SCVNews.com | Monday COVID-19 Roundup: 5 More Dead at Henry Mayo; ‘Critical Moment’ in Pandemic

Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Monday confirmed 85 new deaths and 4,223 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, as Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia reported five new deaths since Friday.

The hospital reported two deaths on Saturday and three additional fatalities due to the virus on Monday, according to Henry Mayo spokesman Patrick Moody.

The Santa Clarita Valley has seen 24,067 total cases — 407 more cases since Friday — and 209 deaths since L.A. county’s first confirmed COVID-19 infection on January 26, 2020.

L.A. County’s seven-day average number of daily cases peaked on January 8 with more than 15,000 cases. As of January 27, the seven-day average decreased 67% to 5,093.

Test results are now available for more than 5,518,000 people, with 19% testing positive.

There are 5,398 people hospitalized with COVID-19, and 27% of these patients are in the ICU.

Daily hospitalizations decreased 30% from the peak of 8,000 in early January. This is still significantly higher than pre-surge daily hospitalizations. Between mid-September and late-October, the daily number was fewer than 800 people.

To date, Public Health officials have identified 1,120,895 positive cases of COVID-19 and a total of 16,854 deaths countywide.

“Our thoughts and our prayers remain with everyone who is mourning the loss of a loved one or a friend. You have our condolences and we wish you strength and healing during these difficult times,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of L.A. County Public Health.

“We are all still living through the nightmare of this surge; last week, on average, 217 people died each day from COVID-19, and two days last week, we reported that more than 300 people died each day,” she said.

‘Please Stay Home on Super Bowl Sunday’

“Now is the time to remain super vigilant against this deadly virus and continue to stay home as much as possible,” Ferrer said. “Please stay home on Super Bowl Sunday. For the moment, we are headed in a positive direction in bringing our cases down – the last thing we need right now are super-spreader events that set us back and potentially could lead to more cases, serious illness and tragic deaths.

“Only through the actions of each business and each individual in L.A. County can we continue to see a reduction in transmission,” she said. “In order to move forward in our recovery, everyone must play by the rules that are in place to keep all of us as safe as possible.”

See more SCV and L.A. County info later in this report.

California Monday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Sunday, January 31, California Department of Public Health officials confirmed a total of 3,258,706 COVID-19 cases (up 15,358) with 40,908 deaths from the disease (up 211) since the pandemic began.

There are 14,443 confirmed hospitalizations and 3,857 ICU hospitalizations in the state, continuing a downward trend.

As of Sunday, local health departments have reported 87,142 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 345 deaths statewide.

There have been 42,569,193 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 303,051 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

The 7-day positivity rate is 6.9% and the 14-day positivity rate is 7.8%, continuing a downward trend.

Numbers do not represent true day-over-day change as these results may include cases from prior to yesterday.

As of Monday, providers have reported administering a total of 3,523,111 vaccine doses statewide. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed.

The CDC reports that 5,666,550 doses have been delivered to entities within the state, and 5,772,775 vaccine doses, which includes the first and second dose, have been shipped.

See more California information later in this report.

Screencap from the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering COVID-19 dashboard, showing COVID deaths in the United States as of Monday afternoon, February 1, 2021.

U.S. Deaths Climb Toward 450,000 People; Global Cases Top 100,000,000

Worldwide, 103,333,479 people have been infected by COVID-19 while 2,235,401 people have died of the virus as of 2:23 p.m. Monday Pacific Time, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

In the U.S., more than 26,296,906 Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The number of people in the U.S. who have died due to the virus has now surpassed 442,962.

With 4.25% of the world’s population (328.2 million) and more than 20% of the confirmed COVID-19 cases, the U.S. also continues to lead the world in deaths.

By comparison, Brazil (population 209.5 million) is No. 2 in deaths with 224,504, and No. 3 in cases with 9,204,731. India (population 1.353 billion) is No. 2 in cases, with 10,757,610 confirmed infections and 154,392 deaths as of Monday afternoon.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Monday Update

The five new deaths Henry Mayo reported since Friday bring the hospital’s COVID-19 death toll to 121, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said Monday.

In November, eight COVID-19 patients died at Henry Mayo. In December, four times that many people — 34 — died at the hospital.

Henry Mayo reported 49 patient deaths due to COVID-19 in January 2021, 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, which generally lags 48 hours behind.

As of Monday, 1 case is pending, 71 patients were hospitalized in dedicated COVID-19 units receiving ICU-level care, and a total of 1,020 COVID-19 patients have been treated and discharged so far, Moody said.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital releases complete statistics weekly, usually on Wednesdays, unless one or more new deaths occur.

Santa Clarita Valley Monday Update

As of 6 p.m. Saturday, the latest update of the L.A. County Public Health dashboard recorded 206 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began, but did not yet include the three new deaths Henry Mayo reported Monday.

