The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed eight new deaths throughout L.A. County, 1,595 new cases countywide and 118 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 34,039, county case totals to 3,501,782 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 92,277 since March of 2020. SCV deaths from COVID-19 remain at 511.

Of the eight new deaths reported today, three people were between the ages of 50-64, three people were between the ages of 65-79 and two people were aged 80 years or older. Of the eight newly reported deaths, seven had underlying health conditions.

Thursday’s positivity rate is 5.8%.

There are 464 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,669,810 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive.

Bivalent Booster Vaccination Rates Remain Low, as L.A. County Shows Possible Signs of Winter Surge
There continues to be signs in Los Angeles County that there may be a winter surge in new cases of COVID-19. As we observe an increase in case rates and a change in early indicators, it is important to prepare in order to mitigate the potential impact on the health care system, high risk residents, and the community.

Today, L.A. County reports a 7-day average of 1,300 cases reported per day, a 24% increase from the 7-day average of 1,050 cases reported per day last week. There has been a steady increase in this number since Nov. 1. As is expected with rising case counts, L.A. County is also seeing an increase in the average number of daily hospital admissions. This past week, there was an average of 77 admissions per day, an 18% increase from the 65 admissions per day the week before. The current case rate is now 86 new cases per 100,000 individuals.

Of the eight early alert signals that are consistently monitored to understand changes in COVID-19 transmission, three metrics are of Medium Concern this week and one metric is of high concern. This is a significant change from Nov. 1 when two metrics where of Medium Concern and the remaining six were in Low Concern.

After being of Medium Concern for multiple weeks, the number of new outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities over the past seven days is now at 21, surpassing the threshold for High Concern. We are working to multiply our efforts to get people in skilled nursing facilities vaccinated with the updated booster. Currently about 50 percent of residents have been vaccinated with the bivalent booster. The 7-day average for percent of Emergency Department encounters classified as COVID-19 related also increased to 5%, just meeting the threshold for Medium Concern. In addition, the number of TK-12 school outbreaks increased from nine to 14 this week, putting it in the category of Medium Concern, and the percent of specimens sequenced that are identified as a new subvariant of interest, currently tracking for BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 is at 17 percent.

Facing the potential of a winter with a high level of community risk from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, two preparedness measures tracked on the L.A. County post-sure preparedness dashboard are currently in the Needs Improvement category. One notable area of concern is related to our capacity to sequence specimens to identify new strains of the virus. This past week, the number of positive case specimens sequenced was at 294, a value that puts us in the Needs Improvement category and steps have been put into place to increase this number. Another area of significant concern is the very low number of residents 65 or older who have received an updated bivalent booster dose. At 23%, it is far below the 60% needed to meet the threshold for adequate.

Additionally, the lowest uptake is among the younger age groups, with children ages 5-11 and 12-17, bivalent booster rates are 4% and 5% respectively.

Residents can visit ph.lacounty.gov/howtogetvaccinated to find options for getting the updated booster and, if needed, their primary COVID-19 vaccine series. There are over 1,000 sites across L.A. County where you can get vaccinated. As we head into the holiday season, with many opportunities to gather with those we love, it makes sense to do our best to think about layering in the protections needed to safeguard the most vulnerable person or people at our gatherings. None of us should be afraid to continue to use mitigation strategies that we know work against many respiratory viruses, including wearing a high quality, well-fitted mask when you are indoors and testing before gathering. Small changes now could mean that we avoid big changes that become necessary if cases and hospitalizations really surge.

“I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost a loved one from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. ““The low number of residents getting the bivalent booster is worrying, especially given the possibility of a winter surge fueled by new strains of the virus that are very infectious. Those over 65 are at elevated risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and for many older people it has been months since their last booster, Bivalent boosters are widely available in LA County and we have an adequate supply to give a booster to everyone who is eligible. I know that earlier in the pandemic vaccines were very precious, and often the mindset was that people at lower risk should wait. ​​This is not the case anymore. If you are eligible, you can and should get your updated booster now.”

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

Student Dashboard

Staff Dashboard

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 4 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported no additional deaths, keeping the total number of deaths in the SCV at 511.

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

Santa Clarita: 414

Castaic: 32

Acton: 19

Stevenson Ranch: 17

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 10

Agua Dulce: 6

Elizabeth Lake: 3

Val Verde: 3 (revised from 4)

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Newhall: 1

Unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

SCV Cases

Of the 92,277 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 68,160

Castaic: 9,201

Stevenson Ranch: 5,513

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 3,349

Acton: 1,859

Val Verde: 1,009

Agua Dulce: 931

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 876

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 408

Elizabeth Lake: 253

Lake Hughes: 195

Bouquet Canyon: 193

Saugus/Canyon Country: 107

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 100

Sand Canyon: 59

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 42

Placerita Canyon: 22

*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, Nov. 10.

Vaccinations

— 84,661,148 total vaccines administered.

— 72.5% of the population has been vaccinated with a primary series.

— 71,913 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

— California has 10,542,434 confirmed cases to date.

— Thursday’s average case count is 2,839 (average daily case count over 7 days).

— During September 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.5 times more likely to get COVID-19 than people who were
vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Testing

The testing positivity rate is 5.3% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 1,842 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 225 ICU patients statewide.

– During September 2022, unvaccinated people were 2.7 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Deaths

– There have been 96,332 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 14 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– During September 2022, unvaccinated people were 3.1 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people who were vaccinated with at least a primary series.

Health Care Workers

As of Nov. 9, local health departments have reported 183,037 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 593 deaths statewide.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Oct. 11, there have been 1,025 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.

Updated Boosters for Children
California Health & Human Services and CDPH sent a statement on Oct. 13, 2022 on the expanded eligibility for the updated Moderna and Pfizer boosters. Eligibility for the updated Moderna booster now extends to individuals 6 years of age and older and eligibility for the updated Pfizer booster now extends to individuals 5 years of age and older. This statement follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation and has the support of the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.

Changes to Definition of Close Contact
CDPH is revising the definition of close contact related to COVID-19. The update, in keeping with the state’s SMARTER plan, provides strategies for responding to direct and indirect COVID-19 exposure in indoor environments, and aligns with the most current science, data, and information. These changes take effect Friday, Oct. 14, 2022.

The amended order can be viewed here, as well as a Q&A.

Updated Testing Requirements for Visitors to Health Care Facilities

Beginning Saturday, Sept. 17, visitors to health care facilities, such as skilled nursing facilities and general acute care hospitals, will no longer be required to be tested or show proof of vaccination in order to visit loved ones. Visitors must continue to comply with CDPH Masking Guidance while visiting loved ones indoors in these settings.

Facilities should continue to maintain all current infection prevention practices to protect the vulnerable populations in health care facilities. In addition, they should continue to offer testing for visitors per recommendations from CDPH and/or the local public health department and have the ability to ramp up testing if it is required again at a future date.

In August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in updated testing guidance, indicated screening testing is no longer recommended in general community settings. Therefore, CDPH has also updated COVID-19 testing guidance.

Preparing for a Healthy 2022-23 School Year

The Safe Schools for All Hub consolidates key resources and information related to COVID-19 and schools.

Learn more about the COVID-19 mitigation strategies to keep students, staff, and communities safe in the 2022-23 K-12 Schools Guidance.

Get more information on changes to COVID-19 testing strategies for the 2022-23 school year in the 2022-23 K-12 Schools Testing Framework.

The CDPH Testing Taskforce School Testing team has released a 2022-2023 K-12 Schools Testing Framework Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Additional Updates

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.