The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed 50 new deaths and 2,741 new cases of COVID-19. Of the new cases reported by Public Health Tuesday (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena), 57% occurred in people under the age of 41 years old.

This continues to confirm younger people are driving new infections and spread of COVID-19.

In Santa Clarita, Public Health has confirmed 3,991 cases to date.

Countywide, Public Health has identified 161,673 positive cases of COVID-19 and a total of 4,154 deaths. There are 2,218 confirmed cases currently hospitalized, 26% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 18% are confirmed cases on ventilators. This is the third consecutive day of over 2,200 hospitalization.

Testing results are available for over 1,559,000 individuals with 9.6% of all people testing positive.

As of 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, the Los Angeles County dashboard remains unchanged with 41 SCV residents who have died of the virus to date. Thirty-three resided in the city of Santa Clarita, 2 in Acton, 2 in Castaic, 1 in Val Verde, 1 in unincorporated Valencia, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, and 1 in a community not yet named.

Statewide, the California Department of Public Health on Tuesday confirmed a total of 400,769, with 7,755 deaths from the disease. There are 7,091 confirmed hospitalizations and 2,006 ICU hospitalizations in California.

California’s positivity rate – a key indicator of community spread – is trending upward in the 14-day average. Hospitalization rates are also trending upward in the 14-day average.

Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed, and the 7-day average more accurately describes trends in number of cases. The 7-day average number of new cases is 9,189 per day. The 7-day average from the week prior was 8,382.

A total of 33 counties are required to close indoor operations for certain sectors based on the July 13 order to slow community transmission.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of July 20, local health departments have reported 19,930 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 108 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Tuesday Update
Of the 3,991 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 1,839

Castaic: 1,839 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 94

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 69

Acton: 40

Val Verde: 37

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 30

Agua Dulce: 17

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 12

Elizabeth Lake: 5

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 4

Sand Canyon: 2

Bouquet Canyon: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

Saugus/Canyon Country: 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
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported its 16th COVID-related death on Monday, July 20, according to Patrick Moody, hospital spokesman.

As of Monday, of the 4,793 people tested at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital to date, 555 tested positive, 5,063 were negative, 339 were pending, 26 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (up 3 from a week ago) and a total of 151 COVID-19 patients have been discharged so far, Moody said.

Discrepancies in the testing numbers are due to some patients being tested multiple times. “Often a single patient is tested more than once,” Moody said.

The hospital is now releasing numbers on a weekly basis unless there is a drastic change in the number of cases or a death has been confirmed.

L.A. County
“Every day we think of the many families experiencing the profound grief of losing a loved one to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “The tragedy of what we are witnessing is that many of our younger residents are interacting with each other and not adhering to the recommended prevention measures, while our older residents continue to experience the results of this increased spread with the worst health outcomes, including death. People over the age of 65 years old account for 11% of all cases but account for nearly 75% of all deaths. Our behaviors, including the wearing of face coverings and the adherence of physical distancing —simple actions of kindness and caring — can protect those we love.”

Of the 50 new deaths, 34 people that passed away (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena) were over the age of 65 years old and 15 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years. 39 people had underlying health conditions including 29 people over the age of 65 years old and 10 people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old. One death was reported by the city of Long Beach.

Ninety-two percent of people who died had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 3,867 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 47% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 26% among White residents, 15% among Asian residents, 11% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races. Upon further investigation, 113 cases reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

If a person has a positive lab result for COVID-19, expect a public health specialist from L.A. County Public Health to contact them by phone to interview about possible exposures and to identify others who may have also been exposed to the infection. The information is protected and cannot be shared with others except in emergency situations. A public health specialist will never ask for a social security number, payment or documented status. Remember that if you think you could be positive and are awaiting testing results, to stay at home and act as if you are positive for COVID-19. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 24 hours after symptoms and fever subside.

To encourage participation in case investigation and contact tracing efforts to help slow the spread of COVID-19, Public Health is providing $10 million to community-based organizations and piloting a $20 gift card incentive for full participation in the interview process.

Public Health has a dedicated call line for confirmed cases of COVID-19. If you are positive for COVID-19 and have not yet connected with a public health specialist or need more information on services, call toll-free at 1-833-540-0473. Residents who do not have COVID-19 should continue to call 211 for resources or more information.

Business owners and residents must do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19. Current Health Officer Orders require business owners to close indoor operations at many businesses and take immediate action to implement strategies that protect workers and customers. Public Health urges everyone to avoid the Three C’s: Crowded places, Confined spaces and Close contact with others not in your household. Everyone should always wear a face covering securely over your nose and mouth and keep six feet apart from others not in your household when out in public. Public Health reminds everyone that you remain safer at home.

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
There have been 6,536,932 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 122,611 over the prior 24-hour reporting period. As testing capacity continues to increase across the state, an increase in the number of positive cases has been expected – increasing the importance of positivity rates to find signs of community spread. The California Department of Public Health released updated testing guidance on July 14 that focuses on testing hospitalized individuals with signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and people being tested as part of the investigation and management of outbreaks, including contact tracing. The testing guidance also prioritizes individuals who have COVID-19 symptoms and individuals without symptoms who fall into high-risk categories, including people who live and work in nursing homes, homeless shelters and prisons, healthcare workers, and patients in hospitals. The new guidance will ensure that Californians who most need tests get them even if there are limited supplies.

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.

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)

County Monitoring Data
California is using data and science to respond to COVID-19. Data by county gives Californians insight into how their county is doing and provides an early indication of developing areas of concern. Counties on the County Monitoring List for three or more consecutive days must close indoor operations for additional activities. Currently, a total of 33 counties are required to close indoor operations.

For more information, County Data Monitoring page.

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 July 20, 23 cases of MIS-C have been reported from seven counties. Los Angeles County has reported the majority of cases (15). Additional cases have been reported from San Diego, Imperial, Kings, Monterey, Orange, and Sacramento counties. To protect patient confidentiality in counties with fewer than 11 cases, we 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 is critical to preventing long-term complications.

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. Overall, for adults 18 and older, Latinos, African Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are dying at disproportionately higher levels. The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in African Americans is about double their population representation across all adult age categories. For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, overall numbers are low, but about three-fold difference between the proportion of COVID-19 deaths and their population representation. 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.

New Data Portal
The state has launched a new, user-friendly data portal at COVID-19 Statewide Update that tracks COVID-19 cases statewide and by county, gender, age and ethnicity. The portal also outlines statewide hospitalizations and testing efforts. The data presented on the portal will be updated daily and will include additional information as it is available.

Your Actions Save Lives
Every person has a role to play. Protecting yourself and your family comes down to common sense:

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

– Practicing social distancing.

– 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.