Of the 209 SCV residents who have died, 176 lived in Santa Clarita, 12 in Castaic, six in Acton, four in Stevenson Ranch, three in unincorporated Canyon Country, two in Agua Dulce, one in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, one in Lake Hughes (first death there), one in Val Verde, and three in communities not yet named.

Of the 24,067 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 17,541

* Castaic: 3,420 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 957

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 707

* Acton: 398

* Val Verde: 270

* Agua Dulce: 227

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 161

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 120

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 62

* Elizabeth Lake: 71

* Bouquet Canyon: 40

* Lake Hughes: 37

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 29

* San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 14

* Sand Canyon: 13

*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.

‘Critical Moment’ in Pandemic

L.A. County Public Health officials caution that county residents are at a critical moment in the pandemic. The revised county Health Officer Order, issued on Friday, January 25, is a detailed blueprint for everyone, businesses and individuals, to ensure we see a continued downward trend in the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

The county remains in the most restrictive state tier – purple – because the number of new daily cases remains very high and transmission of COVID-19 is widespread. Unfortunately, not adhering to Health Officer Orders will likely cause another increase in cases that the system can’t tolerate.

Public Health officials encourage all residents and anyone who visits a restaurant or a retail outlet, or works onsite at a job in the county, to do their part. Because the COVID-19 virus remains very widespread in L.A. County and thousands of people continue to be infected every day, officials ask that you stay home as much as possible.

Public Health has a tip line to report any violations of the safety protocols outlined in the Health Officer Order. Violations can be reported anonymously at 888-700-9995 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays. To report violations online, visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov. Public Health will take action and issue citations for violations, and repeat violations may result in business closure.

L.A. County Vaccine & Vaccination Update

While COVID-19 vaccine supply remains very limited, Public Health has built an extensive network with pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, health clinics, and community vaccination sites, including six large-capacity sites.

* Dodger Stadium (operated by the city of Los Angeles)

* Six Flags Magic Mountain, 26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia 91355

* California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St, Northridge 91330

* Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W McKinley Ave, Pomona 91768

* The Forum, 3900 W Manchester Blvd, Inglewood 90305

* L.A. County Office of Education, 12830 Columbia Way, Downey 90242

As of January 25, the cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses received in L.A. County were nearly 1,000,000 and by the end of that week, 80% or nearly 800,000 doses had been administered.

The county has administered more doses of vaccine and has vaccinated a higher percentage of our population to date than any other large county or large city in the U.S.

Last week, L.A. County received just 146,000 doses and a large percentage were reserved for second doses. More than 85,000 appointments have been reserved for second-dose vaccine administration at county sites through February 19.

People who were vaccinated at one of the five large capacity county sites or one of the smaller county-operated community sites are receiving emails notifying them of the date and place for their second dose appointment.

People vaccinated at L.A. City sites or other clinics should also be notified about their second dose appointment.

Last week, the state announced it is transitioning to a more centralized distribution system managed by a third-party administrator, Blue Shield of California. L.A. County is working with the state to ensure efficient and equitable distribution of vaccine.

The biggest challenge remains not having enough vaccine for those eligible to be vaccinated. For information about vaccines in L.A. County, when your turn is coming up and to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, and much more, visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com. Residents with internet access and a computer are urged to use the website to sign up as appointments become available.

For those without access to a computer or the internet or with disabilities, a call center is open to help schedule appointments at 833-540-0473, daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

L.A. County Demographics — Deaths by Age Group

Of the 85 new deaths reported today, 36 people who passed away were over the age of 80, 24 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 21 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and four people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49.

L.A. County Demographics — Cases by Age Group (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena)

* 0 to 4: 20907

* 5 to 11: 50759

* 12 to 17: 63435

* 18 to 29: 252747

* 30 to 49: 354157

* 50 to 64: 203994

* 65 to 79: 80810

* over 80: 29151

* Under Investigation 6677

L.A. County Demographics — Hospitalizations by Age Group

Residents over 80 years old have consistently experienced the highest rates of hospitalization among all age groups in L.A. County followed by residents 65 to 79 years old, and residents 50 to 64 years old.

Recent data indicates obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes are the most common underlying health conditions among people hospitalized with COVID-19.

Many people have multiple underlying health conditions.

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.

California Regional Stay Home Order Lifted Jan. 25

On Monday, January 25, the California Department of Public Health lifted its Regional Stay-at-Home Order for all regions statewide, including the three regions that had still been under the order – San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area, and Southern California, including L.A. County. The counties’ four-week ICU capacity projections rose above 15%, the threshold that allows regions to exit the order.

The Sacramento Region exited the order on January 12 and the Northern California region never entered the order.

