SCVNews.com | Saturday COVID-19 Roundup: Hospitalizations Continue to Decline Countywide; 4,692 Cases in SCV

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Saturday confirmed 51 new deaths and 2,645 new cases of COVID-19, with 4,692 cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

While these numbers are high, hospitalizations continue to decline as there are currently 1,610 confirmed COVID-19 patients hospitalized. Of these, 31% are confirmed cases in the ICU.

To date, Public Health has identified 206,761 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 4,967 deaths. Upon further investigation, 51 cases and two deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.

The reported case numbers today include all of the current lab reports from the electronic lab report system (ELR). The state anticipates sending the backlog of lab reports over the upcoming days. Data sources that track other key indicators, including hospitalizations and deaths, were not affected by this reporting issue.

This State ELR issue has affected the County’s contact tracing efforts. Given the past ELR delays, the department urges any person with a positive lab result to call 1-833-540-0473 to connect with a public health specialist who can provide information about services and support. Residents who do not have COVID-19 should continue to call 211 for resources or more information.

California Saturday Snapshot
Statewide, the California Department of Public Health on Saturday confirmed a total of 545,787, with 10,189 deaths from the disease. There are 5,746 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,868 ICU hospitalizations in California.

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

As case numbers continue to rise in California, the total number of individuals who will have serious outcomes will also increase.

There have been 8,707,527 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 110,645 over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

A total of 38 counties are required to close indoor operations for certain sectors based on the July 13 order to slow community transmission.

Data Reporting
Due to issues with the state’s electronic laboratory reporting system, these data represent an underreporting of actual positive cases in one single day.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of August 7, local health departments have reported 25,992 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 131 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Saturday Update
As of 4:30 p.m. Saturday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 data dashboard reports 51 SCV residents have died of the virus since the pandemic began. Of the dead, 40 lived in the city of Santa Clarita, 4 in Castaic, 2 in Acton, 2 in Stevenson Ranch, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Val Verde, and 1 in unincorporated Valencia.

Of the 4,692 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 2,408

Castaic: 1,869 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 124

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 91

Acton: 53

Val Verde: 48

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 38

Agua Dulce: 20

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 20

Elizabeth Lake: 6

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 6

Sand Canyon: 5

Bouquet Canyon: 2

Lake Hughes: 1

Saugus/Canyon Country: 1

*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 Saturday Update
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported its 21st COVID-related deaths on Friday, Aug. 7, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody. Due to privacy constraints, the hospital does not disclose patients’ cities of residence.

The hospital is now releasing statistics on a weekly basis (Wednesdays) unless there is a drastic change in the number of cases or a COVID-related death has been confirmed.

As of Friday, of the 5,697 people tested at Henry Mayo to date, 700 tested positive, 6,356 were negative, 106 were pending, 9 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care (down 4 from August 1), and a total of 206 COVID-19 patients have been discharged so far, as fatalities at the hospital now number 21, Moody confirmed.

Discrepancies in the testing numbers are due to some patients being tested multiple times. “Often a single patient is tested more than once,” he said.

L.A. County
Of the 50 new deaths reported Saturday (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena), 15 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 19 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, 12 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, three people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29 years old. Thirty-eight people had underlying health conditions including 13 people over the age of 80 years old, 16 people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, seven people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old and two people between the ages of 30 and 49 years old.

Ninety-two percent of the people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 4,659 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 49% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 24% among White residents, 15% among Asian residents, 110% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races.

Testing results are available for 1,914,731 individuals with 10% of all people testing positive.

“Each day, we are thinking of the many people across L.A. County who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. You are in our prayers, and we hope you find healing during this difficult time,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “After a fairly rough July, we are cautiously optimistic about what our numbers are showing in the first week of August, particularly the information on declining daily hospitalizations. As we look to the future and continue planning our recovery, the lessons from our recent past serve as a reminder that we need to continue our vigilance in the face of this still new and dangerous virus. We have many weeks ahead where we need to continue to limit the spread of COVID-19 and this will require putting on hold some activities we may love that put others at grave risk. So please, avoid parties and crowded situations, wear face coverings at all times when out of your home, maintain physical distance from people you don’t live with, and wash your hands frequently.”

The 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.

California 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.

Popular links include:

– 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)

County Monitoring Data
California is using data and science to respond to COVID-19. Data by county gives Californians insight into how their county is doing and provides an early indication of developing areas of concern. Counties on the County Monitoring List for three or more consecutive days must close indoor operations for additional activities. Currently, a total of 38 counties are required to close indoor operations.

For more information, County Data Monitoring page.

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 July 20, 23 cases of MIS-C have been reported from seven counties. Los Angeles County has reported the majority of cases (15). Additional cases have been reported from San Diego, Imperial, Kings, Monterey, Orange, and Sacramento counties. To protect patient confidentiality in counties with fewer than 11 cases, we are not providing total counts at this time.

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. Contact your child’s doctor immediately if your child has these symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment of patients is critical to preventing long-term complications.

Racial Demographics – A More Complete Picture
The California Department of Public Health is committed to health equity and collecting more detailed racial and ethnic data that will provide additional understanding for determining future action. Health outcomes are affected by forces including structural racism, poverty and the disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions such as asthma and heart disease among Latinos and African American Californians. Only by looking at the full picture can we understand how to ensure the best outcomes for all Californians.

The differences in health outcomes related to COVID-19 are most stark in COVID-19 deaths. We have nearly complete data on race and ethnicity for COVID-19 deaths, and we are seeing the following trends. Overall, for adults 18 and older, Latinos, African Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are dying at disproportionately higher levels. The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in African Americans is about double their population representation across all adult age categories. For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, overall numbers are low, but about three-fold difference between the proportion of COVID-19 deaths and their population representation. More males are dying from COVID-19 than females, in line with national trends. More information is available at COVID-19 Race and Ethnicity Data.

New Data Portal
The state has launched a new, user-friendly data portal at COVID-19 Statewide Update that tracks COVID-19 cases statewide and by county, gender, age and ethnicity. The portal also outlines statewide hospitalizations and testing efforts. The data presented on the portal will be updated daily and will include additional information as it is available.

Your Actions Save Lives
Every person has a role to play. Protecting yourself and your family comes down to common sense:

– Staying home except for essential needs/activities following local and state public health guidelines when patronizing approved businesses. To the extent that such sectors are re-opened, Californians may leave their homes to work at, patronize, or otherwise engage with those businesses, establishments or activities.

– Practicing social distancing.

– 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.

– Following guidance from public health officials.

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.