Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has confirmed two additional deaths at the hospital Wednesday. This brings the total to 170 deaths since the pandemic began.

Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Wednesday confirmed 31 new deaths and 1,436 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 35,797 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

31 new deaths and 1,436 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 31 new deaths reported today, seven people who passed away were over the age of 80, seven people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 11 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and three people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49.  Three deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach.

To date, Public Health identified 1,457,672 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,078 deaths.  As of September 20, the County is tragically seeing about 15 deaths a day, a 38% decline from the month earlier.

There are 892 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 29% of these people are in the ICU. This is the first time daily hospitalizations dropped under 900 since late -July.

Testing results are available for more than 8,623,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.2%.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Wednesday Update

In addition to the two deaths officials from Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital have reported zero tests pending, 18 patients in the hospital, and a total of 1,523 patients who have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

Privacy laws prohibit Henry Mayo from releasing the community of residence for patients who die at the hospital; residence info is reported by the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard, which generally lags 48 hours behind.

Public Health Encourages Expecting And New Mothers To Get Vaccinated

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health), along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is strongly encouraging COVID-19 vaccination for all women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future to prevent severe illness, death and adverse pregnancy outcomes from COVID-19.

While studies have affirmed the vaccines’ safety in all stages of pregnancy and the vaccines do not cause any fertility problems, the CDC reports as of September 18, only 31% of pregnant women are fully vaccinated nationwide.

Healthcare providers should communicate the risk of COVID-19, the benefits of vaccination, information on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy, and strongly recommend COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible.

Nationwide, the highest number of COVID-19-related deaths in pregnant people (22) in a single month of the pandemic was reported in August 2021. As of September 27, more than 125,000 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in pregnant people, including more than 22,000 hospitalized cases and 161 deaths nationwide. The CDC reports that approximately 97% of pregnant people hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infection were unvaccinated.

Public Health continues to track the impact of COVID-19 on expecting and new moms and newborns in Los Angeles County. As of September 28, there are 12,944 pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19. Seventy-six percent of pregnant women testing positive for COVID-19 are Latina/Latinx, 11% are White, 5% are African American/Black, and 5% are Asian. Although rare, women infected during their pregnancy can pass on the virus to their newborn. Among the 12,719 births where there was testing information, 62 infants tested positive for COVID-19. Twelve pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19 tragically passed away.

Public Health continues to urge and offer vaccination to women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future. Resources are available to assist pregnant women and women of childbearing age get the facts, at: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/vaccine/WomenAndCOVIDvaccine.pdf

“To the families and friends experiencing the sorrow of losing a loved one due to COVID-19, we wish you healing and peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “It is troubling to see the low rates of vaccination among pregnant women given the increased risk of serious COVID illness associated with pregnancy for the mother-to-be and her newborn. We encourage pregnant women to talk with their doctor or midwife to get the facts about how they can best protect themselves from the virus. Sadly, misinformation continues to circulate leading to avoidable tragedies for moms and their babies.”

Santa Clarita Valley Wednesday Update

As of 6 p.m. Monday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard confirmed a total of 333 COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 334 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

281 in Santa Clarita

20 in Castaic

9 in Acton

8 in Stevenson Ranch

6 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

2 in Val Verde

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Valencia

0 in Lake Hughes (**revised from 1)

Cases:

Of the 35,725 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 26,296

Castaic: 4,379 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,641

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,123

Acton: 737

Val Verde: 416

Agua Dulce: 389

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 267

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 161

Elizabeth Lake: 108

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69 (revised from 70)

Bouquet Canyon: 63

Lake Hughes: 55

Saugus/Canyon Country: 48

Sand Canyon: 22

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 19

Placerita Canyon: 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.

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:

California Wednesday Snapshot

California Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday 4,482,881 cases and 68,517 deaths to date.

Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed.

There were 6,493 newly reported confirmed cases Tuesday.

As of Sept. 27, local health departments have reported 124,873 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 501 deaths statewide.

