Starting tomorrow, Friday, May 28, through next Thursday, June 3, at all the Los Angeles County-run vaccination sites, L.A. city sites and the St. John’s Well Child and Family Center sites, everyone 18 and older getting their first vaccine or bringing a first-time vaccine recipient with them to their second dose appointment, will have an opportunity to win a pair of tickets to the 2021-2022 home season of either the Los Angeles Kings or the L.A. Galaxy. Two residents will be awarded prizes.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 9 new deaths and 217 new cases of COVID-19, with 27,934 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley. Of the nine new deaths reported Thursday, five people that passed away were over the age of 80, one person who died was between the ages of 65 and 79, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49. One death was reported by the city of Long Beach.

Public Health’s data teams have identified 3,857 historical L.A. County resident cases dating back to March 16, 2020 that are included in case totals. These cases came from inpatient and outpatient medical records and cases with updated address information or revised jurisdiction criteria. To date, Public Health identified 1,243,319 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,321 deaths.

There are 325 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 19% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for more than 6,730,000 individuals with 17% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 0.4%.

The best way to prepare for a safe Memorial Day holiday is to be vaccinated. That way, keeping your get-togethers in line with Public Health safety guidelines is much simpler: When everyone at a gathering is vaccinated, you can gather outdoors or inside without any masking or distancing requirements. However, if any of the guests at your gathering are unvaccinated, they should wear masks and keep a distance from people in other households. In these situations, gathering outdoors with at most 100 others is safest, and if you gather indoors, keep the numbers lower, at 50% of capacity or 50 people, whichever is fewer. Enjoy L.A. County’s beaches, movie theaters, amusement parks, campgrounds, certified famers’ markets, live events, museums, family entertainment centers, and holiday sales. Guidelines for individual sites and sectors apply.

California Launches its Own Vaccine Incentive Program

On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom also launched “Vax for the Win,” a new multi-faceted vaccine incentive program designed to motivate Californians to get their vaccination leading up to the state’s reopening on June 15. The incentives aim to give an extra nudge to those who still need to get vaccinated against COVID-19, especially those in hard-to-reach communities, while also thanking everyone who has already been vaccinated.

“Getting every eligible Californian vaccinated is how we bring our state roaring back from this pandemic,” said Newsom. “California has already made incredible progress in the fight against COVID-19, with the lowest case rates in the country, while administering millions more vaccines than any other state. But we aren’t stopping there, we’re doing everything it takes to get Californians vaccinated as we approach June 15 to help us fully reopen safely.”

More than 62.8 percent of Californians aged 12+ are at least partially vaccinated, but an estimated 12 million people who are eligible still have not gotten a vaccine to protect their health and the well-being of their communities.

“Some Californians weren’t ready to get their COVID-19 vaccine on day one, and that’s okay. This program is designed to encourage those who need extra support to get vaccinated and help keep California safe,” said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, California Department of Public Health Director and State Public Health Officer. “The State will work closely with our partners at local health departments and community-based organizations to ensure the program reaches families living in communities with the lowest vaccination rates, who might face language barriers and other obstacles.”

All Californians aged 12+ who are at least partially vaccinated are automatically eligible for the cash prize drawings taking place in June. Thirty winners in total will be selected for the “$50,000 Fridays” cash prize drawings on June 4 and June 11, totaling $1.5 million. On June 15, $1.5 million will be awarded to 10 lucky Californians – for a grand total of $15 million in cash prizes. Winners must complete their vaccination in order to claim their prize. If someone under 18 wins, the cash will be put in a savings account for them until they turn 18.

Beginning on May 27, the next two million people who begin and complete their COVID-19 vaccination will automatically be eligible to receive a $50 prepaid or grocery card, worth a total of $100 million. It gives them the option to select from a $50 Virtual Prepaid Card (which can be spent online, in-store where major debit cards are accepted, or added to a mobile wallet to be used to shop in stores that accept mobile wallets), or a $50 grocery gift card from Kroger (which includes Ralphs, Food 4 Less and Foods Co.) or Albertsons (which includes Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions and Andronico’s Community Markets), while supplies last. Californians will receive a text message with an electronic prepaid card redemption code sent to their mobile phone or email address 7-10 days after their two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna, or single dose of Johnson and Johnson. An incentive card will be held for those who start their vaccination at the launch of the program. Those who do not have a mobile phone or email address can receive a physical card by calling 1-833-993-3873, 7-10 days after receiving their final dose. Those without a permanent address can also call to coordinate delivery.

For more information, visit COVID19.ca.gov/vax-for-the-win. To schedule an appointment to be vaccinated, visit MyTurn.ca.gov or call the CA COVID-19 Hotline at 1-833-422-4255.

Meanwhile, the California Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 3,677,235 confirmed cases and 61,855 deaths to date. There are 1,175 confirmed hospitalizations and 284 ICU hospitalizations in the state.

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

There were 1,418 newly recorded confirmed cases Wednesday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 0.9%.

