The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday 17 additional deaths and 789 cases, with 20 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

This new data brings Los Angeles County death totals to 31,739, county case totals to 2,838,442 and Santa Clarita Valley case totals to 72,431 since March of 2020.

Of the 17 new deaths reported, two people were between the ages of 50-64, nine were between the ages of 65-79, and six were aged 80 years or older.

Today’s positivity rate is 1.0%

There are 292  people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,731,000 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

County Expand Test to Treat Program

Because the efficacy of therapeutics requires rapid access to starting treatment, Public Health is expanding access to therapeutics across L.A. County by launching the Public Health “Test to Treat” Tele-health Services and adding additional “Test to Treat” locations.

Two oral COVID-19 oral therapeutics (Paxlovid and Molnupiravir) are available in LA County which have been found effective against Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.2.  These therapeutics are for use in children and adults who weigh at least 88 pounds, test positive for COVID-19, have mild to moderate symptoms, and are at high risk for progressing to severe disease. These two therapeutics must be started within five days of a patient experiencing symptoms.

Residents currently have the option of accessing these medications by going to one of 58 Test to Treat sites in the county, one of the 26 DHS-Fulgent Testing sites, or one of three Public Health vaccination sites (Market Street Center in Santa Clarita, Obregon Park in East Los Angeles, and Ted Watkins Memorial Park in South Los Angeles).

The federal government “Test to Treat” program currently includes 20 CVS Minute Clinics and 11 Walgreens locations in L.A. County that allow patients to walk in to get tested, evaluated, and treated on the same visit at the same location. States and local jurisdictions have also been identifying other clinical sites that can offer similar services.

Residents can find current “Test to Treat” locations in LA County at: ph.lacounty.gov/covidmedicines.

Beginning this week, residents having difficulty accessing medications or a “Test to Treat” location have several additional options.

Individuals can contact our Public Health Call Center seven days a week from 8:00 am – 8:30 pm at 833-540-0473. Call center staff will answer questions and connect patients to services as needed.  Patients who are looking for testing or treatment will be referred to a site, and patients who already have a positive test result but are looking for access to evaluation and treatment will either be referred to a nearby Test to Treat center or connected to the Public Health telehealth services. Telehealth services are available seven days a week to screen patients for eligibility and determine which medication, if any, would be appropriate for the patients. Medications are then shipped to the patient’s home overnight or the patient is referred to a nearby Test to Treat site to ensure timely access.

Public Health has also partnered with Healthvana and 26 Department of Health Services-Fulgent testing sites located in under-resourced communities hard-hit by the pandemic. This pilot project allows patients who test positive at one of these sites to receive a test result text from Healthvana, and if symptomatic, the text directs them to contact the Public Health Call Center to report their result.  These patients will then be routed to a Public Health telehealth visit for screening.

Patients testing positive at one of the Public Health vaccination sites will also be routed for a telehealth visit with overnight shipment of medications.

A wide range of data and dashboards on COVID-19 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are available on the Public Health website at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

To keep workplaces and schools open, residents and workers are asked to:

– Get tested to help reduce the spread, especially if you traveled for the holidays, have had a possible exposure, or have symptoms, or are gathering with people not in your household

– Adhere to masking requirements when indoors or at crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status

– Residents are legally required to be isolated if they have a positive COVID test result and vaccinated close contacts with symptoms and unvaccinated close contacts need to be quarantined.

For information on where you can get tested, please visit www.covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/.

For updated isolation and quarantine guidance, please visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are recommended for everyone 5 years old and older to help protect against COVID-19. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites and many community sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

To find a vaccination site near you, or to make an appointment, please visit:

www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or

www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

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,

Student Dashboard

Staff Dashboard

Santa Clarita Valley Wednesday Update
As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported no additional deaths from COVID-19 in the Santa Clarita Valley, leaving the total in the SCV since the onset of the pandemic at 462.

The following is the community breakdown per L.A. County’s dashboard:

Santa Clarita: 377

Castaic: 28

Acton: 17

Stevenson Ranch: 15

Unincorporated Canyon Country: 9 (revised from 10)

Agua Dulce: 6

Val Verde: 3 (revised from 4)

Valencia: 2

Unincorporated Bouquet Canyon: 2

Elizabeth Lake: 1

Newhall: 1

unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

Lake Hughes: 0 (**revised from 1)

SCV Cases

Of the 72,321 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 53,815

* Castaic:7,112

Stevenson Ranch: 4,030

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 2,593

Acton: 1,513

Val Verde: 833

Agua Dulce: 779

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 672

Saugus (unincorporated portion):  310

Elizabeth Lake: 205

Bouquet Canyon: 149

Lake Hughes: 147

Saugus/Canyon Country: 89

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 87

Sand Canyon: 48

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 34

Placerita Canyon: 15

*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.

California Wednesday

* California Department of Public Health now updates their numbers on Tuesday and Friday. The following is from the most recent update. 

Statewide COVID-19 Data

As of April 5, 2022 the California Department of Public Health will only provide COVID updates on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Vaccinations

– 73,068,231 total vaccines administered.

– 83.9% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 45,966 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 8,503,930 confirmed cases to date.

– Tusday’s average case count is 2,078  (average daily case count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 4.2 times more likely to get COVID-19 than boosted individuals (March 7 2022 – March 13, 2022).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 1.5% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 1,154 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 211 ICU patients statewide.

– Unvaccinated people are 8.0 times more likely to be hospitalized than boosted individuals (March 7 2022 – March 13, 2022).

Deaths

– There have been 88,355 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 37 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

– Unvaccinated people are 11.0 times more likely to die than boosted individuals (Feb. 28, 2022 – March 6, 2022).

Health Care Workers

Note: As of March 31, local health departments have reported 153,962 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 576 deaths statewide.

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of March 20 to March 26, the average time patients waited for test results was 0.7 day. During this same time period, 93% of patients received test results in one day and 98% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of April 4, there have been 922 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.

Additional Updates

Mask Guidance: Under California’s mask guidance, universal masking is required only in specified higher risk settings like hospitals, public transit and congregate living facilities. Unvaccinated persons are required to mask in all indoor public settings. Fully vaccinated individuals are recommended to continue indoor masking when the risk may be high. Workplaces will continue to follow the COVID-19 prevention standards set by CalOSHA. Local health jurisdictions may implement requirements that are stricter than state guidance.

Slow the Spread: Get Vaccinated and Boosted for COVID-19

The risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection continues as a number of Californians remain unvaccinated and unboosted.

Real-world evidence continues to show that the vaccine is preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Public health officials urge Californians to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.

It is recommended that every vaccinated person 12 years or older should get a booster as long as they received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least five months ago or they received their Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.

Vaccination appointments can be made by visiting myturn.ca.gov or calling 1-833-422-4255. The consent of a parent or legal guardian may be needed for those under age 18 to receive a vaccination. Visit Vaccinate All 58 to learn more about the safe and effective vaccines available for all Californians 5+.

Your Actions Save Lives

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

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.