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December 18
1929 - Swift justice: Thomas Vernon sentenced to life in prison for Saugus train derailment & robbery 1 month earlier [story]
Tom Vernon


The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday one additional death and 31 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley, with 20 additional deaths and 1,144 new cases countywide.

Currently, there are 699 people hospitalized with COVID-19.

More than 12,919,000 individuals tested; 25% of people tested positive to date.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 35,528 deaths, county case totals to 3,693,237 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 98,137 since March of 2020. SCV deaths from COVID-19 rise to 543.

LA County

To find a location for the new booster go to VaccinateLACounty.com or VacunateLosAngeles.com(en español). Click on “Find a Location” and then search by “Vaccine Type.”

If residents do become ill, fast and easy access to medicines is also crucial. As of last week, more than 550 sites offer therapeutics, many in communities that have been hard hit by COVID.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are recommended for everyone 5 years old and older to help protect against COVID-19. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites and many community sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

William S. Hart Union High School District

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
.

Schools Community Dashboard

Community Dashboard

Student Dashboard

Students

Staff Dashboard

Staff

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 4 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported one additional death from COVID-19 in Lake Hughes, bringing the total number of deaths in the SCV to 543.

NOTE: As of Dec. 20, 2022, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health switched to a new geocoding process to improve the accuracy and completeness of geocoded data. Geocoding is the process of assigning an address to specific geographic coordinates (latitude/longitude). As a result, approximately 1,500 cases (0.04%) were removed from the cumulative count as they were determined to be out of jurisdiction with the improved geocoding. The switch to this improved process also resulted in minor changes to cumulative case/death counts by Supervisor District, Service Planning Area, city/community, and area poverty categories.

The following is the community breakdown per L.A. County’s dashboard:

Santa Clarita: 443

Castaic: 30 (revised from 33)

Acton: 18 (revised from 19)

Stevenson Ranch: 17

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 10

Agua Dulce: 7

Elizabeth Lake: 4

Val Verde: 6

Lake Hughes: 2

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Newhall: 1

Unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

 

SCV Cases

Of the 98,137 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 72,479

Castaic: 9,537

Stevenson Ranch: 5,901

Canyon Country: 3,707

Acton: 2,000

Val Verde: 1,210

Agua Dulce: 982

Valencia: 927

Saugus: 339

Elizabeth Lake: 286

Bouquet Canyon: 203

Lake Hughes: 202

Saugus/ CC: 130

Newhall: 105

Sand Canyon: 61

San Francisquito: 44

Placerita Canyon: 24

*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.

 

California Thursday

The California Department of Public Health now updates their numbers on Thursdays. The information below is from the most recent data released Thursday, Feb. 16.

California

Vaccinations

– 87,980,271 total vaccines administered.

– 72.6% of the population has been vaccinated with a primary series.

– 11,283 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 11,084,818 confirmed cases to date.

– Average average case count is 2,893 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– During December 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.4 times more likely to get COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 6.4% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 2,541 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 296 ICU patients statewide.

– During December 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.6 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Deaths

– There have been 99,960 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 24 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– During December 2022, unvaccinated people were 3.0 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Health Care Workers

– As of Feb. 15, local health departments have reported 191,146 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 602 deaths statewide.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

This is the most recent data reported: As of Dec. 19, there have been 1,048 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.

Mask Guidance: Under California’s mask guidance, universal masking is required only in specified higher risk settings like hospitals, public transit and congregate living facilities. Unvaccinated persons are required to mask in all indoor public settings. Fully vaccinated individuals are recommended to continue indoor masking when the risk may be high. Workplaces will continue to follow the COVID-19 prevention standards set by CalOSHA. Local health jurisdictions may implement requirements that are stricter than state guidance.

Slow the Spread: Get Vaccinated and Boosted for COVID-19

The risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection continues as a number of Californians remain unvaccinated and unboosted.

Real-world evidence continues to show that the vaccine is preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Public health officials urge Californians to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.

It is recommended that every individual six months of age and older receive their primary COVID-19 vaccine series and booster dose.

It is recommended that every vaccinated person 12 years or older should get a booster as long as they received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least five months ago or they received their Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.

Vaccination appointments can be made by visiting myturn.ca.gov or calling 1-833-422-4255. The consent of a parent or legal guardian may be needed for those under age 18 to receive a vaccination. Visit Vaccinate All 58 to learn more about the safe and effective vaccines available for all Californians 5+.

Your Actions Save Lives

Protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these prevention measures:

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.

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LOS ANGELES COUNTY HEADLINES
Thursday, Dec 18, 2025
Santa Clarita Valley residents need to put down the yule log and refrain from all residental wood burning fires on Friday, Dec. 19.
Wednesday, Dec 17, 2025
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department  Forensic In-Patient Step Down program’s success has led to an annual graduation that not only celebrates the participants for the progress they have made in the program but also acknowledges the department’s commitment to excellence in custody operations. 
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Tuesday, Dec 16, 2025
The Greater Lost Angeles Homeless Count (Jan. 20-22) is still in need of volunteers.
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