There have been 64,950,020 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 131,867 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of May 27, providers have reported administering a total of 36,904,212 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 45,651,260 doses have been delivered to entities within the state. 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 May 26, local health departments have reported 111,005 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 461 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard remains unchanged from Wednesday recording 304 total SCV deaths from COVID-19.

The following is the community breakdown of the 304 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

260 in Santa Clarita

18 in Castaic

6 in Acton

6 in Stevenson Ranch

4 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Lake Hughes

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Valencia

1 in Val Verde

Of the 27,934 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 20,459

Castaic: 3,731**(revised from 3,738)

(includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,160

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 849

Acton: 480

Val Verde: 337

Agua Dulce: 283

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 196

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 132

Elizabeth Lake: 76

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69

Bouquet Canyon: 47

Lake Hughes: 42

Saugus/Canyon Country: 40

Sand Canyon: 17

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

Placerita Canyon: 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 Newhall Hospital Thursday Update
As of Thursday, the hospital had zero cases pending, one patient was hospitalized in a dedicated COVID-19 unit, and a total of 1,239 patients had been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said.

On Wednesday, the hospital reported zero COVID-19 hospitalizations for the first time since the pandemic began.

There were no new deaths reported Thursday, keeping the total deaths at 148 people since the pandemic began. The last death occured on May 21.

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.

L.A. County

“To those who have been grieving the loss of a loved one or a coworker to this virus, you have our deepest condolences, and our thoughts are with you,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As you gather together with family this Memorial Day, I hope you join me in expressing our profound gratitude for all the sacrifices our veterans have made on behalf of others. I know we are all glad this Memorial Day many of us will be able to gather with family and friends again. Perhaps, this year, where so many have lost their lives in the battle against COVID-19, an important way to honor our service members is to emulate their willingness to put their care for others front and center. This caring for others has made it possible to get through this pandemic, and making a decision to get vaccinated in order to protect those who cannot get vaccinated helps get us to the other side. So over the next week, make time amid the Memorial Day remembrances to get your vaccine. Not only will you honor the sacrifices of others and gain a lot of added protection for yourself, but you may be that lucky person who gets to watch an amazing team do our County proud.”

During the surge, daily age-adjusted rate of cases per 100,000 people were much higher among Latinx residents, than among other racial groups. Now the highest case rates are among Black residents, at 45 cases per 100,000 Black residents. The County is now seeing 26 cases per 100,000 Latinx residents, 24 cases per 100,000 White residents and 11 cases per 100,000 Asian residents. The shift of the highest proportion of the case burden being borne by Black residents represents a shift in who is being disproportionately affected by this virus in L.A. County.

Also, during the surge weekly age-adjusted rate of hospitalizations per 100,000 people were much higher among Latinx residents than among other racial groups. As of May 22, the highest hospitalization rates are now among Black residents, at 3.6 hospitalizations per 100,000 Black residents. The County is now seeing 2.4 hospitalizations per 100,000 Latinx residents, 1.8 hospitalizations per 100,000 White residents and 0.6 hospitalizations per 100,000 Asian residents. This also represents a shift in who is being disproportionately hospitalized at this point in the pandemic.

Given the disparities in cases and hospitalizations that now disproportionately affect Black residents, the death rate due to COVID-19 is now highest among Black residents. As of May 15, the death rate among Black residents was about 1 per 100,000 people– still low, but twice as high as among Latinx residents, whose death rate was about 0.5 per 100,000 people, and about three times as high as among Asian and White residents, whose rates were 0.34 per 100,000 people.

The hard-hit communities are where we really need to see vaccination gains in order to ensure that the disproportionately in health outcomes from COVID-19 doesn’t continue.

While the vaccines are extraordinarily effective, with almost half of residents 16 and older not yet fully vaccinated, adherence to required safety modifications at worksites remains an important strategy as we increase the number of people vaccinated. Public Health inspectors continue to visit businesses across L.A. County. From May 17 through May 23 inspectors visited more than 1,500 business. In almost all sectors, compliance with masking and distancing requirements is extremely high, with the only exceptions in garment manufacturing. Inspectors are revisiting these manufacturing sites to ensure full compliance.

As the County approaches the lifting of public health modifications in most business sectors on June 15, Public Health hopes that businesses will partner with their employees to make it easy for all workers to get vaccinated by bringing vaccines to the worksite or offering paid time off for staff to get vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccinations are available at County-run sites and many community sites without an appointment and many sites are open on weekends and have evening hours. Anyone 12 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.

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

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

Vaccine Eligibility Update

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.

Blueprint for a Safer Economy

All counties are under the rules and framework of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers that indicate which activities and businesses are open based on local case rates and test positivity. As always, local public health departments may implement policies that are more restrictive than the state.

Blueprint Summary as of May 25

0 counties in the Purple (widespread) Tier

8 counties in the Red (substantial) Tier

35 counties in Orange (moderate) Tier

15 counties in Yellow (minimal) Tier

Blueprint tiers are updated weekly on Tuesdays. Find the status of activities in specific counties.

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of May 16 to May 22, the average time patients waited for test results was under one day. During this same time period, 87% of patients received test results in one day and 97% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of May 24, there have been 527 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.

Your Actions Save Lives
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.

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.