, Aug. 24, 47 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.