Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Wednesday confirmed 22 new deaths and 1,605 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 37,719 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Today, Public Health confirms 22 new deaths and 1,605 new cases of COVID-19. The number of cases today reflects 476 backlogged positive tests from one lab with episode dates of these cases ranging from October 21 – October 27, 2021. Of the 22 new deaths reported today, six people who passed away were over the age of 80, nine people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, two people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and five people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49.

“Our hearts go out to the families and friends experiencing the sorrow of losing a loved one to COVID-19. May you find peace and healing in the days ahead,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

To date, Public Health has identified 1,496,593 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,683 deaths.

The County’s daily average case rate, with a 3-day lag, is 9.0 cases per 100,000 people, a slight increase from last week’s 3-day-lagged case rate of 8.0 cases per 100,000. CDC’s estimation of the County’s weekly case rate is 80.3 new cases per 100,000 residents, reflecting continued substantial transmission across the county and a small increase from last week’s case rate of 72 new cases per 100,000 residents.

There are 653 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 25% of these people are in the ICU.

Testing results are available for more than 9,086,000 individuals with 15% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.2%.

County Begins Administering Pfizer Vaccine To Children 5 to 11

Los Angeles County vaccine providers are now administering Pfizer vaccine to children 5 to 11 years old after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle P. Walensky affirmed the recommendation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to expand the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

In L.A. County, an estimated 900,000 children between the ages of 5 and 11 are newly eligible for vaccinations.

All Public Health sites began offering Pfizer for children 5 to 11 years old as of this morning along with many pharmacies and clinics.  Some sites require appointments; walk-ins are welcome at the Public Health sites. Children will need to be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult and have a signed consent form.

Parents are able to make an appointment using the County website at VaccinateLACounty.com and will be able to make an appointment using MyTurn.CA.gov later today or tomorrow. Many pharmacies and clinics countywide are also accepting appointments through their own systems. Parents are encouraged to call the site ahead of time to verify that they are vaccinating children.

A network of nearly 900 providers countywide will offer vaccines to children between the ages of 5 and 11 and this month, vaccines will be offered at 480 school-based events with a focus on schools in high-need areas. County mobile vaccination teams will supplement vaccinations offered by existing providers so that children have easy access to our most powerful protection from COVID-19.

Santa Clarita Valley Wednesday Update

As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard confirmed a total of 350 COVID-19 related deaths in the SCV since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 350 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

294 in Santa Clarita

21 in Castaic

10 in Acton

8 in Stevenson Ranch

6 in unincorporated Canyon Country

3 in Agua Dulce

3 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 37,719 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 27,665

Castaic: 4,540 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,789

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,184

Acton: 788

Val Verde: 435

Agua Dulce: 419

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 301

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 167

Elizabeth Lake: 124

Bouquet Canyon: 74

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

Lake Hughes: 60

Saugus/Canyon Country: 53

Sand Canyon: 24

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 22

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.

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 Wednesday Update

As of Wednesday, Nov. 3, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital currently had zero tests pending, 18 patients in the hospital, and a total of 1,601 patients who have been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, and no additional deaths, 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.

California Wednesday Snapshot

California Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday, Nov. 3:

Cases

– California has 4,674,665 confirmed cases to date.

– Today’s average case count is 4,949 (average daily case count over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 4,268 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 989 ICU patients statewide.

Deaths

– There have been 71,646 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 67 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

Vaccinations

– 53,452,752 total vaccines administered.

– 81.0% of the eligible population (12+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 147,012 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

For more vaccination data, visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Data Dashboard.

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 2.2% (average rate over 7 days).

Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are largely occurring among unvaccinated populations:

– Unvaccinated people were 6.8 times more likely to get COVID-19 (data from Oct. 12 to Oct. 18, 2021).

– Unvaccinated people were 9.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 (data from Oct. 5, 2021 to Oct. 11, 2021).

– Unvaccinated people were 18.2 times more likely to die from COVID-19 (data from Sept. 28, 2021 to Oct. 4, 2021).

CDPH is working with local partners and health care providers to administer booster doses to all Californians who are eligible, including those aged 65+ and the immunocompromised, to ensure they maintain optimal protection from COVID-19 heading into the winter season. Boosters are recommended for all Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients aged 18 and older who were vaccinated two or more months ago. The CDC and Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup have declared the following groups of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna recipients eligible for a booster dose six months or more after their initial series:

– 65 years and older

– Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings

– Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions

– Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings

– Age 18+ who are at increased risk due to social inequity

See the data for unvaccinated and vaccinated cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
See more California information later in this report.

L.A. County Vaccine/Booster Information

Anyone five years and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated. 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 where first, second, and third doses are available.

Public Health encourages everyone not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated, and everyone eligible for a booster to get their booster. All three FDA-approved vaccines; Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson are available for eligible individuals.

People eligible for boosters include adults of any age who received their first Johnson & Johnson dose at least two months ago, and people who got the second dose of their Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least six months ago and are 65-plus years old or are over 18 and live in long-term care settings, have underlying medical conditions, or work or live in high-risk settings.

“We are hopeful that with continued increases in vaccination and boosters and adherence to the existing common-sense safety precautions, we can reach a lower level of community transmission that positions us to lift the masking requirements. While transmission is substantial, we need to continue layering on protections, understanding that significant spread of the virus affects unvaccinated individuals and increasingly results in post-vaccination infections among those vaccinated. Substantial spread also creates a fertile breeding ground for new variants that can threaten our progress to date. Let’s continue to do what it takes to enable everyone to celebrate the upcoming holidays with family and friends, rather than being quarantined, sick, or hospitalized,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, it can be helpful to plan ahead in order to have the safest and healthiest gatherings possible. Getting yourself and your loved ones vaccinated now gives you the best chance at having some protection from COVID over the holidays. Public Health recommends staying local until everyone in your household is fully vaccinated, and if you travel with unvaccinated family members, including young children, planning enough travel time to complete quarantine before joining the holiday gathering. Gathering outdoors is safest, especially when masks are off for eating and drinking. If outdoors isn’t possible or practical, improve the airflow indoors by opening windows and doors, using fans and portable air cleaners, and running the heating or air conditioner with upgraded or replaced filters.

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 where first, second, and third doses are available.

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.

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 Nov. 1, there have been 690 cases of 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.

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 Oct. 17 to Oct. 23, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.0 days. During this same time period, 78% of patients received test results in one day and 96% 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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