The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 18 new deaths and 3,600 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, including 6,944 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley and a new fatality in the city of Santa Clarita.

To date, Public Health has identified 294,065 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 6,956 deaths.

There are two kinds of tests available for COVID-19; diagnostic tests and antibody tests.

A diagnostic test tells residents if they are currently infected. Diagnostic tests collect samples by nose, mouth or throat swab, or saliva. Diagnostic tests can be in the form of Molecular/Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test or an antigen test. The PCR test checks for active coronavirus infection and is the preferred diagnostic test because it is most accurate. It is lab-based and usually takes two to six days to receive results, however some locations offer same day results. The antigen test, also known as the rapid diagnostic test, is not thought to be as accurate as the PCR test, however, it is much less expensive and results are usually available in an hour or less.

An antibody test, also known as a serology or serologic test, may tell you if you had a past infection. Antibody tests are blood tests. The antibody test is not for diagnosing current infection and a negative result does not indicate that a person is negative for COVID-19. The antibody test can be used to guide the management of someone with complicated symptoms and for research that studies the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic in a community.

Within each of these categories are many different commercially available products with many different design characteristics, including variable cost. Unfortunately, because many test products have been developed quickly and with limited regulatory oversight, the quality can vary. This makes it important to consult with your healthcare provider if you think you need to be tested.

Testing for coronavirus is available for free to anyone in Los Angeles County, and there is abundant drive through or walk up testing availability at both County and City of LA operated test sites. If you want to get tested because you feel sick or may have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, contact your doctor to request a test. Those without a regular provider are encouraged to call 2-1-1 for assistance. Testing can also be obtained at some pharmacies. For more information about getting tested, visit covid19.lacounty.gov/testing or call the County’s 2-1-1 information line.

California Thursday Snapshot
Statewide, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 880,724, with 17,189 deaths from the disease. There are 2,351 confirmed hospitalizations and 652 ICU hospitalizations in California.

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

There were 2,940 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 2.7% and the 14-day positivity rate is 2.6%.

There have been 17,358,770 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 65,631 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.

New Testing Turnaround Time Dashboard
The testing turnaround dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. California has worked to reduce testing turnaround times in recent weeks to help curb the spread of the virus. During the week of Oct. 4 – Oct. 10, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 68 percent of patients received test results in 1 day and 93 percent received them within two days. The testing turnaround time dashboard (PDF) is updated weekly.

As of Sept. 22, 2020, California’s testing capacity and turnaround time have improved. As a result and until further notice, all four tiers in the Testing Prioritization Guidance originally dated July 14, 2020 will have equal priority for testing.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of Oct. 21, local health departments have reported 42,918 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 197 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard, reports 73 COVID-19 deaths in the Santa Clarita Valley. Of the 73 SCV residents who have died since the pandemic began, 60 lived in the city of Santa Clarita, 5 in Castaic, 3 in Stevenson Ranch, 2 in Acton, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Val Verde, 1 in unincorporated Valencia.

Of the 6,944 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 4,074

Castaic: 2,159 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 191

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion):1 66

Val Verde: 101

Acton: 80

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 52

Agua Dulce: 30

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 30

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 20

Saugus/Canyon Country: 11

Bouquet Canyon: 10

Elizabeth Lake: 7

Sand Canyon: 7

Lake Hughes: 5

*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
On Tuesday night, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia reported its 30th COVID-19 death since the pandemic began, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, of the 9,693 people tested at Henry Mayo to date, 997 tested positive, 11,486 were negative, 44 were pending, 12 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care, and a total of 290 COVID-19 patients have been treated and discharged so far.

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.

Henry Mayo 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, he said.

L.A. County

“To the many families who are experiencing the sorrow of losing a loved one to COVID-19, we send you our deepest sympathies,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “When we look at the widespread transmission occurring in L.A. County, we know that many people who become positive for COVID-19 are unaware they were exposed to an infected person. I asked that you keep this in mind when you are out and about. There is no certainty that people you’re interacting with or are in close proximity to at a gathering are not infected. We do know with certainty that when people don’t protect themselves and others – by wearing a face covering, washing hands often, and at least staying six feet from others – this virus can quickly spread with devastating effects.”

Public Health has reviewed the new state recommendations and consulted with the Board of Supervisors about the timing for additional openings, including the re-opening of additional personal care services indoors with modifications (in addition to hair salons and nail salons), the percentage of high need students allowed for in-person learning, outdoor operations at go-carts, mini-golf and batting cages, and modifying requirements for breweries/wineries. Public Health will post a revised Health Officer Order tomorrow. As a reminder, county health departments are not allowed to be less restrictive than State Health Officer Orders. They can align or be more restrictive.

Of the 18 new deaths reported Thursday, six people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, 10 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, one person who died was between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Sixteen people who died had underlying health conditions including five people over the age of 80, 10 people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, and one person between the ages of 50 and 64 years old.

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 6,552 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 52% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 23% among White residents, 14% 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, 21 cases and six deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

There are 777 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 29% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 2,937,000 individuals with 9% of all people testing positive.

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

Blueprint for a Safer Economy

Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, a statewide plan for reducing COVID-19 and keeping Californians healthy and safe. The plan imposes risk-based criteria on tightening and loosening COVID-19 allowable activities and expands the length of time between changes to assess how any movement affects the trajectory of the disease.

Californians can go to covid19.ca.gov to find out where their county falls and what activities are allowable in each county.

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)

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 Oct. 19, 115 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.