Los Angeles County surpassed the grim milestone Thursday of losing more than 25,000 residents to COVID-19. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is one of the leading causes of death – surpassing stroke, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 35 new deaths and 3,239 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 32,327 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

To date, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health identified 1,362,848 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 25,002 deaths.

Of the 35 new deaths reported Thursday, nine people who passed away were over the age of 80, 11 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, nine people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, four people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and two people who died were between the ages of 18 and 29.

The County’s 7-day cumulative case rate is now 204.2 new cases per 100,000 residents, which represents a 5% increase from last week.

There are 1,790 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 23% of these people are in the ICU.

Between July 11 and Aug. 11, hospitalizations rose by 333% to an average of 1,622 beds filled with people testing positive for COVID-19 on any given day, and deaths rose 275% to an average of 15 deaths per day.

Testing results are available for nearly 7,850,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Thursday’s test positivity rate is 3.7%; a decrease from last week’s same-day rate of 4.5%. As schools and institutes of higher education return to session and their routine testing programs come back online, Public Health expects to see hundreds of thousands more test results each week and in parallel with those, increases in cases.

Monitoring School Cases Countywide
With many school districts countywide reopening this week and in the near future, Public Health is monitoring school cases in outbreaks among staff and students. There are several types of Public Health teams working with schools to ensure the safety of students and staff. School technical assistance or STAT teams reach out to schools proactively to assess preventive readiness and advise on options for improvement. Exposure management teams follow up on cases reported by schools and help identify possible sources of infection as well as close contacts, while also ensuring that schools provide appropriate isolation guidance to infected staff or students and their parents. And if more than one case is identified at a given school, educational setting outbreak teams will work with the school to determine whether these cases are connected. If evidence of contagion at a school site emerges, this team will take over the investigation and help the school identify steps it can take to reduce risk to the broader school community.

In the 24 hours between 8:00 a.m. Aug. 17 and 8:00 a.m. Aug. 18, 118 new K-12-associated cases were reported. Public Health teams are working closely with schools to ensure that positive cases are isolated and close contacts quarantined to reduce additional transmission at schools.

To ensure transparency with school communities, Public Health will launch an online school dashboard in September. The dashboard will include a district map shaded to provide district level information on testing volume, community case rates, and community vaccination rates. The dashboard will also display school level information, including numbers of student and staff cases, details on outbreaks at the school, and the number of students at the school required to quarantine.

**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:

Student Dashboard: The COVID-19 case data is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive case in students by school site.

Staff Dashboard:

Staff Dashboard: The COVID-19 case data is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive case in staff members by school site.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Thursday Update
As of Thursday, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital had zero tests pending, 33 patients hospitalized, a total of 1,386 patients treated and discharged since the pandemic began, with no additional deaths, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

The hospital reported an additional death Wednesday, bringing the total of COVID-19 related deaths at Henry Mayo to 155.

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 6:15 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported an additional death in Acton, bringing the total of COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV to 313 to date.

The following is the community breakdown of the 313 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

269 in Santa Clarita

16 in Castaic (**revised initially from 18)

7 in Acton

6 in Stevenson Ranch

5 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

SCV Cases

Of the 32,327 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 23,760

Castaic: 4,075

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

Stevenson Ranch: 1,446

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 987

Acton: 606

Val Verde: 378

Agua Dulce: 346

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 236

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 147

Elizabeth Lake: 91

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69

Bouquet Canyon: 55

Lake Hughes: 47

Saugus/Canyon Country: 46

Sand Canyon: 19

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

Placerita Canyon: 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.

L.A. County

“I extend my deepest condolences to all those who have lost friends, loved ones, and family. Please know that our hearts and our prayers are with you today and always,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “It is with much sorrow that we mark this devastating milestone of 25,000 deaths in our County. This virus continues to cause debilitating and dangerous illness among many who are infected. Losses we suffer now are particularly sad because almost all of them are preventable with extremely safe and widely available vaccines. Given the importance of continuing our recovery journey, we need to act with a sense of urgency to reduce community transmission as quickly as possible. Layering on public health protections is sensible, while noting that the most effective tool for slowing the spread is the vaccine. Right now, the people who need to be getting vaccinated are those 12 and over who haven’t yet received their first doses; the people due for their second doses, which includes everyone more than 3 weeks out from their first dose of Pfizer and more than 4 weeks out from their first dose of Moderna; and immunocompromised people who now are approved for their third doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.”

As of August 15, 90% of LA County residents 65 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, as have 74% of residents 16 and over and 73% of residents 12 and over. Sixty-three percent of residents 12 and over have been fully vaccinated. Of L.A. County teens between the ages of 12 and 17, 56% have received at least one dose and 46% are fully vaccinated. Out of the nearly 10.3 million L.A. County residents, including those who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, 63% have received at least one dose, and 55% are fully vaccinated.

Among the more than 5.1 million fully vaccinated people in L.A. County, Public Health identified 27,331 people fully vaccinated who tested positive for COVID-19 as of August 17; this is less than 1% of all those vaccinated. Of those who tested positive, 742 were hospitalized, up from 549 the week prior. This translates to 0.014% of all fully vaccinated people ending up hospitalized. Deaths in this group over this interval increased, from 55 to 68, to 0.0013%. These small increases reflect the reality that the vaccines do not provide 100% protection, and that with high rates of community transmission, more fully vaccinated people are getting post vaccination infections. However, this very same information also makes it clear how much protection vaccinated people still have; most fully vaccinated people do not get infected, they don’t end up hospitalized, and they are very unlikely to tragically lose their life to COVID-19.

Federal officials announced changes to vaccination strategies aimed at increasing the protection afforded to people by vaccines. With emerging data indicating that certain populations will need more support to be protected, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on August 13 recommended a third dose of mRNA vaccines for immunocompromised people, including transplant recipients, people with advanced or untreated HIV infection, people actively receiving cancer treatment, and people taking immunosuppressive medications. Third doses have been available to eligible individuals at vaccination sites across the county since Saturday. Additionally, following yesterday’s announcement by the CDC that booster doses of mRNA vaccines will be offered to all vaccinated people, Public Health is continuing to work with staff and residents at skilled nursing facilities to prioritize these most vulnerable residents for booster doses to be prepared for administering these as soon as the Food and Drug Administration gives their approval.

Public Health notes the difference between third doses and booster doses is more than just language. Third doses are meant to elicit an antibody response where there was an inadequate antibody response before, while booster doses are meant to increase antibody levels that have waned after a robust increase in the months after vaccination.

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

California Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 4,070,083 cases and 64,383 deaths to date. There are 7,779 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,772 ICU hospitalizations in the state.

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

There were 12,359 newly reported confirmed cases Wednesday.

Cases are increasing statewide, largely among unvaccinated populations.

– For the week of August 9 – August 15, the average case rate among unvaccinated Californians is 51 per 100,000 per day and the average case rate among vaccinated Californians is significantly lower at 7.6 per 100,000 per day.

– The vast majority of new cases are among the unvaccinated with 500% higher case rates among the unvaccinated than for those who are vaccinated.

The 7-day positivity rate is 6.1%.

There have been 78,147,191 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 254,334 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of Aug. 19, according to the CDC, 78.7% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose. Providers have reported to CDPH that a total of 45,681,458 vaccine doses have been administered statewide. 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 Aug. 18, local health departments have reported 119,461 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 484 deaths statewide.

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.

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of Aug. 8 to Aug. 14, the average time patients waited for test results was one day. During this same time period, 75% of patients received test results in one day and 93% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Aug. 16, there have been 594 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.