Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Tuesday confirmed 66 new deaths and 490 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, as improving metrics bring the county near the threshold for the state’s less-restrictive Orange Tier.

To date, Public Health has identified 1,215,129 positive cases of COVID-19 and a total of 22,871 deaths across all areas of L.A. County.

Since the pandemic began, the Santa Clarita Valley has counted 27,034 total COVID-19 cases, 17 more cases than Monday, and 284 SCV residents have died of the virus.

“To everyone mourning people who have passed away from COVID-19, we send you our deepest condolences,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

There are 713 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 25% of these people are in the ICU.

Testing results are available for nearly 6,022,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 1.8%.

Moving from Red to Orange

Today, the California Department of Public Health released updated numbers; L.A. County’s adjusted case rate dropped from 4.1 new cases per 100,000 people to 3.7 new cases per 100,000 people. The test positivity rate dropped from 2.0% to 1.8%.

If the county continues to maintain current levels or declines in the case rate and test positivity rate, it is possible in early April for the county to move into the orange tier. The county needs to remain in the red tier for three weeks prior to being assigned to the orange tier.

“It is certainly good news that we are making progress and we appreciate compliance with Public Health directives from our L.A. County businesses and residents; we are confident that these efforts contribute to lower case rates,” Ferrer said Tuesday in her daily update.

“However, we remain concerned about potential risks that can thwart our progress,” she said. “The risks include increased circulation of variants of concern, increasing cases across much of Europe and in many states, re-openings that are sloppy, and unsafe actions taken by individuals related to spring break and spring holidays.”

See more L.A. County information later in this report.

California Tuesday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Monday, March 22, California Department of Public Health officials confirmed 3,549,101 COVID-19 cases (up 1,823) with 56,596 deaths from the disease (up 51) since the pandemic began.

There are 2,586 confirmed hospitalizations and 635 ICU hospitalizations in the state, continuing a downward trend.

As of March 22, local health departments have reported 100,915 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 439 deaths statewide.

There have been 52,525,010 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 160,229 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

The 7-day positivity rate is 1.7%, continuing a downward trend.

Numbers do not represent true day-over-day change as these results may include cases from prior to yesterday.

As of March 23, providers have reported administering a total of 15,152,845 vaccine doses statewide.

The CDC reports that 19,292,060 doses have been delivered to entities within the state. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed.

See more California information later in this report.

Screencap from the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering COVID-19 dashboard, showing COVID cases in the United States as of Tuesday afternoon, March 23, 2021.

U.S. COVID-19 Cases Near 30 Million People; Deaths Near 550,000 People

Worldwide, 123,977,549 people have been infected by COVID-19 while 2,728,358 people have died of the virus as of 1:27 p.m. Tuesday Pacific Time, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

In the U.S., more than 29,906,404 Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The number of people in the U.S. who have died due to the virus has now surpassed 543,499.

With 4.25% of the world’s population (328.2 million) and more than 20% of the confirmed COVID-19 cases, the U.S. also continues to lead the world in deaths.

By comparison, Brazil (population 209.5 million) is No. 2 in deaths with 295,425 — almost half of the U.S. total — and No. 3 in cases with 12,047,526. India (population 1.353 billion) is No. 2 in cases with 11,686,796 confirmed infections and No. 4 in deaths with 160,166, behind No. 3 Mexico’s 198,239 deaths, as of Tuesday afternoon.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Tuesday Update

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital recorded its 147th COVID-19 death Monday, spokesman Patrick Moody said.

As of Tuesday, there are no cases pending, eight patients are hospitalized in a dedicated COVID-19 unit receiving ICU-level care, and a total of 1,183 patients have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, Moody said.

According to Moody, 74 of the COVID-19 fatalities at Henry Mayo occurred in 2020, while 73 people have died so far this year.

Privacy laws prohibit Henry Mayo from releasing the community of residence for patients who die at the hospital; residence info is reported by the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard, which generally lags 48 hours behind.

Santa Clarita Valley Tuesday Update

As of 6 p.m. Sunday, the latest update of the L.A. County Public Health dashboard recorded 284 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 284 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

* 241 lived in Santa Clarita

* 18 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 Elizabeth Lake

* 1 in Lake Hughes

* 1 in Newhall

* 1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

* 1 in Val Verde

Of the 27,034 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 19,783

* Castaic: 3,664 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 1,103

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 814

* Acton: 459

* Val Verde: 327

* Agua Dulce: 265

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

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 132

* Elizabeth Lake: 75

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 67

* Bouquet Canyon: 47

* Lake Hughes: 41

* 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.

L.A. County Demographics — Cases by Age Group (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena)

* 0 to 4: 22663

* 5 to 11: 54792

* 12 to 17: 68706

* 18 to 29: 272173

* 30 to 49: 383181

* 50 to 64: 222775

* 65 to 79: 88845

* over 80: 32349

* Under Investigation 6785

L.A. County Demographics — Deaths

Of the 66 new deaths reported today, 14 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 16 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 21 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, five people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29. Eight deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach and one death was reported by the City of Pasadena.

