Los Angeles County surpassed a devastating milestone Thursday losing more than 23,000 people to COVID-19.

To date, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health identified 1,216,250 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 23,020 deaths. Public Health confirmed Thursday 66 new deaths and 608 new cases of COVID-19, with 27,090 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

A year ago (Thursday), there were 13 total COVID-19 deaths reported in Los Angeles County. In a year’s time, more than 23,000 L.A. County residents passed away from COVID-19. COVID-19 is the leading cause of death in L.A. County. Public Health is happy to see eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine expanded by the State, starting April 1, for individuals age 50 and older, and starting April 15, for individuals age 16 and older. Public Health continues to be an advocate, partner and provider in the vaccine efforts, including vaccinating people who live in areas hard-hit by this pandemic. The County hopes the expansion of eligibility carries with it increased doses of vaccine coming into L.A. County. L.A. County vaccination sites continue to operate below their capacity and have the ability to vaccinate around twice the number of residents each week than our current allocation allows.

Currently, COVID-19 vaccine supply remains limited in L.A. County. For information about vaccine appointments in L.A. County and when your turn is coming up, to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, and much more, visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

California Thursday Snapshot

Statewide, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) confirmed Thursday a total of 3,553,307, with 57,091 deaths from the disease. There are 2,449 confirmed hospitalizations and 641 ICU hospitalizations in California.

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

There were 2,251 newly recorded confirmed cases Wednesday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 2.0%.

There have been 52,765,254 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 106,179 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of March 24, providers have reported administering a total of 15,979,099 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 20,244,790 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 Worker Infection Rates
As of March 24, local health departments have reported 101,371 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 443 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard recorded 288 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began.

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

245 lived in Santa Clarita

18 in Castaic

7 in Acton

4 in Stevenson Ranch

3 in Agua Dulce

3 in unincorporated Canyon Country

2 in Valencia

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Lake Hughes

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Val Verde

Of the 27,090 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 19,823

Castaic: 3,664

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

Stevenson Ranch: 1,112

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 819

Acton: 459

Val Verde: 327

Agua Dulce: 266

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 185

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 131

Elizabeth Lake: 75

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69

Bouquet Canyon: 47

Lake Hughes: 41

Saugus/Canyon Country: 39

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
Hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said as of Thursday, there are zero cases pending, six patients are hospitalized in a dedicated COVID-19 unit receiving ICU-level care, a total of 1,186 patients have been treated and discharged and no additional deaths (147 to date).

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

“We extend our deepest condolences to the many people across L.A. County who are grieving the loss of a loved one to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “With the State’s announcement today, it means everyone age 16 and over will be eligible for the vaccine in mid-April. Expanding vaccine eligibility over the next couple of weeks will make it easier for more people to get vaccinated provided the County receives more doses. During these times of scares supply, our priority is to ensure that residents and workers in hard hit communities are each able to get vaccinated. As eligibility expands, we will re-double efforts to increase accessibility and availability of vaccine in communities with the highest risk and lower rate of vaccinations.”

Of the 66 new deaths reported Thursday, 22 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 22 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 15 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49. Four deaths were reported by the city of Long Beach and one death was reported by the city of Pasadena.

There are 729 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 23% of these people are in the ICU. The 3-day average for daily hospitalizations is 720. Testing results are available for more than 6,041,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive. Thursday’s daily test positivity rate is 1.6%.

COVID-19 cases among people experiencing homelessness have declined significantly from the peak of 677 weekly cases during late-December, to 57 new cases reported this week. The number of new cases reported this week includes 39 cases from previous weeks that were newly identified as cases associated with people experiencing homelessness and were included in the new case totals. To date, Public Health has identified 7,099 cases among people experiencing homelessness, and 195 people who were experiencing homelessness have passed away from COVID-19. Of the people experiencing homelessness who passed away, 90 were sheltered, 66 were unsheltered, and for 39 people who passed away, their shelter status was unknown.

There are 38 providers reporting they are administering vaccinations to people experiencing homelessness. Currently, nearly 4,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people experiencing homelessness across Los Angeles County. Of those vaccinated, 697 people received second doses or are fully vaccinated. The County continues working with partner organizations to vaccinate, reduce virus transmission, and protect people experiencing homelessness from COVID-19 infection.

