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December 24
1965 - Signal newspaper owner Scott Newhall shows up for a duel (of words) with rival Canyon Country newspaper publisher Art Evans, who no-shows and folds his paper soon after [story]
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirms Tuesday the highest number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations reported in a day with 4,244 new cases and 2,103 people currently hospitalized.

In Santa Clarita, Public Health has confirmed 3,713 cases to date.

To date, Public Health has identified 140,307 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 3,894 deaths.

Countywide, of the 2,103 people currently hospitalized, 27% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 19% are confirmed cases on ventilators.

Public Health has confirmed 73 new deaths of COVID-19. This is one of the highest number of new deaths reported in a day and may reflect a lag in the reporting of deaths over the weekend.

Of the 73 new deaths, 51 people who died were over the age of 65 years old, 19 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Fifty-four people had underlying health conditions including 41 people over the age of 65 years old, 12 people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and one person between the ages of 18 to 40 years old. Two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach.

Testing results are available for over 1,387,000 individuals with 9% of all people testing positive.

Statewide, as of July 13, the California Department of Public Health has confirmed a total of 336,508 cases and 7,087 deaths from COVID-19. Currently, there are 6,745 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,886 ICU hospitalizations.

California’s positivity rate – a key indicator of community spread – is trending upward in the 14-day average. Hospitalization rates are also trending upward in the 14-day average. Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed, The 7-day average number of new cases is 8,382 per day. The 7-day average from the week prior was 7,837.

There have been 5,674,955 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 130,590 over the prior 24-hour reporting period. As testing capacity continues to increase across the state, an increase in the number of positive cases has been expected – increasing the importance of positivity rates to find signs of community spread.

A total of 29 counties are required to close indoor operations for certain sectors based on the July 13 order to slow community transmission.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of July 13, local health departments have reported 17,910 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 100 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Tuesday Update
Of the 3,713 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 1,622

Castaic: 1,822 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 82

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 57

Val Verde: 34

Acton: 34

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 24

Agua Dulce: 15

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 11

Elizabeth Lake: 5

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 3

Sand Canyon: 1

Bouquet Canyon: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

*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 Tuesday Update
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported its 15th COVID-related death on Monday, July 13, according to Patrick Moody, hospital spokesman.

Of the 38 SCV residents who have died of the virus to date, 30 resided in the city of Santa Clarita, 2 in Acton, 2 in Castaic, 1 in Val Verde, 1 in unincorporated Valencia, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, and 1 in a community not yet named, according to Public Health records.

As of Monday, of the 4,316 people tested at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital to date, 454 tested positive, 4,010 were negative, 484 were pending, 15 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care and a total of 137 COVID-19 patients have been discharged so far, Moody said.

Discrepancies in the testing numbers are due to some patients being tested multiple times. “Often a single patient is tested more than once,” Moody said.

The hospital is now releasing numbers on a weekly basis (Wednesdays) unless there is a drastic change in the number of cases or a death has been confirmed.

L.A. County COVID-19L.A. County
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families that are mourning a loved one lost to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As a community, we must slow the spread of COVID-19 to prevent an overwhelming surge of COVID-19 in our hospitals and more untimely deaths. I urge you to wear a face covering, stay at home as much as possible, avoid close contact with people you don’t live with and wash your hands. Together, we can stop the spread of this deadly virus. Tuesday’s numbers are alarming and unfortunately are the result of many businesses and individuals not adhering to the basic public health requirements of distancing and wearing face coverings. We are just not able to continue on a recovery journey without everyone doing their part. Keeping businesses open is only possible if we get back to slowing the spread. ”

Countywide, 92% percent of people who died had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 3,619 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 46% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 26% among White residents, 15% among Asian residents, 11% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races. Upon further investigation, 66 cases and one death reported earlier were not L.A. County residents. Of the new cases reported Tuesday, 59% occurred among individuals under the age of 41 and the median age of new cases has dropped to 35.

