The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday eight new deaths and 2,233 new positive cases in Los Angeles County and 488 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 32,045, county case totals to 2,917,892 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 75,349 since March of 2020. There are 327 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized.

More than 11,939,000 individuals tested; 22% of people tested positive to date.

Data is by date reported by DPH, but does not necessarily represent the date of testing, hospitalization, or death.

* Number reflects an undercount due to a lag from weekend reporting.

Residents Urged to Layer Safety Precautions:

With the highly infectious BA.2 subvariant and sub-lineages fueling case and hospitalization increases, residents are encouraged to layer safety protections such as masking, testing, and staying away from others when sick.

For the week ending April 23, Omicron once again accounted for 100% of all positive cases that were sequenced, with the BA.2 lineage and sub-lineages accounting for about 97% of these positive sequenced specimens in L.A. County. While BA.2, excluding BA.2.12.1, continues to be the predominant subvariant, accounting for about 85% of positive sequenced specimens, L.A. County is seeing slight upticks in the more transmissible sub-lineage, BA.2.12.1, with about 12% of positive sequenced samples identified as BA.2.12.1 for the week ending April 23. For the week ending April 23, 9.1% of sequenced samples were identified as sub-lineages, BA.2.3 or BA.2.3x, thought to be more infectious than BA.2. The CDC estimated that, for the week ending May 7, BA.2 accounted for 56% of sequenced samples and BA.2.12.1 accounted for an increasing proportion of sequenced specimens in the U.S.: 43%, compared to 37% for the prior week.

With these highly infectious subvariants and sub-lineages in circulation, cases continue to increase in L.A. County. The average number of daily new cases reported over the last seven days increased to 2,944 compared to the 1,071 reported one month ago, an increase of 175%.

The higher case numbers are beginning to translate to small increases in hospitalizations, as they typically follow case increases. Over the last seven days, the average number of hospitalized cases per day was 288, an increase of 14% from one month ago when the average number of hospitalized cases per day was 253.

Fortunately, deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, remain stable and decreased from one month ago. Deaths decreased to an average of six deaths reported per day this past week, a 45% decrease from one month ago when an average of 11 deaths were reported per day.

A wide range of data and dashboards on COVID-19 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are available on the Public Health website at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

To keep workplaces and schools open, residents and workers are asked to:

– Get tested to help reduce the spread, especially if you traveled for the holidays, have had a possible exposure, or have symptoms, or are gathering with people not in your household

– Adhere to masking requirements when indoors or at crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status

– Residents are legally required to be isolated if they have a positive COVID test result and vaccinated close contacts with symptoms and unvaccinated close contacts need to be quarantined.

For information on where you can get tested, please visit www.covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/.

For updated isolation and quarantine guidance, please visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are recommended for everyone 5 years old and older to help protect against COVID-19. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites and many community sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

To find a vaccination site near you, or to make an appointment, please visit:

www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or

www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

William S. Hart Union High School District COVID-19 Dashboard

The William S. Hart Union High School District provides ongoing information to our community regarding COVID-19 cases while maintaining confidentiality for our students and staff. The COVID-19 case data below is updated regularly to indicate any currently confirmed COVID-19 positive case in staff members or students by school site. The data below is specific to individuals who have been physically present on a District campus within 14 days of receiving a positive COVID-19 test. The District, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, conducts contact tracing and directly notifies and provides resources for parents of students identified as close contacts (6 feet or less for 15 cumulative minutes or more).

Note: To see the communication process in the event of a positive COVID-19 case, visit https://www.hartdistrict.org/apps/pages/covid-19dashboard.

Student Dashboard

Staff Dashboard

Santa Clarita Valley Tuesday Update
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported zero additional deaths from COVID-19, keeping the total since the onset of the pandemic at 470.

