The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 12 new deaths and 1,829 new cases of COVID-19 county wide, with 37,823 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

**Note: The higher number of cases Thursday reflects delays in reporting of 396 positive tests from a large testing lab from between Oct. 18 and Oct. 29. The County is likely to see higher numbers in future days as additional backlogged tests are included in case counts. Of the 12 new deaths reported Thursday, four people who passed away were over the age of 80, four people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, two people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49.

To date, Public Health has identified 1,498,393 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,695 deaths.

Vaccination Verification Effective Thursday

Beginning Thursday, proof of full vaccination and photo ID for indoor entry into bars, breweries, wineries, distilleries, nightclubs, and lounges for all patrons and employees goes into effect. Patrons now need to be fully vaccinated to be indoors at any of these establishments.

Next week, on Monday, Nov. 8, the city of Los Angeles’ vaccine verification program, called SafePassLA, goes into effect, and will require proof of full vaccination for entry into the indoor portions of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, breweries, wineries, gyms, spas, nail salons, barbershops, movie theaters, shopping malls, and entertainment and recreation venues. This includes indoor portions of City facilities such as L.A. City Hall, senior centers, recreation centers, and service centers.

Public Health will be working closely with the city of L.A.to educate businesses and residents on the requirements of the SafePassLA program throughout the upcoming month and will unveil a virtual training and certificate program for L.A. City businesses next week.

The Biden administration has announced a Jan. 4, 2022 deadline for the full vaccination of workers, including non-clinical employees and contractors, at healthcare facilities funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. These facilities may grant certain medical or religious exemptions to employees, but employees will not be able to choose a testing option as an alternative to being vaccinated. Yesterday, the administration set the same deadline for full vaccination of workers at businesses with more than 100 employees. Businesses may offer their employees an option involving routine testing and mandatory masking.

These targeted mandates are all aimed at ensuring that in health facilities, workspaces, and public spaces, where the risk of transmission is higher, everyone is fully vaccinated. With powerful and safe vaccines, this is the surest manner of quickly reducing spread and allowing for continued economic recovery.

CDC Endorses Pfizer Vaccine for 5-11 Year Olds

Many parents were relieved when earlier this week, the CDC endorsed the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 years old. There are many good reasons to vaccinate children in this age group: in addition to the fact that COVID-19 infection can lead to hospitalization, death, inflammatory syndromes, and long-term symptoms in pediatric populations, children can transmit the virus at least as efficiently as adults. In L.A. County, an estimated 900,000 children between the ages of 5 and 11 are eligible for vaccinations. Vaccination has been shown to be 91% effective in preventing infection in this age group with only mild side effects.

Children getting vaccinated need to bring with them a consent form signed by an adult responsible for the child – and that consent form can be signed by the adult at the vaccination site. At some vaccination sites, including those run by Public Health, children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. You do not need to show identification in order to get a vaccine, nor do you need to be a United States citizen to be vaccinated.

For this week, we encourage parents to call ahead of time to providers to be sure they received pediatric doses and are able to offer vaccines to children 5-11. All six of the Public Health community sites have already begun vaccinating children and parents can bring their children in without appointments.

Last week, there were 670 student cases and more than 3,100 student close contacts at schools. Among staff, we saw about 110 cases and 250 close contacts. These case numbers represent a 26% decline in student cases and a 29% decline in staff cases from the prior week. The increase in staff close contacts is in part due to several outbreaks in which the exposure location was the staff break room. This amounts to a test positivity of 0.2% among students and staff being tested, with 0.2% identified as close contacts.

These low numbers are a result of the work our school communities have done to layer on protections that keep students and staff safe, and we are grateful for their collaboration on this effort. The County hopes to see these numbers drop further as more and more children get vaccinated to protect themselves and their friends and families from COVID-19 infection.

**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

Staff Dashboard

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital

As of Thursday, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported zero tests pending, 21 patients in the hospital, and a total of 1,603 patients who have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, and no additional deaths, spokesman Patrick Moody said.

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.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 5:00 p.m. Monday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard recorded one additional death in the city of Santa Clarita, bringing the total number of deaths in the SCV from COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic to 351.

