The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday 227 new deaths, including an additional death at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, and 12,979 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 16,369 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The high number of new deaths countywide reflects a significant number of deaths from the backlog associated with the Spectrum outage and holiday reporting delays. Public Health anticipates confirming additional deaths due to the backlog of death reports over the next two to three days.

To date, Public Health identified 746,089 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 9,782 deaths.

Public Health again confirms the highest number of hospitalizations reported in a day with 7,181 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. This is an increase of 267 people reported yesterday. Of the 7,181 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized, 20% of these patients are in the ICU.

Tuesday’s number of daily hospitalizations is nearly a 1,000% increase from two months ago, when on October 29, L.A. County experienced 750 COVID-19 hospitalizations. For comparison, today’s number is more than three times the peak of the July surge, when L.A. County experienced 2,232 people hospitalized with COVID-19.

California Tuesday Snapshot
Statewide, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 2,187,221 confirmed, with 24,526 deaths from the disease. There are 20,390 confirmed hospitalizations and 4,308 ICU hospitalizations in California.

Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed. There were 31,245 newly recorded confirmed cases Monday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 12.0% and the 14-day positivity rate is 12.6%.

There have been 32,374,471 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 245,955 over 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.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of Dec. 28, local health departments have reported 67,956 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 251 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Tuesday Update
As of 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard, remains unchanged from Monday’s tally with 114 deaths being reported among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began. Note: The dashboard has not updated the data which includes one of the five deaths reported Thursday at Henry Mayo, the three the hospital reported Monday, and the one additional death reported Tuesday.

Of the 119 SCV residents who have died, 96 lived in Santa Clarita, 6 in Castaic, 4 in Acton, 3 in Stevenson Ranch, 3 in unincorporated Canyon Country, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Val Verde, plus 5 in communities not yet named.

Of the 16,369 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 11,485

Castaic: 2,890 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 594

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 480

Acton: 259

Val Verde: 175

Agua Dulce: 128

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 98

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 82

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 53

Elizabeth Lake: 39

Saugus/Canyon Country: 26

Bouquet Canyon: 24

Lake Hughes: 21

Sand Canyon: 9

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 6

*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 an additional death due to COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the hospital’s total to date to 71, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said.

As of Tuesday, of the 15,162 people tested for COVID-19 at Henry Mayo to date, 2,411 tested positive, 18,049 were negative, 7 was pending, 95 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (an increase of five since Monday), and a total of 662 COVID-19 patients have been treated and discharged so far, Moody said.

Discrepancies in the testing numbers at the hospital are due to some patients being tested multiple times, he said.

Henry Mayo 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 is generally 48 hours behind.

L.A. County

Of the 227 new deaths reported Tuesday, 89 people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, 70 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, 40 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and 18 people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Eight-five people who died had underlying health conditions including 35 people over the age of 80 years old, 29 people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, 14 people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and seven people between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Nine deaths were reported by the city of Long Beach.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to everyone who has lost a family member or friend to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Suffering followed by more suffering continue as too many residents and businesses behave as if we are not living in the most dangerous time of the most devastating pandemic. Our healthcare workers are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients and this current path of surging COVID-19 hospitalizations is not sustainable. Even if you believe your life isn’t at risk, actions that defy public health guidance certainly put other lives in danger. We are each other’s keepers. Instead of hosting or attending a party this New Year’s Eve, choose to stay home and celebrate with only your household or to connect virtually with other family members and friends. Make ending this deadly surge part of your New Year’s resolution.”

Public Health also extended the Temporary Health Officer Order, which will remain in effect for as long as the State Public Health Officer’s Regional Stay At Home remains in effect in the Southern California region.

Testing results are available for more than 4,650,000 individuals with 15% of people testing positive.

As of December 23, there have been a total of five deaths among the 3,852 pregnant women that tested positive for COVID-19. Seventy-nine of pregnant women testing positive for COVID-19 are Latina/Latinx, 9% are White, 4% are African American/Black, 3% are Asian, less than 1% are Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 2% identify with another race, and race/ethnicity was unknown or unspecified for 2%. Among the 1,923 births where there was testing information, 27 babies tested positive for the virus.

Public Health urges expecting and new moms to take extra care and remain home as much as possible to avoid potential exposure. If you are sick or positive for COVID-19 and breastfeeding, wear a mask while breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, and be sure to wash your hands before touching the baby or any pump or bottle before using. If possible, ask someone else to feed the baby your breastmilk by bottle. Public Health has detailed guidance for expecting and new moms available online.

Public Health continues to urge everyone to stay home as much as possible to protect yourself and others. Only go out for work, exercise or for essential services. When you must leave your home, always wear a face covering and stay at least 6 feet away from people you do not live with at all times, no crowding, and wash hands frequently.

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 Tuesday

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced the most recent statistics on COVID-19, including data on intensive care unit (ICU) capacity across the state. Based on ICU data, four regions, San Joaquin Valley, Southern California, Greater Sacramento and the Bay Area continue under the Regional Stay at Home Order. Projected ICU capacity over the next four weeks in San Joaquin Valley and Southern California remains below 15% and as such both regions will stay under the Regional Stay at Home Order. Once a region’s four-week projection shows an ICU capacity of greater than or equal to 15%, the order will be lifted for that area. ICU projections are calculated daily.

Current Available ICU Capacity by Region

Bay Area: 10.4%

Greater Sacramento: 19.1%

Northern California: 27.9%

San Joaquin Valley: 0.0%

Southern California: 0.0%

Current Status of Regional Stay at Home Order in Affected Regions

San Joaquin Valley: Remains under order because four-week ICU projections are less than 15%.

Southern California: Remains under order because four-week ICU projections are less than 15%.

Greater Sacramento: Will remain under the order until Friday, Jan. 1 at the earliest with potential to extend depending on four-week ICU capacity projections.

Bay Area: Will remain under the order until Friday, Jan. 8 at the earliest with potential to extend depending on four-week ICU capacity projections.

The ICU capacity projections are based on four factors: current estimated regional ICU capacity available, measure of current community transmission, current regional case rates and the proportion of ICU cases being admitted. Decreasing community transmission and increasing the health system capacity can help a region’s projected ICU capacity so they can exit the order.

Due to high rates of COVID-19 hospitalizations impacting the health care system, California is also under a Limited Stay at Home Order. The order applies to all counties that are currently under the Regional Stay at Home Order and those in Tier One (Purple) of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. The Limited Stay at Home Order will expire after the Regional Stay At Home Order has been terminated in all regions of the state.

See region map. Read the full Regional Stay at Home Order, Supplement to the Order, and frequently asked questions.

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.

Holiday Tips
Reduce your risk this holiday season and help stop the spread of COVID-19. Follow guidance from CDPH and plan safer celebrations. Get Holiday tips at covid19.ca.gov.

Blueprint for a Safer Economy

Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, a statewide plan for reducing COVID-19 and keeping Californians healthy and safe. The plan imposes risk-based criteria on tightening and loosening COVID-19 allowable activities and expands the length of time between changes to assess how any movement affects the trajectory of the disease.

Californians can go to covid19.ca.gov to find out where their county falls and what activities are allowable in each county.

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 Dec. 6 – Dec. 12, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.8 days. During this same time period, 46% of patients received test results in one day and 75% received them within two days.

At this time, all four tiers in the Testing Prioritization Guidance will have equal priority for testing.

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 Dec. 28, 159 cases of 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.