Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials confirmed Wednesday 16 new deaths and 6,095 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 40,656 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

In addition, Public Health confirmed four additional cases of the Omicron variant for a total of 162 cases in L.A. County.

Of the 16 new deaths reported today, two were between the ages of 50 and 64, eight were between the ages of 65-79 and three were over the age of 80 years old. Of the 16 newly reported deaths, eleven had underlying conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 27,488.

Public Health has identified a total 1,576,702 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County.

There are 748 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 9,854,776 individuals, with 15% of people testing positive.

Public Health Reminds All To Get Vaccinate, Get Boosted

Public Health would like to remind residents that getting vaccinated & boosted, testing, and masking remain critical while in the surge.

Boosters help restore high-levels of COVID-19 protection, similar to the levels offered two weeks after the second dose. According to Public Health data, between December 5th-11th, fully vaccinated people with boosters were 20 times more protected from infection versus only 4 times more protected for fully vaccinated without boosters, as compared to unvaccinated people.

Testing is also critically important since it helps identify potential sources of transmission before they have contact with high-risk individuals. This week, with assistance from the California Department of Public Health, hundreds of thousands of over-the-counter testing kits will be distributed for vulnerable residents through service provider networks, daycare centers, and community partners. Public Health is encouraging residents to get tested before and after travel, if exposed or sick, and if gathering with people outside their home.

Masks are also very important as they provide a good physical barrier against the virus, and help prevent people from both getting infected, and from inadvertently spreading infection. Given that Omicron is spreading quickly, it’s also best to consider upgrading to a medical-grade, surgical, or KN95 mask when in close contact with others.

Public Health would also like to remind residents that staying home and away from others if you’re sick keeps everyone safe, including your loved ones and the essential workers who will continuing showing up for work throughout the holiday season.

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 zero tests pending, 23 patients in the hospital, and a total of 1,694 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 Tuesday Update

As of 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, 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 40,656  cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 29,855

* Castaic: 4,763

Stevenson Ranch: 1,964

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 1,286

Acton: 874

Val Verde: 467

Agua Dulce: 453

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 332

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 190

Elizabeth Lake: 129

Bouquet Canyon: 88

Lake Hughes: 78

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 70

Saugus/Canyon Country: 55

Sand Canyon: 24

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 Tuesday on COVID-19 and updates on the state’s pandemic response.

Cases

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

-Unvaccinated people were 7.6 times more likely to get COVID-19 (data from Dec. 2, 2021 to Dec. 8, 2021).

-Unvaccinated people were 11.7 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 (data from Nov. 25, 2021 to Dec. 1, 2021)

-Unvaccinated people were 14.8 times more likely to die from COVID-19 (data from Nov. 18, 2021 to Nov. 24, 2021).

Vaccinations

– 63,219,988 total vaccines administered.

– 78.6% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.

– 188,120 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).

Cases

– California has 4,954,130 confirmed cases to date.

– Today’s average case count is 5,432 (average daily case count over 7 days).

Testing

– The testing positivity rate is 3.3% (average rate over 7 days).

Hospitalizations

– There are 3,962 hospitalizations statewide.

– There are 978 ICU patients statewide.

Deaths

– There have been 75,281 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

– COVID-19 claims the lives of 45 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).

California Omicron Variant

The recent emergence of the Omicron variant emphasizes the importance of getting a vaccine, booster and taking prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19.

As of Dec. 21, 2021, 191 confirmed cases associated with the Omicron variant have been reported to the state. This number will be updated weekly with the other variants California is currently monitoring on this webpage. For more information about the Omicron variant, see the Omicron variant fact sheet.

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. 5 to Dec. 11, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.1 days. During this same time period, 71% of patients received test results in one day and 97% received them within two days.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

As of Dec. 20, there have been 767 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.