The following is the community breakdown of the 351 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

295 in Santa Clarita

21 in Castaic

10 in Acton

8 in Stevenson Ranch

6 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

3 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 37,823 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 27,743

* Castaic: 4,547

Stevenson Ranch: 1,799

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,190

Acton: 789

Val Verde: 435

Agua Dulce: 419

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 302

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 167

Elizabeth Lake: 124

Bouquet Canyon: 74

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69

Lake Hughes: 60

Saugus/Canyon Country: 54

Sand Canyon: 24

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 22

Placerita Canyon: 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.

L.A. County

There are 662 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 23% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 9,110,000 individuals with 15% of people testing positive. Thursday’s test positivity rate is 1.6%, an increase from last week’s same-day rate of 1.2%.

The County’s daily average case rate, with a 3-day lag, is now 9.8 cases per 100,000 people, an increase from last week’s 3-day-lagged case rate of 6.1 cases per 100,000. CDC’s estimation of the County’s weekly case rate is now 84 new cases per 100,000 residents, reflecting continued substantial transmission across the county.

Unvaccinated people are 7 times more likely to get infected and 27 times more likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated people.

“Our hearts are broken for everyone who has lost loved ones, friends or co-workers to this virus, and we share with you our hope for your healing and comfort,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Cooler weather has arrived, and with it, conditions that favor COVID-19 transmission as we gather inside to stay warm and for celebrations and gatherings. While vaccinations remain our most powerful tool for reducing spread of the virus, masking up indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces is still an important layer of protection for all of us. We ask that everyone continue to do their part to adhere to the masking requirements, which are likely to remain in place for the remainder of this calendar year as we work hard to reduce community transmission rates to the moderate tier, less than 50 new weekly cases per 100,000 residents; to achieve this benchmark, daily new case numbers would need to fall to about 700 cases per day.”

An important strategy for preventing a significant surge this winter is planning for safe holiday gatherings. For this Thanksgiving, which is in three weeks, it’s best if everyone who is eligible gets vaccinated. If this isn’t possible, Public Health recommends staying local until everyone in your house is fully vaccinated, and if possible, have gatherings outdoors. Keep gatherings small, and if unvaccinated or high-risk people are present, including older adults and people with weakened immune systems, wear face masks indoors when not eating or drinking, and outdoors if it’s crowded. In these situations, it’s also a good idea to keep a distance between non-household members while eating, especially if you’re eating indoors. And if possible, have guests verify a negative test before gathering.

Anyone five years and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

Vaccine providers across Los Angeles County are also administering boosters for all three FDA-approved vaccines; Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. People eligible for boosters include adults of any age who received their first Johnson & Johnson dose at least two months ago, and people who got the second dose of their Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least six months ago and are 65-plus years old or are over 18 and live in long-term care settings, have underlying medical conditions, or work or live in high-risk settings.

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

The California Department of Public Health released the most recent statistics on COVID-19 Thursday and updates on the state’s pandemic response. The most up to date data is available on the state’s COVID-19 data dashboard.

Statewide COVID-19 Data

Cases

– California has 4,680,273 confirmed cases to date.

– Thursday’s average case count is 5,073 (average daily case count over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 4,257 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 1,009 ICU patients statewide.

Deaths

– There have been 71,759 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 64 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

Vaccinations

– 53,607,002 total vaccines administered.

– 81.1% of the eligible population (12+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 148,104 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 2.4% (average rate over 7 days).

Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are largely occurring among unvaccinated populations. See the data for unvaccinated and vaccinated cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

– Unvaccinated people were 6.8 times more likely to get COVID-19 (data from October 18 to October 24, 2021).

– Unvaccinated people were 9.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 (data from October 11, 2021 to October 17, 2021).

– Unvaccinated people were 18.2 times more likely to die from COVID-19 (data from October 4, 2021 to October 10, 2021).

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of Oct. 24 to Oct. 30, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.0 day. During this same time period, 78% of patients received test results in one day and 95% received them within two days.

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.

**Note: This reissue of Monday’s COVID-19 Facts news release includes corrected numbers for MIS-C cases and Testing Turnaround Time, which is reflected below.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Nov. 1, there have been 690 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.