The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday 52 new deaths and 318 new cases of COVID-19, with 26,850 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

To date, Public Health identified 1,210,905 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 22,519 deaths.

There are 865 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 28% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for more than 5,962,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 1.8%.

Los Angeles County recently moved to the red tier in the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy that allowed the County to reopen several key sectors yesterday including, on-site learning for students in grades 7 through 12, museums, indoor dinning at restaurants, gyms, and movie theaters with required safety measures in place including masking and distancing requirements. The County must remain in the red tier for three consecutive weeks before moving to the less restrictive orange tier even if the County’s metrics align earlier with the orange tier. L.A. County’s daily case rate must be at or below 3.9 new cases per 100,000 people and the County’s test positivity rate must be at or below 4.9% for two consecutive weeks to qualify for the orange tier.

California Tuesday Snapshot

Statewide, the California Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday a total of 3,530,055, with 55,372 deaths from the disease. There are 3,058 confirmed hospitalizations and 827 ICU hospitalizations in California.

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

There were 1,260 newly recorded confirmed cases Monday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 1.8%.

There have been 51,351,366 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 167,229 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of March 16, providers have reported administering a total of 12,637,197 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 16,686,580 doses have been delivered to entities within the state. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed. For more vaccination data, visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Data Dashboard.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of March 15, local health departments have reported 99,414 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 417 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Tuesday Update
As of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard remains unchanged from Monday, recording 279 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

238 lived in Santa Clarita

17 in Castaic

7 in Acton

4 in Stevenson Ranch

3 in Agua Dulce

3 in unincorporated Canyon Country

2 in Valencia

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Lake Hughes

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Val Verde

Of the 26,850 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 19,643

Castaic: 3,648

(includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,094

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 809

Acton: 456

Val Verde: 325

Agua Dulce: 260

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 185

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 132

Elizabeth Lake: 75

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 66

Bouquet Canyon: 45

Lake Hughes: 40

Saugus/Canyon Country: 39

Sand Canyon: 17

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

Placerita Canyon: 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 Newhall Hospital Tuesday Update

Note: There was no new data released Tuesday from Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

On Monday, the hospital reported its 146th death due to COVID-19, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

No cases are pending, five patients are hospitalized in a dedicated COVID-19 unit receiving ICU-level care, and a total of 1,174 patients have been treated and discharged, Moody said Monday.

COVID-19 hospitalizations at Henry Mayo peaked on January 8, at 104 people.

The number of people who died at the hospital since the pandemic began remains at 145; the most recent death was reported Monday. According to Moody, 74 of the fatalities occurred in 2020, while 72 people have died so far this year.

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 generally lags 48 hours behind.

L.A. County

On Tuesday, the State released updated numbers; L.A. County’s adjusted case rate dropped from 5.2 new cases per 100,000 people to 4.1 new cases per 100,000 people. The test positivity rate dropped from 2.5% to 2.0%. If we continue to experience declines in the case rate, it is possible in early April for the County to move into the orange tier.

Of the 52 new deaths reported Tuesday, 16 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 21 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 13 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49.

“To everyone experiencing the sorrow of losing a loved one to COVID-19, I extend my deepest sympathies to all of you,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Los Angeles County continues to make significant progress slowing transmission. Should our case numbers continue to decline, our recovery journey could land us in the less restrictive orange tier in April. This is only possible if we all do our part to keep each other safe. I believe that as more people are vaccinated and as we continue to follow public health safety measures, we can continue re-openings without threatening each other’s health.”

Public Health tracks outbreaks at worksites and assists sectors with required business protocol compliance and safety measures. The number of outbreak investigations in Los Angeles continues to decline. There are currently 385 ongoing outbreak investigations; this is a significant reduction from the 1,130 outbreak investigations reported on February 16.

With significant potential for transmission of COVID-19 at worksites, it remains important that businesses adhere to workplace protocols that require infection control, distancing, masking, and appropriate PPE that protect employees, customers and residents from COVID-19 as much as possible.

At hundreds of vaccination sites across the county, including pharmacies and community clinics, appointments are open to L.A. County residents or workers meeting the eligibility requirements.
For information about vaccine appointments in L.A. County and when your turn is coming up, to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, and much more, visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

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

Eleven counties moved to a less restrictive tier, from Purple (widespread) to Red (substantial): Lake, Monterey, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare and Ventura. One county, San Mateo, moved from Red (substantial) to Orange (moderate). No counties moved to a more restrictive tier.

Eleven counties remain in the Purple (widespread) tier, 42 in the Red (substantial) tier, four in the Orange (moderate) tier and one is in the Yellow (minimal) tier.

School Outbreak Data

The state has updated its schools reopening maps on the Safe Schools for All Hub to include outbreak data by school district. View the data for public schools by selecting a specific district on the School Districts Reopening Map. The map includes reported outbreaks since January 1, 2021.

Guidelines for Planning Commencement Ceremonies

In preparation for the end of the school year, CDPH announced that graduation and commencement ceremony organizers can begin to plan for events following the Outdoor Live Events with Assigned Seats and Controlled Mixing guidelines, which take effect on April 1. More detailed guidance is forthcoming.

Youth and Adult Recreational Sports FAQ

CDPH released an updated Youth and Adult Recreational Sports Questions & Answers today to help athletes, parents and sports organizations understand the state’s guidance that went into effect on February 26.

Tracking Variants

Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been identified globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. These genetic mutations are expected, and some emerge and then disappear, while others persist or become common. Most variants do not have a meaningful impact. Public health becomes concerned about a variant when it affects COVID-19 transmission, severity, testing, treatment or vaccine effectiveness. Get more information on the variants CDPH is currently monitoring.

Blueprint for a Safer Economy
With the Regional Stay at Home Order rescinded statewide as of Jan. 25, all counties are now under the rules and framework of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers that indicate which activities and businesses are open based on local case rates and test positivity. CDPH modified Blueprint thresholds on March 12 after the state successfully met its first vaccine equity milestone of 2 million administered vaccine doses in some of the state’s hardest hit communities.

Blueprint Summary as of March 16:

11 counties in the Purple (widespread) Tier

42 counties in the Red (substantial) Tier

4 counties in Orange (moderate) Tier

1 county in the Yellow (minimal) Tier

Blueprint tiers are updated weekly on Tuesdays. Find the status of activities in specific counties.

Additional Date and Updates

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

Updated Travel Advisory
CDPH has issued an updated travel advisory. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Non-essential travelers from other states or countries are strongly discouraged from entering California and should adhere to the state’s self-quarantine procedures for 10 days.

Safe Schools for All Plan
Gov. 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.

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 Feb. 28 – March 6, the average time patients waited for test results was one day. During this same time period, 79% of patients received test results in one day and 95% received them within two days.

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 March 15, 380 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. View COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data and Cases and Deaths by Age Group.

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.