SCVNews.com | Thursday COVID-19 Roundup: SCV Cases Total 26,327; Public Health Advises Against Non-Essential Travel

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 119 new deaths and 2,253 new cases of COVID-19, with 26,327 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

To date, Public Health identified 1,198,098 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 21,778 deaths.

Public Health will continue monitoring the number of new cases reported closely along with other key indicators.

There are 1,401 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 32% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for more than 5,866,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 2.5%.

Of the 119 new deaths reported Thursday, 43 people that passed away were over the age of 80, 41 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 21 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, six people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29. Six deaths were reported by the city of Long Beach and one death was reported by the city of Pasadena.

Spring Break

The Spring break season this year has the ability to derail our recovery journey if it involves increased travel, gatherings and nonadherence to safety measures. While COVID-19 numbers have decreased, transmission remains widespread here in L.A. County and in many states and countries. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 during this pandemic. Los Angeles County residents should continue to avoid all non-essential travel and stay within 120 miles from their place of residence, unless they are traveling for essential purposes.

A Travel Advisory remains in effect in Los Angeles County. Anyone who is arriving to Los Angeles County must self-quarantine for 10 days; please remain at your home or lodging for the 10 days and avoid contact with others. Please do not travel if you are sick. If you have COVID-19 symptoms get tested.
California Thursday Snapshot

Statewide, the California Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday a total of 3,488,467, with 53,048 deaths from the disease. There are 4,449 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,267 ICU hospitalizations in California.

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

There were 3,504 newly recorded confirmed cases Wednesday.

The 7-day positivity rate is 2.1% and the 14-day positivity rate is 2.5%.

There have been 49,147,685 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 119,637 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

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

As of March 4, providers have reported administering a total of 9,673,787 vaccine doses statewide. The CDC reports that 12,754,340 doses have been delivered to entities within the state, and 13,098,655 vaccine doses, which includes the first and second dose, have been shipped. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of March 3, local health departments have reported 96,492 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 400 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Thursday Update
As of 5:15 p.m. Thursday, the L.A. County Public Health dashboard recorded 269 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began.

Of the 269 SCV residents who have died, the dashboard reports 231 lived in Santa Clarita, 16 in Castaic, 7 in Acton, 3 in Agua Dulce, 3 in unincorporated Canyon Country, 3 in Stevenson Ranch, 1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, 1 in Lake Hughes, 1 in Newhall, 1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country, 1 in Val Verde, and 1 in Valencia.

Of the 26,327 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 19,242

Castaic: 3,603

(includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility*)

Stevenson Ranch: 1,060

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 794

Acton: 450

Val Verde: 314

Agua Dulce: 254

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 182

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 132

Elizabeth Lake: 74

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 66

Bouquet Canyon: 44

Lake Hughes: 40

Saugus/Canyon Country: 40

Sand Canyon: 17

San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 14

Placerita Canyon: 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 Newhall Hospital Thursday Update

Note: The hospital did not release new data as of deadline Thursday.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported one new death on Wednesday due to COVID-19, bringing the hospital’s total COVID-19 fatalities to 144 to date, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

As of Wednesday, no cases were pending, 12 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated COVID-19 unit receiving ICU-level care, and a total of 1,157 patients had been treated and discharged, Moody said.

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

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.

L.A. County

“To the families and friends mourning the loss of a loved one due to COVID-19, I send my sincere condolences,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “We may just be weeks away from reducing transmission in L.A. County enough so that additional re-openings are permitted. However, with increased case numbers in other states, and more circulating variants of concern, spring travel can lead to another surge that frankly would be almost impossible to tolerate. Travel increases the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19. To avoid this, please postpone travel and continue doing your part to slow the spread so that our recovery journey isn’t sidelined.”

Public Health’s compliance teams continue to inspect businesses across the County every day. Inspectors review compliance with the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order, identify violations, and issue citations for businesses out of compliance. From February 18 through February 28, a total of 88 citations were issued to businesses including many restaurants and gyms for noncompliance with Health Officer Orders. Since the end of August, a total of 1,101 citations have been issued.

The success of the County’s recovery depends on businesses following the rules. Non-compliance contributes to increased community transmission when COVID-19 spreads among employees and customers. A list of non-compliant businesses that received citations can be found online.

COVID-19 vaccine remains limited. As more vaccine comes into L.A. County, the County is working to ensure that eligible residents and workers in the hardest hit communities have increased access to vaccines. For information about vaccine appointments in L.A. County and when your turn is coming up, to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, and much more, visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

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 Thursday

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released the most recent statistics on COVID-19 Thursday.

The state also announced a new vaccine equity metric to help reopen the economy as quickly and safely as possible, as greater numbers of Californians become vaccinated against COVID-19.

CDPH also released updated recommendations on the use of masks, highlighting proper fit and filtration. Read the latest tips and resources to get the most out of masking.

Tracking Variants

Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been identified globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. These genetic mutations are expected, and some emerge and then disappear, while others persist or become common. Most variants do not have a meaningful impact. Public health becomes concerned about a variant when it affects COVID-19 transmission, severity, testing, treatment or vaccine effectiveness. Get more information on the variants CDPH is currently monitoring.

Blueprint for a Safer Economy
With the Regional Stay at Home Order rescinded statewide as of Jan. 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.

Blueprint Summary as of March 2

40 counties in the Purple (widespread) Tier

16 counties in the Red (substantial) Tier

2 counties in Orange (moderate) Tier

Blueprint tiers are updated weekly on Tuesdays. Find the status of activities in specific counties.

Additional Date and Updates

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

Updated Travel Advisory
CDPH 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.

Safe Schools for All Plan
Gov. Newsom released his California’s Safe Schools for All plan, California’s framework to support schools to continue operating safely in person and to expand the number of schools safely resuming in-person instruction.

Vaccinate All 58
The COVID-19 shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in California, and additional shipments will continue to arrive throughout this week. The first doses are being administered to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. 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 Vaccinate All 58.

New Testing Turnaround Time Dashboard
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 Feb. 21 – Feb. 27, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.2 days. During this same time period, 78% of patients received test results in one day and 94% received them within two days.

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.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
As of March 1, 331 cases Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) have been 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.

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.

New 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. View COVID-19 Race & Ethnicity Data and Cases and Deaths by Age Group.

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)

Your Actions Save Lives
California is experiencing the fastest increase in cases we have seen yet – faster than what we experienced at the outset of the pandemic and this summer. If COVID-19 continues to spread at this rate, it could quickly overwhelm our health care system and lead to catastrophic outcomes. Protect yourself, family, friends and community by following these prevention measures:

– Staying home except for essential needs/activities and following local and state public health guidelines when visiting businesses that are open.

– Following the Limited Stay at Home Order that requires allnon-essential work and activities to stop between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in counties in the purple tier. The order took effect at 10 p.m. Saturday, November 21, and will remain in effect until 5 a.m. December 21.

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

– Keeping gatherings small, short and outdoors and limiting them to those 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.

– 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.