The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also confirmed Wednesday 16 new deaths and 3,734 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 30,398 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Public Health has confirmed one of today’s reported COVID-19 deaths is a young person under the age of 12. The child who passed away was hospitalized with COVID-19 and had underlying conditions.

Public Health continues to offer vaccines at many different sites across the County to make it as easy as possible for eligible residents to get vaccinated. Many sites are open on weekends and have evening hours and vaccinations can be obtained at many sites without an appointment.

Vaccine Access
Public Health continues to improve access to vaccine. Hundreds of community health workers are providing local residents with information in multiple languages on available vaccination services in hard hit communities and helping residents schedule appointments, arrange for transportation, and access additional support. Mobile vaccine teams continue bringing vaccinations into the neighborhood places where people gather. Currently, there are vaccination sites set up at retail stores, parks, recreation centers, and many other gathering places all over the county to make getting vaccinated more convenient.

If there is a special event, organization or workplace where people may need to get vaccinated, you can request a mobile vaccination unit to provide vaccines. Public Health encourages you to visit the Find a Vaccination Provider page to request a visit at your workplace, organization, or special event from a mobile vaccination unit or other vaccination partners in the community to provide vaccines.

This week, there are 772 sites offering vaccinations including pharmacies, clinics, community sites, and hospitals and 312 sites where mobile teams are offering vaccinations, which are concentrated in higher-need, harder hit areas.

Of the 16 new deaths reported today, six people that passed away were over the age of 80, three people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, three people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29, and one youth under the age of 18.

To date, Public Health has identified 1,311,656 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,720 deaths. Out of the nearly 25,000 total COVID-19 deaths, six children in L.A. County have died of COVID-19 infection: 2 children under 12 years old and 4 children between the ages of 12 and 17.

Testing results are available for nearly 7,381,000 individuals with 17% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 6.0%.  the rate was 1.3% on July 2.

There are 1,242 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 22% of these people are in the ICU. Daily hospitalizations continue to increase in L.A. County.

**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 recorded another death in the city of Santa Clarita, bringing the total of COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV to 311 since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 311 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

269 in Santa Clarita

16 in Castaic (**revised initially from 18)

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 30,398 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 22,284

Castaic: 3,933 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

 Stevenson Ranch: 1,328

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 941

Acton: 537

Val Verde: 360

Agua Dulce: 316

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 224

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 143

Elizabeth Lake: 86

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 69

Bouquet Canyon: 51

Saugus/Canyon Country: 46

Lake Hughes: 43

Sand Canyon: 18

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

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.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Wednesday Update
As of Wednesday, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital had zero tests pending, 33 patients hospitalized, a total of 1,317 patients treated and discharged since the pandemic began, and no additional deaths keeping the total to 153, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody confirmed.

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 Wednesday 

“Our hearts go out to everyone facing the sorrow of losing a loved one to COVID-19, and to the family who lost their child, I send you my deepest condolences,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Protecting those not yet eligible for vaccinations, including children under 12, should be everyone’s top priority.  With high levels of transmission in the community and more people needing care from our healthcare providers, increasing vaccination rates among those eligible to get vaccinated is the best way to protect children under the age of 12.  Healthcare workers, in particular, should be fully vaccinated to ensure that those needing care, have reduced chances of an exposure. The vaccines continue to be our most powerful tool against COVID-19. We are finding that unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people are nearly four times more likely to get infected than fully vaccinated individuals. I encourage everyone to get fully vaccinated if you are eligible, wear a mask in indoor public settings, move social activities outdoors as much as possible, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently.”

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 3,889,641 cases and 64,150 deaths to date. There are 4,876 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,081 ICU hospitalizations in the state.

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

There were 8,552 newly reported confirmed cases Tuesday.

Cases are increasing statewide, largely among unvaccinated populations.

-For the week of July 31, the average case rate among unvaccinated Californians is 33 per 100,000 per day and the average case rate among vaccinated Californians is significantly lower at 7 per 100,000 per day.

– The vast majority of new cases are among the unvaccinated with 600% higher case rates among the unvaccinated than for those who are vaccinated.

The 7-day positivity rate is 7%.

There have been 74,464,222 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 133,078 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of August 4, providers have reported administering a total of 44,271,553 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 50,069,965 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 August 3, local health departments have reported 116,919 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 483 deaths statewide.

Stop the Spread: Get Vaccinated for COVID-19

The risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection continues as a number of Californians remain unvaccinated. With the emergence of the more transmissible Delta variant, there is a renewed urgency to get all eligible Californians vaccinated as quickly as possible and complete their two-dose vaccination process if they are receiving Pfizer or Moderna.

CDPH is reminding unvaccinated Californians that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, free and provides excellent protection from severe COVID-19 illness, including the Delta variant, hospitalization, and death.

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 July 18 to July 24, the average time patients waited for test results was one day. During this same time period, 81% of patients received test results in one day and 94% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Aug 2, there have been 589 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 12+ 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.