The following is the community breakdown per L.A. County’s dashboard:

Santa Clarita: 383

Castaic: 28 (revised from 30)

Acton: 17

Stevenson Ranch: 15

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 9 (revised from 10)

Agua Dulce: 6

Val Verde: 3 (revised from 4)

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Elizabeth Lake: 1

Newhall: 1

unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

SCV Cases

Of the 75,349 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 55,618

Castaic: 7,716

Stevenson Ranch: 4,291

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 2,692

Acton: 1,544

Val Verde: 870

Agua Dulce: 794

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 710

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 326

Elizabeth Lake: 210

Bouquet Canyon: 150

Lake Hughes: 150

Saugus/Canyon Country: 91

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 87

Sand Canyon: 49

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 36

Placerita Canyon: 15

*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.

California Tuesday

The California Department of Public Health now updates their numbers on Tuesday and Friday. The information below is from the most recent data released Tuesday, May 17.

Vaccinations

– 75,489,752 total vaccines administered.

– 83.4% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 48,477 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 8,757,871 confirmed cases to date.

-Friday’s average case count is 8,401 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 4.8 times more likely to get COVID-19 than boosted individuals (April 11, 2022 – April 17, 2022).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 5% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 1,527 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 182 ICU patients statewide.

– Unvaccinated people are 6.5times more likely to be hospitalized than boosted individuals (April 11, 2022 – April 17, 2022).

Deaths

– There have been 90,219 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 10 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 7.8 times more likely to die than boosted individuals (April 11, 2022 — April 17, 2022).

Health Care Workers

As of May 5, local health departments have reported 156,960 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 579 deaths statewide.

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of May 1 to May 7, the average time patients waited for test results was 0.8 day. During this same time period, 91% of patients received test results in one day and 98% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of May 16, 2022, there have been 980 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) 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.

Additional Updates

Mask Guidance: Under California’s mask guidance, universal masking is required only in specified higher risk settings like hospitals, public transit and congregate living facilities. Unvaccinated persons are required to mask in all indoor public settings. Fully vaccinated individuals are recommended to continue indoor masking when the risk may be high. Workplaces will continue to follow the COVID-19 prevention standards set by CalOSHA. Local health jurisdictions may implement requirements that are stricter than state guidance.

Slow the Spread: Get Vaccinated and Boosted for COVID-19

The risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection continues as a number of Californians remain unvaccinated and unboosted.

Real-world evidence continues to show that the vaccine is preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Public health officials urge Californians to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.

It is recommended that every vaccinated person 12 years or older should get a booster as long as they received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least five months ago or they received their Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.

Vaccination appointments can be made by visiting myturn.ca.gov or calling 1-833-422-4255. The consent of a parent or legal guardian may be needed for those under age 18 to receive a vaccination. Visit Vaccinate All 58 to learn more about the safe and effective vaccines available for all Californians 5+.

Your Actions Save Lives

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

Keep California Healthy
Protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these prevention measures:

– Get vaccinated when it’s your turn. Californians age 16+ are eligible to make an appointment.

– If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches), call your health care provider.

– If you believe you have been exposed, get tested. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.

– Keep gatherings small and outdoors and follow state and local public health guidance.

– Wear a mask and get the most out of masking – an effective mask has both good fit and good filtration.

– Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

– Delay non-essential travel outside of California until you are fully vaccinated. Follow California’s travel advisory.

– Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay home from work and school if you feel ill.

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

– Answer the call or text if a contact tracer from the CA COVID Team or your local health department tries to connect.

Additional data and udpates:

Tracking COVID-19 in California

State Dashboard – Daily COVID-19 data

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

COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data – Weekly updated Race & Ethnicity data

Cases and Deaths by Age Group – Weekly updated Deaths by Age Group data

Health Equity Dashboard – See how COVID-19 highlights existing inequities in health

Tracking Variants – Data on the variants California is currently monitoring

Safe Schools for All Hub – Information about safe in-person instruction

School Districts Reopening Map – data on public schools and reported outbreaks

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.