Cases are increasing statewide, largely among unvaccinated populations:

– For the week of September 19 – September 25, the average case rate among unvaccinated Californians age 16 or older is 57.41 per 100,000 per day and the average case rate among vaccinated Californians age 16 or older is significantly lower at 7.12 per 100,000 per day.

– The great majority of new cases are among unvaccinated individuals. The rate among the unvaccinated is 8 times the rate among the vaccinated.

The 7-day positivity rate is 2.5%.

There have been 92,241,907 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 292,767 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of Sept. 29, according to the CDC, 83.8% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose. Providers have reported to CDPH that a total of 49,280,271  vaccine doses have been administered statewide.

Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed. For more vaccination data, visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Data Dashboard.

See more California information later in this report.

L.A. County Vaccine Update

As of Sept. 23, 92% of L.A. County residents 65 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, 78% of residents 16 and over and 77% of residents 12 and over. Sixty-nine percent of residents 12 and over have been fully vaccinated. Sixty-seven percent of L.A. County teens between the ages of 12 and 17 received at least one dose and 58% are fully vaccinated. Out of the nearly 10.3 million L.A. County residents, including those who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, 66% have received at least one dose, and 59% are fully vaccinated.

Last Friday, Sept. 24, the County began administering booster doses as well as the additional doses administered to immunocompromised people. Although the numbers are not yet complete, Public Health received reports that nearly 14,500 boosters or additional doses were administered between Sept. 24 and Sept. 26. Countywide, nearly 92,000 additional/booster doses have been administered by L.A. County providers.

L.A. County continues to offer vaccines at more than 1,300 sites countywide and through the deployment of more than 400 mobile vaccination teams each week to make it as easy as possible for eligible L.A. County residents to get vaccinated. Over 700 fixed sites and almost all mobile team sites offer Pfizer vaccines, including first, second and third doses.

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated. Boosters are available for eligible individuals at all sites offering the Pfizer vaccine. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

Los Angeles County residents eligible for a booster dose of Pfizer include the following groups of people who received the second of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine series at least 6 months ago and are either:

– People aged 65 years or older

– Residents of long-term care facilities

– People aged 18 to 64 years with underlying medical conditions

– People aged 18 to 64 years with high institutional or occupational risk, including healthcare workers, first responders, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers, and workers and residents in homeless shelters or prisons, among others.

“I stress the importance of getting ahead of future surges. It is not inevitable that we continue to experience these cycles of scary increases in cases. The entire premise of community immunity is to get enough people vaccinated to leave little room for virus transmission. To accomplish this, we each need to think about our own role differently. We are living during a raging, worldwide, deadly pandemic that can be most quickly ended with very high rates of vaccination coverage. These times ask each of us to step up to protect the health and the lives of our co-workers, neighbors, and those most vulnerable. My hope is that those who are being asked to get vaccinated now take to heart this opportunity to get us to the end of the pandemic,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.
Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to learn how to make an appointment at vaccination sites. If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

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.

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 Sept. 27, there have been 623 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide (**revised from 596).

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.

Although very rare, COVID-19 cases among children can sometimes result a few weeks later in very serious illness known as Multi-symptom Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

Vaccine Eligibility

As of May 13, vaccination appointments for individuals aged 12+ can be made by visiting myturn.ca.gov. The consent of a parent or legal guardian may be needed for those between the ages of 12 and 17 to receive a vaccination. For more information on the vaccine effort, visit Vaccinate All 58.

Tracking COVID-19 in California

* State Dashboard – Daily COVID-19 data

* County Map – Local data

* Data and Tools – Models and dashboards for researchers, scientists, and the public

* 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

California Testing & Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboardreports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results.

During the week of Sept. 12 to Sept. 18, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 72% of patients received test results in one day and 91% received them within two days.

Protect Yourself and Your Family: Your Actions Save Lives

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

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

* Avoiding non-essential travel, and practicing self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival if you leave the state.

* Keeping interactions limited to people who live in your household.

* 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.

* 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.

* Getting tested if you believe you’ve been exposed. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.

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

* Answering the call if a contact tracer from the CA COVID Team or local health department tries to connect.

* Following guidance from public health officials.

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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