The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 24 new deaths and 1,233 new cases of COVID-19, including 6,693 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley, while Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported 3 additional deaths bringing the hospital’s COVID-19 deaths to 29.

To date, Public Health identified 286,183 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 6,834 deaths.

There are 723 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 27% of these people in the ICU. Testing results are available for more than 2,866,000 individuals with 9% of all people testing positive.

Public Health continues to survey skilled nursing facilities in the County for compliance with mandated COVID-19 testing and reporting of COVID-19 cases and outbreaks. All 341 skilled nursing facilities are conducting weekly testing of residents and staff. For the week of October 3 more than 43,000 COVID-19 tests were completed among staff and residents. That week, a total of 161 new cases of COVID-19 were reported among staff and residents; 71 new cases among residents and 90 new cases among staff. Of the 341 facilities, 233 facilities reported no positive cases.

This week, there are 57 new cases among people experiencing homelessness. This includes 31 cases from previous weeks that were newly identified and were included in the new case totals. To date, Public Health has identified 1,889 cases among people experiencing homelessness. There was one new death reported among people experiencing homelessness. To date, 45 people who were experiencing homelessness have passed away from COVID-19.

Flu can be very dangerous and can lead to serious complications and unfortunately, even death. People who are older and people who have underlying health conditions, including residents living in skilled nursing facilities and people experiencing homelessness, are at increased risk. Because influenza and COVID-19 have similar symptoms, testing is the only way to know the cause of illness. Protecting against influenza is important because immunizations and antiviral medications can be offered to prevent spread and mitigate the severity of illness

Public Health created guidance for skilled nursing facilities in preparation for the flu season during this COVID-19 pandemic. Because flu immunizations are key, Public Health guidance requires facilities to offer flu immunizations to all facility residents. In addition, staff are mandated to receive the flu immunization by a local Health Officer Order. We also recommend skilled-nursing facilities test for influenza in addition to COVID-19 if any staff member or resident develops new respiratory symptoms. During the influenza season, antiviral medications should be given to any skilled-nursing facility resident experiencing flu-like symptoms while they wait for test results.

Immunization is also a priority for reducing transmission of the flu among people experiencing homelessness. Working closely with our partners at the Department of Health Services and Housing for Health, immunizations will be offered at encampments, shelters and other locations, to both residents and staff.

California Thursday Snapshot
Statewide, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 858,401, with 16,757 deaths from the disease. There are 2,239 confirmed hospitalizations and 600 ICU hospitalizations in California.

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

There were 3,329 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 2.6% and the 14-day positivity rate is 2.6%.

There have been 16,517,812 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 92,325 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 Sept. 27 – Oct. 3, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 69 percent of patients received test results in 1 day and 92 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. 14, local health departments have reported 41,753 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 194 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 5:00 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard, reports 67 COVID-19 deaths in the Santa Clarita Valley. But had not yet logged the three deaths at Henry Mayo. Of the 70 SCV residents who have died since the pandemic began, 55 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, 1 in unincorporated Valencia and 3 in a communities not yet identified.

Of the 6,693 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 3,884

Castaic: 2,135 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 187

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion):159

Val Verde: 89

Acton: 78

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 51

Agua Dulce: 30

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 28

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 14

Bouquet Canyon: 10

Saugus/Canyon Country: 10

Elizabeth Lake: 7

Sand Canyon: 7

Lake Hughes: 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.

Henry Mayo Thursday Update
On Wednesday night, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia reported 3 additional deaths bringing the total to 29 COVID-19 deaths at the hospital since the pandemic began, hospital spokesman Patrick 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.

As of late Wednesday night, of the 9,238 people tested at Henry Mayo to date, 964 tested positive, 10,911 were negative, 30 were pending, 11 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (up 6 from last week), and a total of 280 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.

L.A. County

“To the families mourning the loss of a loved one to COVID-19, I send my heartfelt condolences,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “The steps we are all taking to prevent transmission of COVID-19 also help prevent transmission of influenza. As we’ve seen from countries in the southern hemisphere who have already had their flu season, these actions have been effective in slowing the spread of both viruses, and many have seen fairly mild flu seasons. While we very much hope for the same here in L.A. County and across the United States, we will continue working diligently with our partners to prevent infection and to reduce transmission of the two viruses. We all have tools that work to limit the spread of COVID-19 and flu: wearing face coverings and keeping physical distance of at least 6 feet whenever you are out of your home and around others; frequent handwashing and; avoiding large crowds. For flu, we have the additional tool of a safe and effective vaccine. With everyone doing their part, we reduce illness and we save lives.”

Of the 24 new deaths reported today, two people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, 13 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, seven people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 30 and 49. Eighteen people who died had underlying health conditions including two people over the age of 80 years old, 13 people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, and three people between the ages of 50 and 64 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 6,430 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 51% 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, 66 cases and two deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

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. 13, 111 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.