The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health again confirms the highest daily number of new cases and people hospitalized with COVID-19. On Tuesday, Public Health confirmed 44 new deaths and 7,854 new cases of COVID-19, including 10,201 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley. The number of new cases surpasses the previous all-time high of 7,593 reported on Dec. 1.

This is the second time this week Los Angeles County has surpassed the previous record for new cases and third consecutive day for hospitalizations.

To date, Public Health identified 421,881 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 7,782 deaths.

There are 2,572 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 23% of these people are in the ICU. This number surpassed yesterday’s all-time high of 2,439 people hospitalized with COVID-19.

A continued surge in cases and hospitalizations is not sustainable because as hospitalizations increase sharply, the healthcare system can become overwhelmed.

Activities become riskier as local case levels rise, and the risk increases even more when those activities involve the removing of face coverings in close distance around people not in the same household.

Please stay home as much as possible. Even if you don’t feel sick, the simple act of being around people outside your household is extremely risky right now. Avoid doing any activities that are not essential. Always wear a face covering whenever outside your home, keep your distance from others not in your household, wash your hands frequently, and avoid crowds. Individuals with underlying health conditions and those that are older should remain in their home and not be around others as much as possible.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 4:20 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard, remains unchanged from Wednesday. L.A. County Public Health reported a total of 83 deaths in the Santa Clarita Valley since the pandemic began.

Of those 83 SCV residents who have died, 68 lived in Santa Clarita, 5 in Castaic, 3 in Acton, 3 in Stevenson Ranch, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in unincorporated Canyon Country, 1 in Val Verde, and 1 in unincorporated Valencia.

Of the 10,201 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 6,635

Castaic: 2,448 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 327

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 257

Val Verde: 123

Acton: 126

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 65

Agua Dulce: 63

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 51

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 36

Elizabeth Lake: 17

Bouquet Canyon: 16

Saugus/Canyon Country: 15

Lake Hughes: 12

Sand Canyon: 7

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 3

*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 38th death due to COVID-19 on Monday, Nov. 30, following two reported deaths the previous Tuesday and Wednesday, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

As of Wednesday, Dec. 2, of the 12,728 people tested at Henry Mayo to date, 1,463 tested positive, 15,367 were negative, 46 were pending, 52 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (same as last Wednesday), and a total of 414 COVID-19 patients have been treated and discharged so far, Moody said.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital releases complete statistics weekly, generally on Wednesdays, unless a new death occurs, he said.

Discrepancies in the testing numbers at the hospital are due to some patients being tested multiple times.

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 is generally 48 hours behind.

L.A. County

“We send our deepest sympathies to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one to COVID-19. We are so sorry for your loss and wish you peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “We are at a dangerous point where surging cases and hospitalizations are not letting up. The County, State and local jurisdictions have taken measures to reduce crowding and mingling among non-household members, however this is a health crisis that requires all of us to take action and be diligent. I can’t emphasize this enough – everyone must take personal steps to protect themselves and protect others. We can’t afford lapses in the straight-forward recommended safety measures because they have deadly consequences. It is a mistake to relax and let down our guard. Staying home is the best way to protect ourselves, those we love and those most vulnerable in our communities.”

Because people experiencing homelessness are likely to have underlying conditions that make them more susceptible to negative COVID-19 outcomes, the County continues working with partner organizations to address their needs in efforts to reduce virus transmission. This week, there are 132 new cases among people experiencing homelessness. Similar to increases in community cases, weekly reported cases among people experiencing homelessness increased 97% from 67 new cases the week of November 9 to 132 new cases this week.

Of the 44 new deaths reported today, 17 people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, 14 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, five people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, four people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29 years old. Twenty-eight people who died had underlying health conditions including 12 people over the age of 80 years old, 10 people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, three people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, two people between the ages of 30 and 49 years old and one person between the ages of 18 and 29 years old. Two deaths were reported by the city of Long Beach and one death was reported by the city of Pasadena.

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 7,345 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 52% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 24% among White residents, 14% among Asian residents, 9% 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, 158 cases and two deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

Testing results are available for more than 3,808,000 individuals with 10% of all people testing positive.

Businesses that are not adhering to safety protocols to protect workers and customers increase the risk for transmission of COVID-19. A list of non-compliant businesses that received citations can be found online.

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

Note: This was the only California data available by deadline.

Statewide, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 1,264,539 confirmed, with 19,437 deaths from the disease. There are 8,831 confirmed hospitalizations and 2,066 ICU hospitalizations in California.

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

There were 12,221 newly recorded confirmed cases Monday. Numbers do not represent true day-over-day change as these results include cases from prior to yesterday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 7.0% and the 14-day positivity rate is 6.5%.

There have been 24,161,313 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 136,142 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.

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)

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.