The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday 157 new deaths and 2,091 new cases of confirmed COVID-19, with 25,793 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

In total, Public Health has identified 1,183,378 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and 20,057 deaths.

While new COVID cases and test positivity rates are declining, Los Angeles County remains in the most restrictive purple tier in the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. In order to move into the red tier and have additional opportunities for re-openings, L.A. County’s daily case rate must be at or below 7 new cases per 100,00 people and the County’s test positivity rate must be at or below 8%. Today the State released updated numbers; L.A. County’s adjusted case rate is 12.3 new cases per 100,000 people and the test positivity rate is 5.1%.

Public Health Urges Businesses to Continue Implementing COVID Safety Measures

Public Health inspectors examine businesses every day to ensure compliance with the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order, identify violations, and issue citations for businesses out of compliance. During Public Health’s recent business compliance checks, inspectors noted restaurants with unapproved structures, tables less than eight feet apart, TVs turned on, staff without face shields, and retail stores not monitoring occupancy. In order to remain open, all businesses are required to adhere fully with their sector specific protocols. From Feb. 14 – Feb. 18, a total of 36 citations were issued to businesses including restaurants, food markets, gyms, personal care salons, and shopping malls for noncompliance with Health Officer Orders. Since the end of August, a total of 1,025 citations have been issued.

To limit the spread of COVID-19 within the workplace and community, we need the public, all business owners, and community organizations to support the modified operations of businesses and public spaces to make them as safe as possible during this pandemic.

Non-compliance from businesses contribute to increased community transmission when COVID-19 spreads among employees and customers. A list of non-compliant businesses that received citations can be found online.

California Tuesday Snapshot
Statewide, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 3,450,058, with 49,563 deaths from the disease. There are 6,345 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,822 ICU hospitalizations in California.

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

There were 3,447 newly recorded confirmed cases Monday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 3.0% and the 14-day positivity rate is 3.3%.

There have been 47,513,367 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 192,565 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.

As of Feb. 23, providers have reported administering a total of 7,581,560 vaccine doses statewide. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed. The CDC reports that 9,816,120 doses have been delivered to entities within the state, and 10,334,985 vaccine doses, which includes the first and second dose, have been shipped.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of Feb. 22, local health departments have reported 93,605 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 391 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Tuesday Update
As of 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard remains unchanged from Monday, which recorded 249 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began, but did not include the most recent deaths reported by Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

Of the 249 SCV residents who have died, the dashboard reported 214 lived in Santa Clarita, 14 in Castaic, 7 in Acton, 4 in Stevenson Ranch, 3 in unincorporated Canyon Country, 2 in Agua Dulce, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Lake Hughes, 1 in Newhall, 1 in Val Verde, and 1 in Valencia.

Of the 25,793 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 18,832

Castaic: 3,553

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

Stevenson Ranch: 1,033

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 778

Acton: 437

Val Verde: 308

Agua Dulce: 252

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 176

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 131

Elizabeth Lake: 74

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 66

Bouquet Canyon: 43

Lake Hughes: 40

Saugus/Canyon Country: 40

Sand Canyon: 15

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 14

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 Tuesday Update
Note: There was no new data released by the hospital as of deadline Tuesday.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported two new deaths Monday from COVID-19, bringing the hospital’s total number of COVID-19 fatalities to 140 to date, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

As of Monday, Feb. 22, one case was pending, 18 patients were hospitalized in dedicated COVID-19 units receiving ICU-level care (up five since Friday), and a total of 1,135 patients had been treated and discharged, Moody 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 generally lags 48 hours behind.

L.A. County

“As we mark this heartbreaking day and note with sadness the loss of over 20,000 County residents, we mourn with all of you who have lost someone you love to COVID-19. We are deeply sorry for your loss, and wish you healing and peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As more and more of our County residents return to businesses and school, it’s important to remember that the actions we all take today will affect the numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths several weeks from now. As we continue to bear witness to the devastating loss of life from COVID-19, we ask that everyone continue to use the tools we know work to slow the spread of the virus: wear a mask and keep 6 feet of distance anytime you are around others not in your household. This virus is still easily transmitted among people in contact with each other and we must do all we can to continue the momentum of the decreases we are seeing cases, hospitalizations and deaths.”

Of the 157 new deaths reported Tuesday, 51 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 58 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 33 people that passed away were between the ages of 50 and 64, 12 people that passed away were between the ages of 30 and 49 and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29. Two deaths were reported by the city of Pasadena.

There are 2,146 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 31% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for more than 5,778,000 individuals with 19% 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

Five counties moved to a less restrictive tier, from Purple (widespread) to Red (substantial): Humboldt, Marin, San Mateo, Shasta, and Yolo. Marin and Shasta were moved due to the blueprint’s Health Equity Metric. One county, Trinity, moved to a more restrictive tier, from Orange (moderate) to Red (substantial).

Forty-seven counties remain in the Purple (widespread) tier, nine in the Red (substantial) tier, and two remained in the Orange (moderate) tier.

Updated Tiers for Youth and Recreational Adult Sports

Under the updated guidance for youth and recreational adult sports, outdoor high-contact and moderate-contact sport competitions may resume in the Red (Substantial) tier and the Purple (Widespread) tier, with modifications, including testing requirements for certain outdoor high-contact sports. The updated guidance takes effect on February 26, 2021. For more information, see earlier news release.

Counties with Case Rates at or Below 14 per 100,000 as of Feb. 23:

Glenn, Los Angeles, Madera, Orange, Shasta, Solano counties joined the list of counties eligible for fewer restrictions under the updated Youth and Recreational Adult Sports guidance. Del Norte fell off this list in this week’s advanced calculation. The updated guidance takes effect on February 26, 2021.

Complete list of Counties at or Below 14 per 100,000:

Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt. Imperial, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera , Marin, Mariposa, Modoc, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Trinity, Tuolumne, and Yolo.

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.

Blueprint Summary as of Feb. 23:

47 counties in the Purple (widespread) Tier

9 counties in the Red (substantial) Tier

2 counties in Orange (moderate) 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. 7 – Feb. 13, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.1 days. During this same time period, 76% of patients received test results in one day and 94% 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 Feb. 22, 302 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.