With Delta and Omicron transmissions surging, L.A. County reported Wednesday more than 16,000 new cases in one of the highest daily case counts of the pandemic.

Over the past week, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported cases have increased 91%, from 8,633 to 16,510, test positivity rates have more than doubled from 8.7% to 17.6%, and daily hospitalizations have jumped over 30%, from 770 to 1,069.

Public Health officials also confirmed Wednesday 25 new deaths and 16,510 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 42,929 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

In addition, Public Health confirmed the Omicron variant accounts for 54% of new infections.

Of the 25 new deaths reported today, one person who died was between the ages of 30 and 49, six were between the ages of 50 and 64, ten were between the ages of 65-79 and seven were over the age of 80 years old. Of the 25 newly reported deaths, 21 had underlying conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 27,601.

Public Health has identified a total 1,649,376 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 17.6%.

There are 1,069 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 9,988,700 individuals, with 15% of people testing positive.

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

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Update

Henry Mayor Newhall Hospital reported four tests pending, 29 patients in the hospital, and a total of 1,719 patients who have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, according to hospital spokesperson Patrick Moody.

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.

Santa Clarita Valley Wednesday Update

As of 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard reported 372 COVID-19 deaths to date in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The following is the community breakdown of the 372 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

306 in Santa Clarita

23 in Castaic

13 in Acton

9 in Stevenson Ranch

7 in unincorporated Canyon Country

5 in Agua Dulce

3 in Val Verde

2 in Valencia

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

0 in Lake Hughes (**revised from 1)

SCV Cases

Of the 42,929 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 31,568

* Castaic: 4,917

Stevenson Ranch: 2,170

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,388

Acton: 908 

Val Verde: 477

Agua Dulce: 468

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 359

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 194

Elizabeth Lake: 133

Bouquet Canyon: 91

Lake Hughes: 78

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 70

Saugus/Canyon Country: 55

Sand Canyon: 25

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 23

Placerita Canyon: 5

*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 Update

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released the most recent statistics Wednesday on COVID-19 and updates on the state’s pandemic response.

Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are largely occurring among unvaccinated populations. See the data for unvaccinated and vaccinated cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

– Unvaccinated people were 5.2 times more likely to get COVID-19 (data from Dec. 13, 2021 to Dec. 19, 2021).

– Unvaccinated people were 14.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 (data from Dec. 6, 2021 to Dec. 12, 2021).

– Unvaccinated people were 15.0 times more likely to die from COVID-19 (data from Nov. 29, 2021 to Dec. 5, 2021).

Vaccinations

– 64,075,795 total vaccines administered.

– 79.0% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 149,329 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 5,097,398 confirmed cases to date.

– Wednesday’s average case count is 10,280 (average daily case count over 7 days).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 11.2% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 5,198 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 1,079 ICU patients statewide.

Deaths

– There have been 75,629 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 42 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

Testing Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. During the week of Dec. 12 to Dec. 18, the average time patients waited for test results was one day. During this same time period, 85% of patients received test results in one day and 96% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Dec. 27, there have been 773 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.

Omicron Update

Overall, clinical and wastewater data indicate that Omicron cases are present in most regions of the state indicating that there is likely community transmission. Mutations consistent with Omicron variant have been detected at increasing proportions in wastewater in multiple regions throughout California where wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 is conducted. At least three health systems in California have reported approximately 50-70% of COVID-19 cases are consistent with Omicron (full sequencing results are pending). This is consistent with CDC reports of estimates of at least 70% of cases nationally. Additionally, genetic sequencing does not represent real-time data, as sequencing generally occurs several days or more after initial tests are positive for COVID-19.

The emergence of the Omicron variant emphasizes the importance of getting a vaccine, booster and taking prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19. For more information about Omicron and the other variants California is currently monitoring, see the variant data webpage (please note, this data is as of Dec. 22, 2021) and the Omicron variant fact sheet.

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.