The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 239 new deaths and 5,028 new cases of COVID-19, with 24,410 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

To date, Public Health identified 1,134,338 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 17,539 deaths. There are 4,990 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 27% of these people are in the ICU. A month after the winter holidays, the County continues experiencing the deadly toll of the holiday surge, reporting daily deaths over 200 people.

Of the 239 new deaths reported Thursday, 78 people who passed away were over the age of 80, 82 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 49 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, 12 people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and two people who died were between the ages of 18 and 29. Fifteen deaths were reported by the city of Long Beach and one death was reported by the City of Pasadena.

There are currently 1,351 ongoing outbreak investigations, of theses, 23% are related to outbreaks at worksites. Business owners and business operators must take the necessary steps that protect workers and customers and adhere to infection control and distancing directives. In addition to following infection control directives, businesses need to immediately alert Public Health when there are three or more cases at a worksite. Directives and checklists for all businesses to follow are available online.

Public Health discourages residents from visiting or patronize businesses not following the rules because it increases the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19. Non-compliance and dangerous conditions at businesses can be reported to Public Health by phone at 888-700-9995 or online at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov. These tips can be submitted anonymously.

Businesses should take advantage of the COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certification Program. The program provides business owners and employees the opportunity to take a free online training about COVID-19 infection control protocols and allows businesses to self-certify that they are fully implementing protocols in compliance with infection control and physical distancing requirements. To date, a total of 21,016 employees and employers have completed the training.

California Thursday Snapshot
Statewide, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 3,294,447 cases, with 42,466 deaths from the disease. There are 13,277 confirmed hospitalizations and 3,637 ICU hospitalizations in California.

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

There were 13,176 newly recorded confirmed cases Wednesday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 6.1% and the 14-day positivity rate is 6.9%.

There have been 43,235,327 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 168,094 during 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.

As of Feb. 4, providers have reported administering a total of 3,984,752 vaccine doses statewide. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed. The CDC reports that 6,438,225 doses have been delivered to entities within the state, and 6,965,675 vaccine doses, which includes the first and second dose, have been shipped.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of Feb. 3, local health departments have reported 88,061 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 354 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard recorded 225 deaths recorded among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began.

Of the 225 SCV residents who have died, 193 lived in Santa Clarita, 12 in Castaic, 6 in Acton, 4 in Stevenson Ranch, 3 in unincorporated Canyon Country, 3 in Agua Dulce, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Lake Hughes, 1 in Newhall, 1 in Val Verde.

Of the 24,410 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 17,809

Castaic: 3,444

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

Stevenson Ranch: 965

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 719

Acton: 403

Val Verde: 282

Agua Dulce: 232

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 166

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 122

Elizabeth Lake: 70

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 64

Bouquet Canyon: 41

Lake Hughes: 37

Saugus/Canyon Country: 29

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 14

Sand Canyon: 13

*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
Note: Data from Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital were not available as of deadline Thursday.

The two new deaths reported Wednesday brought Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital’s COVID fatalities to 123 since the pandemic began, spokesman Patrick Moody said Wednesday.

In November, eight COVID-19 patients died at Henry Mayo. In December, four times that many people — 34 — died at the hospital.

Henry Mayo reported 49 patient deaths due to COVID-19 in January 2021, and two fatalities so far in February, Moody confirmed.

As of Wednesday, no COVID-19 cases are pending, 63 patients were hospitalized in dedicated COVID-19 units receiving ICU-level care (down seven from Monday), and a total of 1,034 COVID-19 patients have been treated and discharged, Moody said.

The hospital releases complete statistics weekly, usually on Wednesdays, unless one or more new deaths occur.

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
“Our thoughts are with all of the people across our communities who are grieving a loved one who has passed away from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “The number of people passing away daily is devasting beyond words. COVID-19 transmission can just as easily occur at house parties, as at businesses not following the straight-forward safety measures. Do not attend or host a Super Bowl party this weekend. Restaurant, winery and brewery establishments must do their part, as required, keeping TVs off and following the requirements in the LA County Health Officer Order. We all must work together to defend against another surge.”

Testing results are available for nearly 5,560,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive.

For information about vaccines in L.A. County, when your turn is coming up and to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, and much more, visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com. Vaccine remains very limited. Eligible residents with internet access and a computer are urged to use the website to sign up for vaccine as appointments become available. For those without access to a computer or the internet or with disabilities, a call center is open to help schedule appointments at 833-540-0473, daily from 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

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

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released the most recent statistics Thursday on COVID-19, including updated data and tiers for reducing COVID-19 in the state under the Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

Two counties, Alpine and Trinity, moved from the Red (Substantial) to Orange (Moderate) tier. All other counties remained in their previously assigned tier. 54 counties remain in the Purple (Widespread) and most restrictive tier.

Blueprint for a Safer Economy

With the Regional Stay at Home Order rescinded statewide as of Jan. 25, all counties are now 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 of Feb. 2, 2021:

54 counties are in the Purple Tier

1 county is in the Red Tier (Mariposa)

3 counties are in the Orange Tier (Alpine, Sierra and Trinity)

No counties are in the Yellow Tier

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

Hospital Surge Order

The Hospital Surge Public Health Order ensures that hospitals can continue to care for critically ill Californians suffering from COVID-19 as well as other life-threatening conditions. The order requires hospitals statewide to accept patient transfers from facilities that have implemented contingency or crisis care guidelines as long as those transfers can be done capably and safely. On December 28, 2020 CDPH provided guidance to health care facilities on implementing the Crisis Care Continuum Guidelines issued in June 2020.

Counties Currently Impacted by the Hospital Surge Order:

San Joaquin Valley: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare.

Southern California: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura

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.

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 Jan. 17 – Jan. 23, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 74% of patients received test results in one day and 92% 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 Feb. 1, 200 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 that tracks California’s health equity measure and data by race and ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Racial Demographics – A More Complete Picture
The California Department of Public Health is committed to health equity and collecting more detailed racial and ethnic data that will provide additional understanding for determining future action. Health outcomes are affected by forces including structural racism, poverty and the disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions such as asthma and heart disease among Latinos and African American Californians. Only by looking at the full picture can we understand how to ensure the best outcomes for all Californians.

The differences in health outcomes related to COVID-19 are most stark in COVID-19 deaths. We have nearly complete data on race and ethnicity for COVID-19 deaths, and we are seeing the following trends: Latinos, African Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are dying at disproportionately higher levels. More males are dying from COVID-19 than females, in line with national trends. More information is available at COVID-19 Race and Ethnicity Data.

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.