The Los Angeles County Health Officer Order was modified yesterday to align with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s directives to prevent more cases, more serious illnesses, increased hospitalizations and more deaths.

The Order requires the closure of the following sectors for all indoor operations:

– Gyms and Fitness Centers

– Places of Worship

– Indoor Protests

– Offices for Non-Critical Infrastructure Sectors as identified at covid19.ca.gov

– Personal Care Services(including nail salons, massage parlors, and tattoo parlors)

– Hair Salons and Barbershops

– Indoor Malls
Bars, indoor dining at restaurants, indoor museums, indoor operations at zoos and aquariums, and cardrooms and satellite wagering facilities remain closed and all events and gatherings unless specifically allowed by this Order remain prohibited.

Public Health urges everyone to avoid the Three Cs: Crowded places, Confined spaces and Close contact with others not in your household. Everyone should always wear a face covering securely over your nose and mouth and keep six feet apart from others not in your household when out in public. Businesses must continue to follow Public Health directives. Public Health reminds everyone that you remain safer at home.

It’s important if someone thinks they could be positive for COVID-19 and are awaiting testing results, to stay at home and act as if they are positive. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside, or until they receive a negative result. If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a contact tracer to discuss how to protect themselves and others, to find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious.

The best protection against COVID-19 continues to be to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, self-isolate if you are sick, practice physical distancing, and wear a clean face covering when in contact with others from outside your household. People who have underlying health conditions remain at much greater risk for serious illness from COVID-19, so it will continue to be very important for the County’s vulnerable residents to stay at home as much as possible, to have groceries and medicine delivered, and to call their providers immediately if they have even mild symptoms.

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.

CA COVID-19

California Tuesday
As testing capacity continues to increase across the state, the California Department of Public Health is working to expand access to COVID-19 testing. Testing should be used for medical evaluation of persons with symptoms of COVID-19 as well as for efforts by public health agencies and essential employers to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. Individuals prioritized for testing include:

– Hospitalized patients

– Symptomatic and asymptomatic healthcare workers, first responders, and other social service employees

– Symptomatic individuals age 65 and older or symptomatic individuals of any age with chronic medical conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19 illness

– Individuals who are tested as part of disease control efforts in high-risk settings

– Asymptomatic residents and employees of congregate living facilities when needed to prevent disease transmission

– Symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in essential occupations such as grocery store and food supply workers, utility workers and public employees

– Other individuals with symptoms consistent with COVID-19

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.

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)

County Monitoring Data
California is using data and science to respond to COVID-19. Data by county gives Californians insight into how their county is doing and provides an early indication of developing areas of concern. Counties on the County Monitoring List for three or more consecutive days – currently 29 counties accounting for 80 percent of the state’s population – must close indoor operations for additional activities.

County Monitoring Webpage

For more information, County Data Monitoring page.

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. Overall, for adults 18 and older, Latinos, African Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are dying at disproportionately higher levels. The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in African Americans is about double their population representation across all adult age categories. For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, overall numbers are low, but about three-fold difference between the proportion of COVID-19 deaths and their population representation. 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.

New Data Portal
The state has launched a new, user-friendly data portal at COVID-19 Statewide Update that tracks COVID-19 cases statewide and by county, gender, age and ethnicity. The portal also outlines statewide hospitalizations and testing efforts. The data presented on the portal will be updated daily and will include additional information as it is available.

Your Actions Save Lives
Every person has a role to play. Protecting yourself and your family comes down to common sense:

– Staying home except for essential needs/activities following local and state public health guidelines when patronizing approved businesses. To the extent that such sectors are re-opened, Californians may leave their homes to work at, patronize, or otherwise engage with those businesses, establishments or activities.

– Practicing social distancing.

– 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.

To view the Los Angeles County Incident Report for Tuesday, see below:

 

[Open .pdf in new window]

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SCV NewsBreak
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