The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Wednesday confirmed 22 new deaths and 1,349 new cases of confirmed COVID-19, including 58 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

That brings the SCV’s totals to 6,666 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 67 deaths since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11.

To date, the department has identified 285,016 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 6,812 deaths.

“We are thinking of all of you across our communities who have lost a loved one or friend to COVID-19, and we wish you healing and peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

Upon further investigation, 83 cases reported earlier were not county residents.

There are 720 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 countywide, and 27% of them are in the ICU.

Test results are available for more than 2,851,000 county residents, with 9% of all people testing positive.

On Thursday, Public Health will update the county’s Health Officer Order to align with new state guidance on private gatherings. Read more details below.

California Wednesday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Tuesday, October 13, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 855,072 COVID-19 cases (up 2,666), with 16,639 deaths from the disease (up 58).

There are 2,239 confirmed hospitalizations and 622 ICU hospitalizations in the state, a slight upward trend.

California’s 7-day positivity rate is 2.7% and the 14-day positivity rate is 2.6%, holding steady.

As of October 13, local health departments have reported 41,575 confirmed positive cases in healthcare workers and 193 deaths statewide.

There have been 16,425,487 COVID-19 tests conducted in California, an increase of 91,770 over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

Numbers do not represent true day-over-day change as these results include cases from prior to yesterday.

U.S. Still No. 1 in Global COVID-19 Cases, Deaths

Worldwide, leading into “Global Handwashing Day” on Thursday, 38,411,907 people have been infected by COVID-19 while 1,090,579 people have died as of 4:24 Wednesday afternoon Pacific Time, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Since the pandemic began, more than 7,904,168 Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while the number of people in the U.S. who have died due to the virus has surpassed 216,597.

The United States has the world’s highest numbers of cases and deaths. By comparison, No. 2 Brazil’s death toll is 151,747. India, at No. 2 in cases, had confirmed 7,239,389 cases and 110,586 deaths as of Wednesday afternoon.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Wednesday Update
On Monday, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia reported its 26th COVID-19 death at the hospital since the pandemic began, spokesman Patrick Moody said.

Henry Mayo releases statistics weekly, generally on Wednesdays, unless there is a drastic change in the number of cases or a COVID-related death has been confirmed, he said.

As of Monday, October 12, of the 9,101 people tested at Henry Mayo to date, 953 tested positive, 10,756 were negative, 4 were pending, 15 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (up 6 from last week), and a total of 274 COVID-19 patients have been treated and discharged so far.

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.

Santa Clarita Valley Wednesday Update

As of 8 p.m. Monday, October 12, the latest update to its COVID-19 data dashboard, L.A. County Public Health reported 66 deaths in the Santa Clarita Valley since the pandemic began, but had not yet logged the name the community of residence for the fatality Henry Mayo reported Monday.

Of the 67 SCV residents who have died, 55 lived in the city of Santa Clarita, 4 in Castaic, 2 in Acton, 2 in Stevenson Ranch, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Val Verde, and 1 in unincorporated Valencia, and 1 in a community not yet identified.

Privacy laws prohibit the hospital from releasing the community of residence for patients who die.

Of the 6,666 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 3,864

Castaic: 2,132 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 185

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 158

Val Verde: 88

Acton: 78

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 51

Agua Dulce: 30

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 28

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 14

Bouquet Canyon: 10

Saugus/Canyon Country: 10

Elizabeth Lake: 7

Sand Canyon: 7

Lake Hughes: 4

*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.

L.A. County To Align With State on Private Gatherings
On Thursday, October 15, Public Health will update the Health Officer Order to align with new guidance from the state.

California updated guidance on Friday, October 9, to allow private gatherings of three or fewer households, as long as the private gathering is outdoors, everyone wears a cloth face covering and keeps at least six feet of physical distance, food is in single-serve disposable containers, and the duration of the gathering is two hours or less.

L.A. County’s updated Health Officer order will be posted on publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Private gatherings with people from different households increases the risk of COVID-19 transmission, with the risk increasing the longer the gathering. Public Health recommends if you do gather with two other households, that you do so with the same households each time, to create a quasi-bubble that can reduce the risk of spreading the virus. It is very important that you do not attend any private gathering if you are experiencing symptoms of illness, have tested positive for COVID-19 or if you have been exposed or likely have been exposed to someone positive.

A household does not include group living situations such as dormitories, fraternities, sororities, residential care facilities, or commercial group living arrangements such as boarding houses, hotels, or motels.

Large public events and gatherings remain prohibited, even if held outdoors.

October 15: Global Handwashing Day

“Tomorrow is Global Handwashing Day, and it serves as a reminder of the power simple actions taken by each one of us has in preventing the transmission of COVID-19,” said L.A. County Public Health’s Barbara Ferrer.

