The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday 25 new deaths and 2,318 new cases of COVID-19, including 7,908 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley to date.

To date, Public Health identified 325,876 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 7,200 deaths.

There are 888 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 28% of these people are in the ICU. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 each day increased to over 800 this past week and now nears 900. A month ago in early-October, the daily number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 was between 650 and 725 patients.

Throughout this pandemic when we have seen a surge in cases, it is followed by increases in hospitalizations and deaths.

It is very important businesses understand, implement and continue to comply with protocols and directives, as they can contribute to increased community transmission when COVID-19 spreads among their employees and customers.

During Public Health’s recent business compliance checks, inspectors noted the majority of businesses were in compliance with most of the Public Health protocols. However, some businesses failed to ensure employees and patrons were appropriately distanced, patrons were wearing face coverings, and did not post their completed protocols for reopening. From October 25 through November 1, a total of 44 citations were issued to businesses including restaurants, gyms, hotels and places of worship for noncompliance with Health Officer Orders. Since the end of August, a total of 260 citations have been issued.

The COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certification Program continues to be available for business owners and employees in Los Angeles County. The program allows employers and employees to learn about COVID-19 business protocols and infection control requirements and to self-certify that they are fully implementing the protocols. To date, 5,099 employers and 4,414 employees have completed the training.

California Tuesday Snapshot
Statewide, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 977,218, with 18,001 deaths from the disease. There are 3,083 confirmed hospitalizations and 859 ICU hospitalizations in California.

Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.
There were 5,367 newly recorded confirmed cases Monday. Numbers do not represent true day-over-day change as these results include cases from prior to yesterday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 4.2% and the 14-day positivity rate is 3.7%.

There have been 20,094,641 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 176,162 over 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.

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 Oct. 25 – Oct. 31, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.3 days. During this same time period, 63 percent of patients received test results in 1 day and 88 percent received them within 2 days.The testing turnaround time dashboard (PDF) is updated weekly.

At this time, all four tiers in the Testing Prioritization Guidance originally dated July 14, 2020, will have equal priority for testing.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of Nov. 9, local health departments have reported 46,347 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 209 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. Of the 78 SCV residents who have died since the pandemic began, 64 lived in the city of Santa Clarita, 4 in Castaic, 3 in Acton, 3 in Stevenson Ranch, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Val Verde, 1 in unincorporated Valencia, and 1 in a community not yet named.

Of the 7,908 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 4,852

Castaic: 2,231 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 225

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 181

Val Verde: 110

Acton: 92

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 53

Agua Dulce: 46

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 40

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 30

Saugus/Canyon Country: 12

Bouquet Canyon: 10

Elizabeth Lake: 9

Lake Hughes: 8

Sand Canyon: 7

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 2

*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 on Monday reported its 33rd death due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

Privacy laws prohibit the hospital from releasing the community of residence for patients who die; that info is reported by L.A. County Public Health.

Henry Mayo releases complete statistics weekly, generally on Wednesdays, unless a new death occurs.

As of Monday, Nov. 9, of the 10,786 people tested at Henry Mayo to date, 1,104 tested positive, 13,009 were negative, 4 were pending, 21 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (eight more than last week), a total of 321 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.

L.A. County

“I send my deepest condolences to the families and friends experiencing the sorrow of losing of a loved one due to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “It is promising to hear the news of COVID-19 vaccine possibilities in the near future. However, we cannot wait for a vaccine to slow the spread of COVID-19 in L.A. County. Every person needs to make personal decisions each day to use the tools we know work. I ask that you encourage your family and friends to stay the course. The power to prevent more cases, hospitalizations and deaths is within all of us.”

As flu season approaches, COVID-19 continues to circulate at high rates throughout L.A. County. It is critically important to be protected from influenza by getting immunized for flu. Flu immunizations are safe and provide protection against the harmful effects of influenza and can also help keep people out of the hospital freeing up critical hospital resources. As we begin to see increases in COVID-19 hospitalizations and considering the toll COVID-19 has had on our communities and our healthcare system, now more than ever it is important to be protected from influenza.

Everyone 6 months and older should be immunized against flu. Anyone can get flu (even healthy people), but people at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications include: people 65 years and older, pregnant women, children younger than 5 years and people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or HIV).

To get immunized for flu, contact your doctor, or visit a pharmacy or a flu immunization clinic, where both walk-up and drive-thru service is available. To find a low-cost, or free, immunization, call 2-1-1 or go to www.PreventFluLA.com. For a list of clinics and schedule that offer a no-cost flu immunization, visit the Public Health website at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Of the 25 new deaths reported today, eight people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, nine people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, seven people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old and one person who died was between that ages of 30 and 49 years old. Twenty-one people who died had underlying health conditions including seven people over the age of 80, eight people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, and six people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old. Upon further investigation, 67 cases and two deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

Ninety-three percent of the people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 6,789 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 52% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 23% among White residents, 14% among Asian residents, 10% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races.

Testing results are available for more than 3,282,000 individuals with 9% of all 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

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.

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)

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 Nov. 9, 127 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide. 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.