Due to reduced transmission and hospitalizations, Los Angeles County Public Health will not move forward with universal indoor masking. Wearing masks in indoor public places is still strongly advised to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose fifth district includes the Santa Clarita Valley, released the following statement in response to Thursday’s announcement that an indoor masking mandate will not be reinstated in Los Angeles County:

“I am pleased with the Department of Public Health’s decision to not reinstate an indoor masking mandate in our County.

Unenforceable mandates don’t work. We must continue to marshall our mandates and resources effectively in the fight against COVID-19.

I’m hopeful that we will now be able to move on from this heightened focus on masking mandates to what really matters – focusing on promoting the efficacy of vaccines and boosters, improving access to COVID-19 treatments, and continuing to educate our County’s residents on the benefits of masking. I am comfortable leaving this decision in the public’s very capable hands.”

In the meantime, Public Health confirmed Thursday a total of 18 new deaths and 7,009 new cases countywide, with 218 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 32,691, county case totals to 3,286,471 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 86,225 since March of 2020. SCV deaths from COVID-19 total 485.

Currently, there are 1,239 people hospitalized with COVID-19.

More than 12,326,000 individuals tested; 24% of people tested positive to date.

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.

To find a vaccination site near you, or to make an appointment, please visit:

www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or

www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

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.

Schools Community Dashboard

Student Dashboard

Staff Dashboard

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 the city of Santa Clarita, bringing the total in the SCV to 485.

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

Santa Clarita: 395

Castaic: 31

Acton: 17

Stevenson Ranch: 15

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 9 (revised from 10)

Agua Dulce: 6

Val Verde: 3 (revised from 4)

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Elizabeth Lake: 2

Newhall: 1

unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

SCV Cases

Of the 86,225 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 63,621

Castaic: 8,711

Stevenson Ranch: 5,101

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 3,131

Acton: 1,719

Val Verde: 948

Agua Dulce: 887

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 828

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 381

Elizabeth Lake: 238

Lake Hughes: 177

Bouquet Canyon: 176

Saugus/Canyon Country: 104

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 93

Sand Canyon: 54

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 39

Placerita Canyon: 17

*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 Tuesday and Friday. The information below is from the most recent data released Tuesday, July 26.

Vaccinations

– 78,476,295 total vaccines administered.

– 79.6% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 43,435 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 9,871,930 confirmed cases to date.

– Tuesday’s average case count is 17,845 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 5.9 times more likely to get COVID-19 than boosted individuals (June 27, 2022 – July 3, 2022).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 15% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 4,826 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 512 ICU patients statewide.

– Unvaccinated people are 7.1 times more likely to be hospitalized than boosted individuals (June 27, 2022 – July 3, 2022).

Deaths

– There have been 92,595 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 28 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 9.9 times more likely to die than boosted individuals (June 20, 2022 – June 26, 2022).

Health Care Workers

As of July 21, local health departments have reported 172,748 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 583 deaths statewide.

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of July 10 to July 16, the average time patients waited for test results was 0.9 day. During this same time period, 86% of patients received test results in one day and 97% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of July 25, there have been 1010 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 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.