The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 14 new deaths throughout L.A. County, 2,090 new cases countywide and 50 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 33,138, county case totals to 3,405,184 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 89,444, with 499 total SCV deaths from COVID-19 since March of 2020.

There are 841 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,464,428 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive.

Of the 14 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 30-49, three people were between the ages of 50-64, three people were between the ages of 65-79, and seven people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 14 newly reported deaths, all had underlying health conditions.

Today’s positivity rate is 8.1%.

Residents Encouraged to Take Safety Precautions Over Labor Day Weekend to Avoid Infecting Others

With many people traveling or gathering over the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend, there are a number of safety measures residents should take to protect themselves and their community from COVID-19.

With the continued high rate of transmission, the likelihood that residents will encounter someone with COVID during the holiday weekend remains elevated. At the county’s current COVID-19 case rate of roughly 200 weekly cases per 100,000 residents, there is about a 30% chance that at least one person is infected in a gathering of 50 people.

Testing before and after traveling and before gathering with people, especially indoors with others who are at higher risk, are important safety measures to take to reduce a cycle of transmission.

Residents are encouraged to use over-the-counter FDA-approved tests. Antigen tests provide results in a few minutes, as opposed to laboratory-based PCR tests that may take several days to process. Free tests can be picked up at Department of Public Health vaccination sites, the seven Public Health Points of Dispensing, schools, community partners in areas hard hit by the pandemic, skilled nursing facilities, community clinics, pharmacies, and L.A. County libraries.

Additionally, at-home tests can be ordered at no charge from the federal government until Sept. 2 at www.covidtests.gov. Note that the free program is being suspended due to lack of funding to replenish the nation’s stockpile of tests. Residents who have health insurance can also receive eight free at-home tests each month for each insured member in their household.

If residents purchase a COVID test from a pharmacy, store, or online retailer and are charged for their test, they should keep their receipt, and submit a claim to their insurance company for reimbursement.

Individuals with any questions should talk with their health care provider to make sure they understand their viral test results and any next steps. Those without easy access to a health care provider who have questions about their test result and what to do next, can call the Public Health COVID-19 information line at 1-833-540-0473, seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

With an extreme heat event forecasted for the holiday weekend, many will be gathering with others indoors. Maximizing indoor ventilation by keeping windows and doors open as much as possible, using portable fans near open windows to bring fresh air in and blow away stale air, or if you have an air system running it at full capacity, will be critically important. Additional layers of protection when indoors include testing before gathering and wearing a well-fitting high filtration mask, especially if gathering with those more vulnerable. Residents who are sick, including those with mild symptoms, should stay home away from others to avoid infecting anyone.

“I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost a loved one from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As many people plan to gather with others this Labor Day holiday for barbecues, get-togethers and vacations, individuals should be sure to follow simple safety measures to keep each other safe. Although we are in a much better place now than we were just a couple of months ago, COVID -19 is still a dangerous virus for some of our family members, work colleagues, and friends. Common-sense precautions reduce both bad outcomes from the virus and disruptions associated with highly transmissible subvariants.”

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.

Schools Community Dashboard

Student Dashboard

Staff Dashboard

Santa Clarita Valley Tuesday Update
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported one additional death in Santa Clarita increasing the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the SCV at 499.

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

Santa Clarita: 407

Castaic: 31

Acton: 18

Stevenson Ranch: 15

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 10

Agua Dulce: 6

Val Verde: 3 (revised from 4)

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Elizabeth Lake: 2

Newhall: 1

Unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 1
 

SCV Cases

Of the 89,444 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

Santa Clarita: 66,076

Castaic: 8,973

Stevenson Ranch: 5,285

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 3,244

Acton: 1,789

Val Verde: 987

Agua Dulce: 906

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 848

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 396

Elizabeth Lake: 246

Bouquet Canyon: 189

Lake Hughes: 184

Saugus/Canyon Country: 105

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 100

Sand Canyon: 57

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 41

Placerita Canyon: 18

*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, Aug. 30.

Vaccinations

– 79,522,958 total vaccines administered.

– 80.1% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 20,500 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 10,268,137 confirmed cases to date.

– Tuesday’s average case count is 8,314 (average daily case count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 6.9 times more likely to get COVID-19 than boosted individuals (July 11, 2022 – July 17, 2022).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 8.7% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 3,108 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 360 ICU patients statewide.

– Unvaccinated people are 11.7 times more likely to be hospitalized than boosted individuals (July 11, 2022 – July 17, 2022).

Deaths

– There have been 94,120 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 31 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 11.2 times more likely to die than boosted individuals (July 4, 2022 – July 10, 2022).

Health Care Workers

As of Aug. 11, local health departments have reported 176,355 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 588 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 Aug. 14 to Aug. 20, the average time patients waited for test results was 0.8 day. During this same time period, 90% of patients received test results in one day and 97% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Aug. 29, there have been 1011 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.

Preparing for a Healthy 2022-23 School Year

The Safe Schools for All Hub consolidates key resources and information related to COVID-19 and schools.

Learn more about the COVID-19 mitigation strategies to keep students, staff, and communities safe in the 2022-23 K-12 Schools Guidance.

Get more information on changes to COVID-19 testing strategies for the 2022-23 school year in the 2022-23 K-12 Schools Testing Framework.

The CDPH Testing Taskforce School Testing team has released a 2022-2023 K-12 Schools Testing Framework Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

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 individual six months of age and older receive their primary COVID-19 vaccine series and booster dose.

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.