Los Angeles County Public Health on Wednesday confirmed 68 new deaths and 2,347 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with the 18-49 age group making up nearly 60% of these new cases.

The majority of all L.A. County COVID-19 cases have occurred among people between 18 and 49 years old, with more than 109,000 confirmed cases.

In the Santa Clarita Valley, 4,529 cases have been confirmed to date, including 2,274 in the city of Santa Clarita.

Countywide, 1,768 people are now hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19, 31% of them in the ICU. This continues to be lower than the daily hospitalizations of more than 2,000 patients reported last week.

Test results are available for more than 1,839,000 county residents, with 10% of all people testing positive.

Since the pandemic began, Public Health has identified 197,912 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of the county, and a total of 4,825 deaths. There have been 48 COVID-19 deaths in the SCV, including 36 in the city.

“I send my heartfelt condolences to all those grieving for their loved ones lost to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, director of L.A. County Public Health.

Younger Demos Driving New Cases
In new COVID-19 cases, residents between 18 and 49 years old make up nearly 60%, with residents between 30 to 49 years old driving most of these reported cases, according to L.A. County Public Health.

Residents between the ages of 30 and 49 years old have the highest case rate among all age groups in L.A. County. Since the beginning of June, case rates for this group nearly tripled to a high of 1,122 cases per 100,000 population on July 24.

Younger residents are also being hospitalized more than before. People between the ages of 30 and 49 years old account for 25% of hospitalized patients in the county.

Patients between the ages of 18 and 29 years old now account for more than twice the proportion of all hospitalizations than they did in April. These patients now match the hospitalization rate of people aged 80 years old or older.

By comparison, hospitalizations of those 80 years old or older have fallen by half since a peak in April.

“We all know that COVID-19 can affect all of us, no matter how young we are,” Ferrer said. “It can also cause a ripple effect that ends up infecting those among us that we love. A young person going to a party can then go back home and infect their parents or older relatives, causing them great harm.

“So I really encourage everyone, especially younger adults to think about this when deciding whether to see a group of friends at a party or staying home and visiting their friends virtually,” she said. “We can and will one day get to the point where hanging out with a group of friends is possible – but we aren’t there yet.”

Testing Backlog Due to State Lab System Snafu
Public Health anticipates receiving a backlog of cases once the state electronic laboratory system issues are fixed. This issue has undercounted the county’s positive cases and affects the number of COVID-19 cases reported each day and our contact tracing efforts.

Data sources that track other key indicators, including hospitalizations and deaths, are not affected by this reporting issue.

California Snapshot
Statewide, as of Tuesday, August 4, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 524,722 cases (up 5,295), with 9,703 deaths from the disease (up 202). There are 6,184 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,828 ICU hospitalizations in California.

As of August 4, local health departments have reported 24,922 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 131 deaths statewide.

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 7,060 per day, down from the 7-day average from the week prior, 8,818.

COVID Around the World
Worldwide, more than 18.6 million people have been infected by COVID-19 while 702,903 have died as of 1:35 Wednesday afternoon, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

More than 4,804,822 million 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 157,556.

The United States has the highest case and death rate in the world. Brazil, at #2, had confirmed 2.8 million cases and 95,819 deaths as of Wednesday afternoon.

Santa Clarita Valley Wednesday Update
According to the latest L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 data dashboard update at 8 p.m. Monday, August 3, of the 48 SCV residents who have died of the virus since the pandemic began, 36 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, 1 in unincorporated Valencia and 1 in a community not yet named.

Of the 4,529 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 2,274

Castaic: 1,865 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 121

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 86

Acton: 46

Val Verde: 46

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 36

Agua Dulce: 20

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 15

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 6

Elizabeth Lake: 5

Sand Canyon: 5

Bouquet Canyon: 2

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 Wednesday Update
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported its 19th and 20th COVID-related deaths on Saturday, August 1, according to Patrick Moody, hospital spokesman. Due to privacy constraints, the hospital does not disclose patients’ cities of residence.

The hospital is now releasing statistics on a weekly basis (Wednesdays) unless there is a drastic change in the number of cases or a COVID-related death has been confirmed.