Business Inspections for Safeguards Compliance

From March 15 to March 21, Public Health Inspectors visited a total of 1,224 businesses, including restaurants, markets, hair salons, barbershops, hotels, garment manufacturers, and shopping malls. Inspectors noted some businesses had not completed and posted their protocols and needed to improve physical distancing and infection control safety measures.

Inspectors noted 56% of hotels, 71% of hair salons and barbershops, and 80% of restaurants completed and posted their protocols, and 86% of restaurants and 87% of markets were in compliance with physical distancing. Only 52% of garment manufactures were in compliance with physical distancing and infection control safety measures.

Overall, the compliance inspections revealed that while the majority of businesses were in compliance, there is significant room for improvement.

Public Health encourages L.A. County businesses to participate in the COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certification Program. The program offers business owners and employees the opportunity to take a free online training about COVID-19 infection control protocols and allows businesses to self-certify that they are fully implementing the protocols in compliance with infection control and physical distancing requirements.

To date, a total of 23,765 employees and employers have completed the training.

L.A. County Vaccine Update: Eligibility & Appointments

Currently, people who are eligible for the vaccine include healthcare workers, residents and staff at long-term care facilities, people who are age 65 or older, education and childcare workers, food and agriculture workers, emergency service workers and law enforcement, and people with certain serious health conditions and disabilities.

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

While COVID-19 vaccine supply remains very limited, Public Health continues to build an extensive network with pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, health clinics, and community vaccination sites, including seven large-capacity sites:

* Dodger Stadium (operated by the city of Los Angeles)

* Six Flags Magic Mountain, 26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia 91355

* California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St, Northridge 91330

* Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W McKinley Ave, Pomona 91768

* The Forum, 3900 W Manchester Blvd, Inglewood 90305

* L.A. County Office of Education, 12830 Columbia Way, Downey 90242

* California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles 90032 (operated by FEMA)

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). Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

L.A. County Public Health’s 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.

With the Regional Stay at Home Order was rescinded statewide as of January 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.

The California Department of Public Health 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 23:

* 8 counties are currently in the Purple (widespread) Tier

* 39 counties are currently in the Red (substantial) Tier (including Los Angeles County)

* 9 counties are currently in the Orange (moderate) Tier

* 2 counties are in the Yellow (minimal) Tier

The state released updates to the state’s reopening framework on Friday, March 5. The updates will allow outdoor ballparks, stadiums, and theme parks to open with significantly reduced capacity, mandatory masking, and other public health precautions. The updates will take effect on April 1.

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

Vaccinate All 58
In order to increase the pace of COVID-19 vaccine distribution to those at greatest risk, the state is prioritizing individuals 65 and older to receive the vaccine as demand subsides among health care workers. This effort will help to reduce hospitalizations and save lives.

To sign up for a notification when you’re eligible for a vaccine, visit myturn.ca.gov.

For more information on the vaccine effort, visit the Vaccinate All 58 webpage.

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 here on the variants CDPH is currently monitoring.

‘Safe Schools for All’ Plan
Governor Newsom launched the Safe Schools for All Hub as a one-stop-shop for information about safe in-person instruction.

For more information on the transparency, accountability, and assistance measures related to California’s Safe Schools for All plan, visit the hub.

Travel Advisory

California Public Health 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.

California Demographics: 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/equity/ that tracks California’s health equity measure and data by race and ethnicity, age group, and sexual orientation/gender identity.

California Testing & Turnaround Time
More than 85 community testing sites offer free, confidential testing: Find a COVID-19 Testing Site.

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 March 7 to March 13, the average time patients waited for test results was one day. During this same time period, 81% of patients received test results in one day and 95% received them within two days. The testing turnaround time dashboard (PDF) is updated weekly.

All four tiers in the Testing Prioritization Guidance originally dated July 14, 2020, have equal priority for testing.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

Each week, the California Department of Public Health updates the number of cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) reported in the state.

As of March 22, 413 380 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide, 33 more than the previous week. To protect patient confidentiality in counties with fewer than 11 cases, CDPH officials are not providing total counts at this time.

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 are critical to preventing long-term complications.

Protect Yourself and Your Family: Your Actions Save Lives

Protect yourself, family, friends, and community by following these prevention measures:

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

* Avoiding non-essential travel, and practicing self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival if you leave the state.

* Keeping interactions limited to people 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.

* Getting tested if you believe you’ve been exposed. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.

* Getting vaccinated when it’s your turn.

* Adding your phone to the fight by signing up for COVID-19 exposure notifications from CA Notify.

* Answering the call if a contact tracer from the CA COVID Team or local health department tries to connect.

* Following guidance from public health officials.

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 healthcare provider before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken.

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.

If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a public health specialist to discuss how to protect themselves and others, find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious.

California 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.

* 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)

Consolidated guidance is available on the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance webpage.

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Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus (COVID-19):

* Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

* California Department of Public Health

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

* Spanish

* World Health Organization

* Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Dashboard

L.A. County residents can also call 2-1-1.

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