The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday 224 new deaths, surpassing 11,000, and 13,512 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 18,180 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

To date, Public Health identified 840,611 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 11,071 deaths.

Los Angeles County has experienced more than 1,000 new COVID-19 deaths in less than a week when on Dec. 30, Public Health reported 10,056 deaths.

There are 7,898 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 21% of these people are in the ICU. This is a new high and an increase of more than 200 patients reported yesterday.

Healthcare workers and hospitals continue to be taxed and overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. The devastating impact of the pandemic is disrupting emergency medical care due to the sheer volume of COVID-19 patients and staffing limitations. These challenges will get worse if we don’t slow COVID-19 spread.

Of the 224 new deaths reported Tuesday, one death was reported by the city of Long Beach and one death was reported by the city of Pasadena.

California Tuesday Snapshot
Statewide, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 2,452,334 confirmed, with 27,003 deaths from the disease. There are 21,597 confirmed hospitalizations and 4,634 ICU hospitalizations in California.

Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.

There were 31,440 newly recorded confirmed cases Monday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 13.6% and the 14-day positivity rate is 12.7%.

There have been 34,330,784 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 203,771 during 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. There have been COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

As of Jan. 4, a total of 459,564 vaccine doses have been administered statewide. As of January 4, a total of 1,647,625 vaccine doses have been shipped to local health departments and health care systems that have facilities in multiple counties.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of Jan. 4, local health departments have reported 72,053 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 263 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Tuesday Update
As of 4:20 p.m. Tuesday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard, reported 129 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began, but had not yet included 4 deaths Henry Mayo recently accounted for.

Of the 133 SCV residents who have died, 111 lived in Santa Clarita, 6 in Castaic, 4 in Acton, 3 in unincorporated Canyon Country, 3 in Stevenson Ranch, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Val Verde, and 4 in communities not yet named.

Of the 18,180 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 12,899

Castaic: 3,037 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 668

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 528

Acton: 293

Val Verde: 202

Agua Dulce: 148

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 110

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 94

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 57

Elizabeth Lake: 45

Saugus/Canyon Country: 28

Bouquet Canyon: 28

Lake Hughes: 25

Sand Canyon: 10

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 8

*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 reported a new death on Saturday and five more deaths on Monday, bringing the total of fatalities at the Valencia hospital to 78 since the pandemic began, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

In the month of November, 8 COVID-19 patients died at Henry Mayo. In December, four times that many people — 34 — died at the hospital, Moody said, an average of more than one death per day. In 2021, as of Monday, January 4, there have already been six deaths at Henry Mayo.

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 generally lags 48 hours behind.

As of Monday, of the 15,666 people tested for COVID-19 at Henry Mayo to date, 2,651 tested positive, 18,583 were negative, 2 were pending, 98 patients were hospitalized in dedicated units receiving ICU-level care (10 more than last Wednesday), and a total of 722 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.

Due to staffing shortages and a large number of COVID-19 patient admissions, Henry Mayo recently issued a “code triage” alert and put out a call for nurses and doctors to fill open staff positions.

L.A. County

“To the families and friends experiencing the sorrow of losing a loved one due to COVID-19, we send wishes for healing and peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “L.A. County reached the terrible milestone of more than 11,000 deaths due to COVID-19. As a community, we must commit to stopping the spread of COVID-19 in its tracks so that we can save as many lives as possible. Roll out for COVID-19 vaccine continues in the phases recommended by the State and CDC as supply allows. And while vaccines are a powerful tool, we do not need to wait for vaccine to stop new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and death. We can do that now. It takes every business and every resident to purposefully follow public health directives and safety measures. Please stay home and leave only for essential work or essential services.”

Public Health continues to track the impact of COVID-19 on expecting and new moms and newborns. As of December 28, there have been a total of five deaths among the 4,136 pregnant women that tested positive for COVID-19. Seventy-nine percent 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 2,053 births where there was testing information, 30 babies tested positive for the virus.

Expecting and new moms are encouraged to take extra care and remain home as much as possible to avoid exposure to COVID-19. 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.

While there are steps pregnant women and new mothers can take to lower the risk of being exposed to COVID-19, all residents and businesses must contribute to protecting others by using the tools we have to reduce transmission: implementing all requirements in the business protocols, staying home as much as possible, practicing physical distancing and always wearing a cloth face covering when out and around other people, washing or sanitizing hands frequently, isolating if you have tested positive for COVID-19 and quarantining if you have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus.

For those who have just returned from a trip outside of Los Angeles County, you must quarantine in place for 10 days and monitor for symptoms for 14 days. Get tested if you experience COVID-19 symptoms or possibly were exposed to someone who was positive.

Testing results are available for nearly 4,826,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive.

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 announced Tuesday 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. Once a region’s four-week ICU projection shows a capacity of greater than or equal to 15%, the order will be lifted for that area.

Current Available ICU Capacity by Region

Bay Area: 5.9%

Greater Sacramento: 11.7%

Northern California: 29.8%

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; four-week ICU capacity projections do not meet criteria to exit order.

Southern California: Remains under order; four-week ICU capacity projections do not meet criteria to exit order.

Greater Sacramento: Remains under order; four-week ICU capacity projections do not meet criteria to exit order.

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

ICU capacity projections for regions that are eligible to exit the order are calculated daily 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.

Safe Schools for All Plan
Governor Newsom released his California’s Safe Schools for All plan, California’s framework to support schools to continue operating safely in person and to expand the number of schools safely resuming in-person instruction.

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.

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. 13 – Dec. 19, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.6 days. During this same time period, 51% of patients received test results in one day and 81% 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 Jan. 4, 161 cases 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.