Officials from Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital are once again urging those eligible to get vaccinated, as the hospital is experiencing a marked influx of COVID-19 patients, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said Thursday.

“Our COVID-19 patient census has increased 50% in a week,” Moody said. “We continue to strongly encourage all who are eligible to get vaccinated. According to the CDC, vaccination is the best way to stay out of the hospital.”

Currently, there are zero tests pending, 33 patients in the hospital, a total of 1,502 patients who have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, and no additional deceased.

Privacy laws prohibit the hospital from releasing the community of residence for patients who die there; that info is reported by the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard, which generally lags 48 hours behind.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 32 new deaths and 1,900 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 35,477 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Of the 32 new deaths reported Thursday, seven people who passed away were over the age of 80, 13 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, and 11 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64. One death was reported by the city of Long Beach. To date, Public Health identified 1,449,923 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 25,942 deaths.

There are 991 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 31% of these people are in the ICU. This is the first time daily hospitalizations dropped under 1,000 since late-July.

Testing results are available for nearly 8,530,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Thursday’s test positivity rate is 1.5%.

L.A. County Prepared to Administer Pfizer Booster

Los Angeles County is prepared to administer Pfizer booster third doses once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finalizes eligibility.

Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended providing third booster doses of Pfizer vaccine to a subset of people at least six months after the second of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine series, including adults 65 and over, adults younger than 65 at high risk of severe illness, and people 18 to 64 with high institutional or occupational risk. The FDA did not recommend boosters for people below the age of 18 or for people who received doses of other vaccines.

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met and voted third booster doses should be administered at least six months after the last dose of the two-dose Pfizer series in adults 65 and over, residents of long-term care facilities, people 50 to 64 years old with underlying medical conditions, and people 18 to 49 years old with underlying medical conditions, based on individual benefit and risk.

Once the CDC director provides their recommendation, the County will work with the State and local partners to ensure that those eligible for boosters under the FDA emergency use authorization are able to get their third dose while prioritizing reaching those at most risk, including those not yet vaccinated.

We expect the CDC director to consider the ACIP’s input and make an agency recommendation in the coming days.

In L.A. County, slightly over 1 million individuals received two doses of Pfizer prior to April 1; 420,000 of these individuals were 65 years old and older, and many others were healthcare workers and people with severe risk for serious illness from COVID-19.

The easiest way to plan for your booster is to make an appointment at one of the hundreds of sites that offer Pfizer vaccines. You will be able to make an appointment for a booster using the MyTurn system starting tomorrow or by making an appointment at a pharmacy or clinic that offers vaccinations.

There are also many places that don’t require appointments. Visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com to find a community location near you where you can walk in and get your booster. All you will need to bring with you to get your booster dose is proof that you have received two previous Pfizer doses, which for most people will be in the form of the white vaccination card, or a photo of the white card, or a digital record of your two doses. At many sites you may be asked to sign an attestation form indicating you meet the criteria to receive the shot. If you need a ride to get your vaccination, you can reach out to the Public Health call center at 1-833-540-0473 and you will be connected to free transportation.

If you are in an eligible group but received vaccines other than the Pfizer vaccine, you will need to wait until the FDA reviews the data about the need for and safety of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters.

**More from Los Angeles County Public Health further below**

William S. Hart Union High School District COVID-19 Dashboard

The William S. Hart Union High School District provides ongoing information to our community regarding COVID-19 cases while maintaining confidentiality for our students and staff. The COVID-19 case data below is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive case in staff members or students by school site. The data below is specific to individuals who have been physically present on a District campus within 14 days of receiving a positive COVID-19 test. The District, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, conducts contact tracing and directly notifies and provides resources for parents of students identified as close contacts (6 feet or less for 15 cumulative minutes or more).

Note: To see the communication process in the event of a positive COVID-19 case, visit https://www.hartdistrict.org/apps/pages/covid-19dashboard.

Student Dashboard:

Student Dashboard: The COVID-19 case data is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive cases in students by school site.

Staff Dashboard

Staff Dashboard: The COVID-19 case data is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive cases in staff by school site.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard remained unchanged from Wednesday, with 331 total deaths from COVID-19 in the Santa Clarita Valley since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 331 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

279 in Santa Clarita

20 in Castaic

9 in Acton

7 in Stevenson Ranch

6 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

2 in Val Verde

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Valencia

0 in Lake Hughes (**revised from 1)

SCV Cases

Of the 35,477 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 26,079

* Castaic: 4,341

Stevenson Ranch: 1,619

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,113

Acton: 720

Val Verde: 414

Agua Dulce: 384

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 265

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 161

Elizabeth Lake: 106

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 70

Bouquet Canyon: 62

Lake Hughes: 52

Saugus/Canyon Country: 47

Sand Canyon: 22

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 18

Placerita Canyon: 4

*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.