“Our tools for slowing the spread of this virus include not only frequent handwashing, but keeping physical distance and wearing a cloth face covering when out of our homes and around others, as well as isolating when we are positive for the virus and quarantining for 14 days if we have been exposed to the virus,” Ferrer said.

“There is still a great deal of transmission of COVID-19 across our communities and we remain one of a handful of counties in the state that is still in Tier 1,” she said. “We are beginning to see modest increases in cases and outbreaks, and while this may be expected as more people are engaged in activities at work and in their private lives that put them in contact with others, it is concerning and slows down our recovery journey. We need to keep doing what works; each of us has the opportunity every single day to make the right choices that reduce transmission of COVID-19 and save lives.”

Outbreaks at Worksites Continue

L.A. County Public Health officials are carefully tracking outbreaks at worksites and increasing efforts to assist sectors with compliance with the required protocols for reopening.

Outbreaks in workplaces are of special concern because they represent a situation where a number of people can get exposed to COVID-19 in one place and then can spread the virus back in various communities and households.

There has been a recent increase in outbreaks investigated at general worksites. During the two-week period of September 6 through September 19, there were 23 outbreaks in non-healthcare and non-residential workplaces, the lowest number seen since June. During the two-week period from September 20 through October 4, we’ve seen the number of worksite outbreaks increase to 39.

Public Health’s compliance teams visit businesses across the County every day. Inspectors review the protocols with business owners, identify deficiencies, and, if warranted, issue citations and fines for those out of compliance.

Since the end of August, a total of 131 citations have been issued. Inspectors generally find high levels of compliance, more than 90%, at most businesses with Health Officer Order directives. However, one area for improvement is complying with physical distancing requirements, where adherence is at 85% overall.

Public Health encourages L.A. County businesses to take advantage of the COVID-19 Safety Compliance Certification Program. The Program allows employers and employees to voluntarily participate in a training program that walks them through COVID-19 infection control protocols and allows them to self-certify that they are fully implementing the protocols.

School Waiver Program Update

Schools are currently permitted to open for in-person learning and necessary assessments for high-need students while adhering to the school re-opening protocols.

To date, 837 schools have opted to offer in-person learning for high-need students; 72% are public schools, 15% are charter schools, and 13% are private schools. More than 17,000 students and 10,000 staff have returned for on-site learning.

The San Fernando region of L.A. County and the South Bay/Harbor region have the most schools opened at this time. A list of schools open for K-12 specialized services can be found online.

More L.A. County Demographics: Age

Of the 22 new deaths reported Wednesday, five people who died were over the age of 80 years old, seven people were between 65 and 79 years old, five people were between 50 and 64 years old, one person was between 30 and 49, and one person was between 18 and 29.

Fourteen people who died had underlying health conditions including four people over the age of 80 years old, six people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, and four people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old. Three deaths were reported by the city of Long Beach.

Ninety-three percent of the people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions.

Cases by Age Group (Los Angeles County only — excluding Long Beach and Pasadena)

* 0 to 4 4594

* 5 to 11 9941

* 12 to 17 12292

* 18 to 29 67048

* 30 to 49 92319

* 50 to 64 52003

* 65 to 79 20580

* over 80 9470

* Under Investigation 1643

More L.A. County Demographics: Race/Ethnicity

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 6,378 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 51% 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.

L.A. County Public Health’s 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 Blueprint for a Safer Economy

Governor Newsom’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy 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.

California Testing
More than 85 community testing sites offer free, confidential testing: Find a COVID-19 Testing Site.

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 September 27 to October 3, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 69 percent of patients received test results in 1 day and 92 percent received them within two days. The testing turnaround time dashboard (PDF) is updated weekly.

As of September 22, California’s testing capacity and turnaround time have improved. As a result and until further notice, all four tiers in the Testing Prioritization Guidance originally dated July 14, 2020, will have equal priority for testing.

California Demographics

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 more than one-and-a-half times their population representation across all adult age categories. For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, overall numbers are low, but almost double 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.

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 October 13, 111 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide, 7 more than last week.

To protect patient confidentiality in counties with fewer than 11 cases, CDPH is 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 are critical to preventing long-term complications.

Protect Yourself and Your Family

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 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

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.

It’s important if someone thinks they could be positive for COVID-19 and are awaiting testing results to stay at home and act as if they are positive. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside.

If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a public health specialist to discuss how to protect themselves and others, find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious.

California COVID-19 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.

* 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)

Consolidated guidance is available on the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance webpage.

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Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus (COVID-19):

* Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

* California Department of Public Health

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

* Spanish

* World Health Organization

* Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Dashboard

L.A. County residents can also call 2-1-1.

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