Travel increases the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19. While COVID-19 numbers have decreased here in L.A. County, transmission remains widespread and increasing in many states and countries. Los Angeles County residents should continue to avoid all non-essential travel and stay within 120 miles from their place of residence, unless they are traveling for essential purposes. A Travel Advisory remains in effect in Los Angeles County. Anyone who is arriving to Los Angeles County must self-quarantine for 10 days; please remain at your home or lodging for the 10 days and avoid contact with others. Please do not travel if you are sick. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, were in crowds, exposed to unmasked individuals in close proximity, or attended gatherings, get tested.

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

Vaccine Eligibility Update

With supply of vaccines expected to significantly increase in the coming weeks, the state is expanding vaccine eligibility to more Californians. Starting April 1, individuals 50 and over will be eligible to make an appointment, and individuals 16 and over will be eligible to make an appointment to be vaccinated starting on April 15. To sign up for a notification when you’re eligible for a vaccine, please visit myturn.ca.gov. For more information on the vaccine effort, visit Vaccinate All 58.

Updates to Cohort Guidance

CDPH announced changes to the Cohort Guidance. The Cohort Guidance now only applies to counties in the Purple Tier and is frequently referenced for operations at day camps, before and after school programs, and childcare centers.

Tracking Variants

Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been identified globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. These genetic mutations are expected, and some emerge and then disappear, while others persist or become common. Most variants do not have a meaningful impact. Public health becomes concerned about a variant when it affects COVID-19 transmission, severity, testing, treatment or vaccine effectiveness. Get more information on the variants CDPH is currently monitoring.

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. CDPH modified Blueprint thresholds on March 12 after the state successfully met its first vaccine equity milestone of 2 million administered vaccine doses in some of the state’s hardest hit communities.

Blueprint Summary as of March 23

8 counties in the Purple (widespread) Tier

39 counties in the Red (substantial) Tier

9 counties in Orange (moderate) Tier

2 counties in Yellow (minimal) Tier

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

Additional Date and Updates

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

Updated Travel Advisory
CDPH has issued an updated travel advisory. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Non-essential travelers from other states or countries are strongly discouraged from entering California and should adhere to the state’s self-quarantine procedures for 10 days.

Safe Schools for All Plan
Gov. Newsom released his California’s Safe Schools for All plan, California’s framework to support schools to continue operating safely in person and to expand the number of schools safely resuming in-person instruction. View the data for public schools by selecting a specific district on the School Districts Reopening Map. The map includes reported outbreaks since January 1, 2021.

Vaccinate All 58
The COVID-19 shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in California, and additional shipments will continue to arrive throughout this week. The first doses are being administered to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. The state is working closely with community partners and stakeholders to help ensure the vaccine is distributed and administered equitably across California. For more information, visit the CDPH COVID-19 Vaccine webpage and Vaccinate All 58.

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 March 7 – March 13, the average time patients waited for test results was one day. During this same time period, 81% of patients received test results in one day and 95% received them within two days.

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.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
As of March 22, 413 cases Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) have been 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.

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.

New Health Equity Dashboard
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted existing inequities in health that are the result of structural racism and poverty, and the disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions such as asthma and heart disease among Latinos and African Americans. As part of its commitment to reduce health inequities and ensure the best outcomes for all Californians, the state has launched a Health Equity Dashboard on www.covid19.ca.gov. View COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data and Cases and Deaths by Age Group.

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
California is experiencing the fastest increase in cases we have seen yet – faster than what we experienced at the outset of the pandemic and this summer. If COVID-19 continues to spread at this rate, it could quickly overwhelm our health care system and lead to catastrophic outcomes. Protect yourself, family, friends and community by following these prevention measures:

– Staying home except for essential needs/activities and following local and state public health guidelines when visiting businesses that are open.

– Following the Limited Stay at Home Order that requires allnon-essential work and activities to stop between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in counties in the purple tier. The order took effect at 10 p.m. Saturday, November 21, and will remain in effect until 5 a.m. December 21.

– Staying close to home, avoiding non-essential travel, and practicing self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival if you leave the state.

– Keeping gatherings small, short and outdoors and limiting them to those who live in your household.

– 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.