L.A. County

“We extend our deepest condolences to everyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one, a friend, or a co-worker and are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “We appreciate the thorough review of the emerging science by the FDA and CDC and are prepared to ensure that it is as easy as possible for eligible residents and workers to receive their booster dose. Our pandemic history has told us that we make our best progress when we actively take steps to reduce the spread of this virus. Let’s use the tools we have to effectively reduce the risk of transmission and keep each other healthy and safe.”

L.A. County continues to offer vaccines at more than 1,300 sites countywide and through the deployment of more than 400 mobile vaccination teams each week to make it as easy as possible for eligible L.A. County residents to get vaccinated.

Many vaccination sites across the county, including all County-run sites, are also offering third doses of vaccine to eligible immunocompromised people. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

To find a vaccination site near you, to make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

County Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional actions you can take to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

California Thursday

COVID-19 Vaccine Action Plan

Gov. Gavin Newsom released Thursday a COVID-19 Vaccine Action Plan that outlines how the state will be able to immediately begin administering doses to eligible Californians, continue our equity-centered focus on eligible but unvaccinated individuals, and expand operations once more Californians are eligible.

California Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 4,441,390 cases and 67,928 deaths to date. There are 5,840 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,674 ICU hospitalizations in the state.

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

There were 6,694 newly reported confirmed cases Wednesday.

Cases are occurring largely among unvaccinated populations.

See the data for vaccinated and unvaccinated cases.

– For the week of Sept. 5 – Sept. 11, the average case rate among unvaccinated Californians age 16 or older is 62.83 per 100,000 per day and the average case rate among vaccinated Californians age 16 or older is significantly lower at 7.95 per 100,000 per day.

– The great majority of new cases are among unvaccinated individuals. The rate among the unvaccinated is 8 times the rate among the vaccinated.
The 7-day positivity rate is 3.1%.

There have been 90,122,934 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 216,987 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of Sept. 23, according to the CDC, 83.2% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose. Providers have reported to CDPH that a total of 48,813,863 vaccine doses have been administered statewide. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed. For more vaccination data, visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Data Dashboard.

Health Care Workers

As of Sept. 22, local health departments have reported 124,369 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 499 deaths statewide.

Stop the Spread: Get Vaccinated for COVID-19

The risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection continues as a number of Californians remain unvaccinated. With the emergence of the more transmissible Delta variant, there is a renewed urgency to get all eligible Californians vaccinated as quickly as possible and complete their two-dose vaccination process if they are receiving Pfizer or Moderna.

CDPH is reminding unvaccinated Californians that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, free and provides excellent protection from severe COVID-19 illness, including the Delta variant, hospitalization, and death.

Individuals aged 12+ are eligible for vaccination. Visit myturn.ca.gov to make an appointment. Individuals aged 17 and younger may need the consent of a parent or legal guardian for vaccination. Visit Vaccinate All 58 to learn more about the safe and effective vaccines available.

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of Sept. 12 to Sept. 18, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 72% of patients received test results in one day and 91% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Sept. 20, there have been 610 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) reported statewide. 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.

Keep California Healthy
Protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these prevention measures:

– Get vaccinated when it’s your turn. Californians age 16+ are eligible to make an appointment.

– If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches), call your health care provider.

– If you believe you have been exposed, get tested. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.

– Keep gatherings small and outdoors and follow state and local public health guidance.

– Wear a mask and get the most out of masking – an effective mask has both good fit and good filtration.

– Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

– Delay non-essential travel outside of California until you are fully vaccinated. Follow California’s travel advisory.

– Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay home from work and school if you feel ill.

– Add your phone to the fight by signing up for COVID-19 exposure notifications from CA Notify.

– Answer the call or text if a contact tracer from the CA COVID Team or your local health department tries to connect.

Additional data and udpates:

Tracking COVID-19 in California

State Dashboard – Daily COVID-19 data

County Map – Local data, including tier status and ICU capacity

Data and Tools – Models and dashboards for researchers, scientists, and the public

Blueprint for a Safer Economy– Data for establishing tier status

COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data – Weekly updated Race & Ethnicity data

Cases and Deaths by Age Group – Weekly updated Deaths by Age Group data

Health Equity Dashboard – See how COVID-19 highlights existing inequities in health

Tracking Variants – Data on the variants California is currently monitoring

Safe Schools for All Hub – Information about safe in-person instruction

School Districts Reopening Map – data on public schools and reported outbreaks

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.