This action allows all counties statewide to return to the rules and framework of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers that indicate which activities and businesses are open based on local case rates and test positivity.

As is Los Angeles County, the majority of the state’s counties are still in the strictest or purple tier. CDPH provides tier updates each Tuesday. As always, individual counties may choose to impose stricter rules.

California Blueprint for a Safer Economy

Governor Newsom’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy imposes risk-based criteria on tightening and loosening COVID-19 allowable activities and expands the length of time between changes to assess how any movement affects the trajectory of the disease.

With the Regional Stay at Home Order rescinded statewide as of January 25, all counties are now under the rules and framework of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers that indicate which activities and businesses are open based on local case rates and test positivity.

* 54 counties are currently in the Purple Tier (including Los Angeles County)

* 3 counties are currently in the Red Tier (Alpine, Mariposa, and Trinity)

* 1 county is currently in the Orange Tier (Sierra)

* No counties are in the Yellow Tier

Californians can go to covid19.ca.gov to find out where their county falls and what activities are allowable in each county.

Hospital Surge Order

CDPH updated the Hospital Surge Public Health Order to clarify when hospitals must make notifications to state and local authorities on January 15. The update included technical updates and updates on when specific terms of the order take effect.

The updated order continues to require some non-essential and non-life-threatening surgeries to be delayed in counties with 10% or less of ICU capacity under the Regional Stay at Home Order where the regional ICU capacity is at 0%. Examples of procedures that may be delayed include carpal tunnel release and non-urgent spine surgeries.

Surgeries for patients who have serious and urgent medical conditions will continue. Examples of procedures that will continue include serious cancer removal and necessary heart surgeries.

The order requires hospitals statewide to accept patient transfers from facilities that have implemented contingency or crisis care guidelines as long as those transfers can be done capably and safely.

On December 28, 2020 CDPH provided guidance to health care facilities on implementing the Crisis Care Continuum Guidelines issued in June 2020.

Counties currently impacted by the Hospital Surge Order:

San Joaquin Valley: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare.

Southern California: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

Vaccinate All 58
The state is working closely with community partners and stakeholders to help ensure the vaccine is distributed and administered equitably across California.

For more information, visit the CDPH COVID-19 Vaccine webpage and the Vaccinate All 58 webpage.

California Testing
More than 85 community testing sites offer free, confidential testing: Find a COVID-19 Testing Site.

The testing turnaround dashboard reports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results. California has worked to reduce testing turnaround times in recent weeks to help curb the spread of the virus.

During the week of January 17 to January 23, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 74% of patients received test results in one day and 92% received them within two days. The testing turnaround time dashboard (PDF) is updated weekly.

All four tiers in the Testing Prioritization Guidance originally dated July 14, 2020, have equal priority for testing.

‘Safe Schools for All’ Plan
Governor Newsom launched the Safe Schools for All Hub as a one-stop-shop for information about safe in-person instruction. For more information on the transparency, accountability, and assistance measures related to California’s Safe Schools for All plan, visit the hub.

Youth and Recreational Adult Sports Update

With the end of the Regional Stay-at-Home Order, youth and recreational adult sports competition may resume in California consistent with the Blueprint for a Safer Economy tier guidance beginning January 25, 2021.

However, the majority of counties remain in the strictest or Widespread (Purple) Tier. In this tier, competition may only resume for outdoor low-contact sports.

A full list of allowed activities by tier is available in the Outdoor and Indoor Youth and Recreational Adult Sports guidance.

Participants in youth and adult sports, coaches and support staff must follow steps outlined in state guidance to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. Local health officers may implement more stringent rules tailored to local conditions and should be consulted to confirm if there are any local restrictions.

Travel Advisory

California Public Health has issued an updated travel advisory. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Non-essential travelers from other states or countries are strongly discouraged from entering California and should adhere to the state’s self-quarantine procedures for 10 days.

California Demographics: Health Equity Dashboard

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted existing inequities in health that are the result of structural racism and poverty, and the disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions such as asthma and heart disease among Latinos and African Americans.

As part of its commitment to reduce health inequities and ensure the best outcomes for all Californians, the state has launched a Health Equity Dashboard on www.covid19.ca.gov/equity/ that tracks California’s health equity measure and data by race and ethnicity, age group, and sexual orientation/gender identity.

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 January 25, there have been 188 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) have been reported statewide, 12 more than the previous week. 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 are critical to preventing long-term complications.

Protect Yourself and Your Family

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

* 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.

* Staying close to home, avoiding non-essential travel, and practicing self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival if you leave the state.

* Keeping interactions 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

* 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

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.

It’s important if someone thinks they could be positive for COVID-19 and are awaiting testing results to stay at home and act as if they are positive. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside.

If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a public health specialist to discuss how to protect themselves and others, find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious.

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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