As of Wednesday, August 5, of the 5,570 people tested at Henry Mayo to date, 682 tested positive, 6,122 were negative, 176 were pending, 13 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (down 5 from a week ago), and a total of 202 COVID-19 patients have been discharged so far, as deaths stand at 20, Moody confirmed.

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

More L.A. County Demographics
Of the 68 new deaths, 23 people who died (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena) were over the age of 80 years old, 24 people were between 65 and 79 years old, 17 people between 50 and 64 years old, and three people between 30 and 49 years old.

Fifty-two people had underlying health conditions including 17 people over the age of 80 years old, 20 people between 65 and 79 years old, 13 people between 50 and 64 years old, and two people between 30 and 49 years old. One death was reported by the city of Pasadena.

Countywide, 92% of people who died had underlying health conditions.

Upon further investigation, 49 cases and one death reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 4,520 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 49% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 24% 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.

L.A. County Interim Guidelines for Colleges, Universities
The state is expected to soon release information on when colleges and universities can re-open for in-classroom instruction.

In the interim, Public Health released a comprehensive set of draft protocols to guide colleges and universities with planning activities toward the eventual return to in-person instruction.

The protocols touch on all aspects of campus life, from on-campus housing to classrooms to the dining commons.

This includes infection control practices, like regular sanitizing of common spaces, consistent use of face coverings in all areas of the campus, and the reconfiguration of campus spaces, including dorms to enable physical distancing.

Like other workplaces, they will have to screen their employees and students for COVID-19 and quickly notify the department when clusters of cases occur to help stop the chain of transmission.

Because college and university campuses exist in the middle of larger communities, significant attention needs to be paid to steps that institutions take to protect community residents from exposures that originate on a campus; this includes good communications, support for community mitigation strategies, and minimizing risky actions.

No Waivers for Classroom Instruction
On Tuesday, Public Health announced that it will adhere to new guidance from the California Department of Public Health, which recommends that Counties with case rates at or above 200 cases per 100,000 residents do not extend waivers for the re-opening of classroom instruction for students in grades TK-6.

Because Los Angeles County’s case rate currently is 330 per 100,000, waiver applications will not be considered at this time.

Youth Sports Guidelines
The state announced the reopening of youth sports earlier this week and released guidance for the safe operation of youth sports leagues.

Youth sports and physical education are permitted only outdoors, and tournaments, events and competitions are not allowed.

Physical distancing of at least 6 feet must be maintained at all times and for sports that require closer contact, only conditioning and skill-building is permitted.

Masks are not required when outside engaging in activities that require physical exertion.

Adult, amateur team sports are not permitted at this time.

Positive Lab Result? Call County Public Health ASAP
Given the current delays, the department urges any person with a positive lab result to call 1-833-540-0473 to connect with a public health specialist who can provide information about services and support.

Residents who do not have COVID-19 should continue to call 211 for resources or more information.

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 Public Health Addresses Cases Underreporting
The California Department of Public Health has discovered an underreporting of COVID-19 cases due to technology issues with the electronic laboratory reporting system which reports into the state’s disease registry system (CalREDIE).

However, patient care and test results are not affected or delayed by the newly discovered technical issue, according to state Public Health officials. Public Health laboratories continue to report test results directly to providers and hospitals, and hospitalization and death rates are not impacted as they are reported directly to the state through different systems.

While clinicians are still able to report to local health departments, this issue may impact a local public health department’s ability to receive all lab reports in order to case investigate and contact-trace.

To address this issue, we have taken the following actions:

* Deployed a team from the Department of Technology to assess the underlying code;

* Engaged our local public health officers to ensure they have necessary information;

* Instructed all laboratories in California to manually report all positive cases to the local public health departments.

County Monitoring Data
A total of California 38 counties including Los Angeles and Ventura are required to close indoor operations for certain sectors based on the July 13 order to slow community transmission.

See the complete list of counties here.

California Testing
There have been 8,409,400 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 103,687 over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

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

The CDPH released updated testing guidance on July 23 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.

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 August 4, there have been 29 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 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, to 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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