The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 2,204 new cases of COVID-19 and 55 new deaths due to the virus countywide, with a total of 3,239 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley since the pandemic began.

This is the fifth consecutive day of new cases over 2,000. Public Health is reporting continued increases in cases and hospitalizations.

There are 1,893 people currently hospitalized, 28% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 17% are confirmed cases on ventilators. This is the largest number of people hospitalized since early May, surpassing yesterday’s count.

According to Public Health records, of the 32 SCV residents who have died of the virus to date, 25 resided in the city of Santa Clarita, 2 in Acton, 2 in Castaic, 1 in Val Verde, 1 in unincorporated Valencia, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon.

Countywide, Public Health has reported 107,667 positive cases of COVID-19 and a total of 3,454 deaths to date. Ninety-three percent of people who died had underlying health conditions.

“We mourn with all the families that have lost loved ones to COVID-19. You are in our thoughts and prayers every day,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Unfortunately, we continue to see negative trends in the data and we urgently need to make a change in the trajectory. We must make sure we are not unnecessarily spending time outside with others and use this opportunity as a countywide reset. We need everyone’s help. Please avoid contact with other people who are not part of your household, wear your face covering when out and about and wash your hands frequently.”

As we head into the Fourth of July weekend, Public Health reminds everyone that all events and gatherings unless specifically allowed by the Health Officer Order remain prohibited. Please enjoy your weekend with your household only. If you do go out, Public Health urges everyone to avoid the Three C’s: Crowded places, Confined spaces and Close contact with others not in your household. Everyone should always wear a face covering securely over your nose and mouth and keep six feet apart from others not in your household when out in public. Businesses must continue to follow Public Health directives.

Public Health updated the gym and fitness center protocol in the Health Officer Order issued yesterday to require patrons to wear a mask and gloves at all times at fitness centers. Fitness center patrons are warned to not extend themselves to a point where they can’t breathe comfortably while wearing a face covering over both their nose and mouth at all times.

The Order requires the closure of:

– Indoor, in-person dining at restaurants

– Indoor museums, indoor children’s museums, and indoor operations at zoos and aquariums

– Cardrooms and satellite wagering facilities

– Bars remain closed, however retail operations for breweries, brew pubs, and wineries may remain open.

The Health Officer Order also requires businesses with three or more known cases of COVID-19 within the workplace over the span of 14 days, to report the outbreak to Public Health. Employers who have one known case within the workplace must have a protocol that requires that person to self-isolate at home and anyone exposed to self-quarantine.

L.A. County beaches are closed from July 3 through July 6 at 5:00 a.m. to prevent crowded situations that could result in more spread of COVID-19. All public beaches, piers, public beach parking lots, beach bike paths that traverse that sanded portion of the beach, and beach access points will be temporarily closed to the public. Fireworks displays are also prohibited.

Statewide, as of July 1, the California Department of Public Health has confirmed a total of 240,195 cases and 6,163 deaths from COVID-19. Currently, there are 5,355 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,676 ICU hospitalizations. Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.

California’s positivity rate – a key indicator of community spread – is trending modestly upward in the 14-day average. Hospitalization rates are also trending upwards in the 14-day average. California has 240,195 confirmed cases to date. Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed, as reported below. There have been 4,338,718 tests conducted in California. As testing capacity continues to increase across the state, an increase in the number of positive cases has been expected – increasing the importance of positivity rates to find signs of community spread.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of July 1, local health departments have reported 15,379 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 91 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
Of the 3,239 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 1,236

Castaic: 1,792 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 68

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 47

Val Verde: 29

Acton: 25

Agua Dulce: 14

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 13

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 6

Elizabeth Lake: 4

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 3

Bouquet Canyon: 1

Lake Hughes: 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
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported its 14th COVID-related death on Wednesday, July 1, who died over the past weekend, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody, who could not disclose the decedent’s city of residence due to privacy regulations.

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.

As of Wednesday, July 1, of the 3,273 persons tested at Henry Mayo to date, 349 tested positive, 3,214 were negative, 151 were pending and 19 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care, six more than reported last Wednesday. A total of 110 COVID-19 patients have been 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.

L.A. County
Of the 55 new deaths, 40 people who died were over the age of 65 years old, 11 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Forty-five people had underlying health conditions including 36 people over the age of 65 years old, eight people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and one person between the ages of 18 to 40 years old. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach and two deaths were reported by the city of Pasadena.

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 3,209 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 43% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 27% among White residents, 16% among Asian residents, 11% 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, 44 cases and three deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents. Testing results are available for over 1,133,000 individuals, with 9% of 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.

Please note: During July 4 through July 5, Public Health will make improvements to the data processing systems which will result in no new data being reported on those days. This pause in reporting will not affect the collection of this data or outbreak investigations.

California Thursday
Delayed Reporting of Cases
Due to the state’s dramatic increase in testing capacity and growing demand for tests, laboratories and local public health departments are processing and verifying more test results than ever. As a result, the reporting of some test results has been delayed. The California Department of Public Health is processing the delayed test results and updating the state’s case counts. To ensure the data accurately reflect how COVID-19 is impacting our communities, previously reported case numbers may sometimes be updated retroactively. The graph below shows how cases have been adjusted in recent days:

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 July 1, there have been 4,338,718 tests conducted in California and reported to the California Department of Public Health. This represents an increase of 84,542 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.