The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday eight new deaths and 515 new cases of COVID-19, with 28,400 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley. The number of cases and deaths may reflect reporting delays over the holiday.

Of the eight new deaths reported today, one person that passed away was over the age of 80, three people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, and three people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64. One death was reported by the City of Pasadena.

To date, Public Health identified 1,253,536 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,514 deaths. There are 275 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 27% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 7,076,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive.

L.A. County COVID 19 Ambassador Program
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, with support from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, launched the COVID-19 Community Ambassador Program to visibly represent, capture the support, and actively engage the broader community in best practices to further prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County.

Public Health encourages L.A. County residents to participate in the COVID-19 Community Ambassador Program. The COVID-19 Community Ambassador Program is intended to empower individuals with accurate and shareable resources and the appropriate departmental contacts for reporting concerns.

To become a COVID-19 Community Ambassador, residents view a 30-minute training video, which provides helpful insights on COVID-19 prevention and infection control. Once the training is complete, residents receive a Certificate of Completion along with a free branded community ambassador face covering, a pin, and a COVID-19 Directory Card for commonly used phone numbers in English or Spanish. The program includes additional video training modules, virtual town halls with Public Health experts, and updates on relevant topics such as the COVID-19 vaccine, variants, and guidance for staying safe and keeping communities safe.  To date, nearly 3,000 residents are COVID-19 Community Ambassadors.

This program is available to all Los Angeles County residents and there is no age restriction for participation. The COVID-19 Community Ambassador Program does not formally train or deputize residents to take personal action in instances of non-compliance.  To learn more and become a COVID-19 Community Ambassador, visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/CommunityAmbassadorProgram/

**More from Los Angeles County Public Health further below**

Santa Clarita Valley Wednesday Update
As of 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard remained unchanged from Monday, with a total of 309 COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 309 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

266 in Santa Clarita

17 in Castaic

6 in Acton

6 in Stevenson Ranch

4 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Lake Hughes

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Valencia

1 in Val Verde

Of the 28,400 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 20,791

Castaic: 3,783

(includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,183

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 857

Acton: 502

Val Verde: 340

Agua Dulce: 291

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 201

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 134

Elizabeth Lake: 82

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69

Bouquet Canyon: 49

Lake Hughes: 42

Saugus/Canyon Country: 40

Sand Canyon: 18

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

Placerita Canyon: 3

*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 Newhall Hospital Wednesday Update

As of Wednesday July 7, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital had seven cases pending, 11 patients hospitalized, a total of 1,257 patients treated and discharged since the pandemic began, and no additional deceased keeping the total at 149 deaths since the pandemic began, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

The death reported Friday is the first in more than a month.

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

L.A. County 

“To everyone who has lost a loved one or friend to COVID-19, our deepest condolences go out to you,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “We must continue to work together to improve vaccine confidence and acceptance so that vaccination rates increase, and we reach a level of community immunity that protects everyone.  We are grateful for all the residents participating in the COVID-19 Ambassador Program who provide accurate information to their friends and co-workers on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As COVID-19 transmission has increased over the past couple of weeks, it is very important we continue to work together to protect each other and make sure that individuals with questions about the vaccine, have access to information about the vaccines’ safety and effectiveness from people they trust.”

Through Thursday, July 8 at county-run vaccination sites, LA City sites, and St. John’s Well Child and Family Center sites, everyone 18 and older coming to get a vaccine will have an opportunity to win one of four packages of tickets and passes to botanical gardens in the area. Each prize package consists of one annual membership to the Huntington Botanical Gardens and one-day passes to Descanso Gardens, L.A. County Arboretum, and South Coast Botanic Garden. Official rules and participating site locations are posted online on the Los Angeles Vaccination Sweepstakes page. Winners will be contacted by phone and/or email.

To find a vaccination site near you, to make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) 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 or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

County Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional actions you can take to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

California Wednesday

California Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday 3,721,006 cases and 63,259 deaths to date. There are 1,228 confirmed hospitalizations and 299 ICU hospitalizations in the state.

The 7-day average is 2.9 cases per 100K.

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

There were 1,332 newly recorded confirmed cases Tuesday. Data on cases, deaths, and testing is not reported on weekends or state holidays. This data is reported on the first day following the weekend or holiday. Data on administered vaccines is reported daily.

The 7-day positivity rate is 1.9%.

There have been 70,392,011 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 45,230 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of July 7, providers have reported administering a total of 42,087,777 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 48,403,495 doses have been delivered to entities within the state. 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.

Health Care Workers

As of July 6, local health departments have reported 113,440 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 474 deaths statewide.

Vaccine Eligibility Update

Individuals aged 12+ are eligible for vaccination. Visit myturn.ca.gov to make an appointment. Individuals aged 17 and younger may need the consent of a parent or legal guardian for vaccination. Visit Vaccinate All 58 to learn more about the safe and effective vaccines available.

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of June 20 to June 26, the average time patients waited for test results was under one day. During this same time period, 88% of patients received test results in one day and 97% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of July 5, there have been 567 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.

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.