SCVNews.com | Monday COVID-19 Roundup: County Reaches 24,000 Deaths; SCV Cases Total 27,798

On Monday, Los Angeles County Public Health officials confirmed four new deaths and 179 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 27,798 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The lower number of cases and deaths may reflect reporting delays over the weekend.

Of the four new deaths reported today, one person that passed away was over the age of 80, two people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29.

Today, the County reached the grim milestone of 24,003 deaths serving as a reminder of the devastation experienced over the past 15 months.

“We extend our love and prayers to everyone who has lost loved ones during this tragedy, and are hopeful that even as we collectively mourn our great losses, deaths will continue to remain low in the weeks ahead,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

To date, Public Health identified 1,235,797 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County.

There are 389 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for nearly 6,590,000 individuals with 17% of people testing positive.

Today’s daily test positivity rate is 0.6%. The County’s case rate continues to remain low and stable.

On May 2, the County saw 251 daily average reported cases, a 44% decrease from 447 on April 2, a month earlier.

Hospitalizations decreased to 395 in May, down 35% from 607 in April. And on May 2, Public Health reported 3 daily average deaths, down 77% from 13 in April.

FDA Expands Pfizer Vaccine to Adolescents

Today, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents 12 to 15 years of age.

The Pfizer vaccine is already authorized for people 16 years old and older.

Los Angeles County will offer the Pfizer vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) affirms the FDA recommendation, which can happen as early as Wednesday.

All adolescents 12 -17 will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian to get vaccinated.

Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to find a vaccination site near you, to make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more.

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 or scheduling a home visit if you are homebound.

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

California Monday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Sunday, May 6, California Department of Public Health officials confirmed 3,655,922 COVID-19 cases (up 1,377) with 61,241 deaths from the disease (up 13) since the pandemic began.

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

As of May 9, local health departments have reported 109,302 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 458 deaths statewide.

The 7-day positivity rate is 1.0%.

There have been 62,051,055 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 223,384 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of May 10, providers have reported administering a total of 32,669,323 vaccine doses statewide.

The CDC reports that 40,942,280 doses have been delivered to entities within the state.

Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed.

See more California information later in this report.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Monday Update

Note: There was no available data for Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital by deadline on Monday, May 10.

As of Friday, May 7, there were no cases pending, two patients were hospitalized in a dedicated COVID-19 unit, and a total of 1,229 patients had been treated and discharged since the pandemic began, hospital spokesman Patrick Moody said.

There have been no additional deaths, with the total remaining at 147 since the pandemic began.

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.

Santa Clarita Valley Monday Update

As of 6 p.m. Sunday, the L.A. County Public Health COVID-19 dashboard remains unchanged from Thursday’s update with 303 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began.

The following is the community breakdown of the 304 SCV residents who have died, according to the L.A. County dashboard:

260 in Santa Clarita

18 in Castaic

6 in Acton

6 in Stevenson Ranch

3 in Agua Dulce

4 in unincorporated Canyon Country

1 in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon

1 in Elizabeth Lake

1 in Lake Hughes

1 in Newhall

1 in unincorporated Saugus/Canyon Country

1 in Valencia

1 in Val Verde

Of the 27,798 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 20,358

* Castaic: 3,730 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 1,147

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 843

* Acton: 473

* Val Verde: 337

* Agua Dulce: 280

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 194

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 130

* Elizabeth Lake: 76

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 68

* Bouquet Canyon: 47

* Lake Hughes: 42

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 40

* Sand Canyon: 17

* San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 15

* 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.

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

* 0 to 4: 29203

* 5 to 11: 55941

* 12 to 17: 70076

* 18 to 29: 277613

* 30 to 49: 389462

* 50 to 64: 225889

* 65 to 79: 89860

* over 80: 32771

* Under Investigation 648

L.A. County Vaccine Update

As of May 7, more than 8,492,810 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people across Los Angeles County. Of these, 5,146,142 were first doses and 3,346,668 were second doses.

This week, there are 755 sites offering vaccinations including pharmacies, clinics, community sites, and hospitals.

Many of these vaccination sites are concentrated in areas that have been hard hit by the pandemic.

We want to make it as easy as possible to get a vaccine if you live in these communities.

Currently, you can obtain vaccines at the eight county-run sites, all the L.A. city-run sites, almost all mobile sites and many of the community sites without an appointment. Many sites are open on weekends and have evening hours.

“As Memorial Day and school graduation season comes near, I know many of you are planning travel, gatherings and parties to celebrate with the people you love,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Just imagine how much more enjoyable those gatherings will be if you and your loved ones are vaccinated – you’ll really be able to have fun without worrying about spreading COVID-19. So as you’re making plans for food, drink, and decorations, make a plan to get vaccinated, too. Think ahead about how to get the most out of your summer fun by making sure you are fully vaccinated in advance.”

For all of the vaccines, you are only considered fully protected two weeks after all doses are complete.

For the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, that means you’re considered fully protected two weeks after your one shot.

But for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which both involve two shots several weeks apart, that means you’re only considered fully protected two weeks after your second shot.

Public Health continues to build an extensive network with pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, health clinics, and community vaccination sites, including these large-capacity sites:

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

* College of the Canyons, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91355

* Palmdale Oasis Park Recreation Center, 3850 E Ave S, Palmdale, CA 93550

* 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

* California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles 90032 (operated by FEMA)

Mobile Vaccinations

Public Health continues to support mobile vaccination that take vaccinations into neighborhoods to reach people who may have limited ability or time to get to one of the established vaccination sites.

These teams have set up ongoing daily sites to provide vaccines on a walk-in basis at public places such as metro stations, food markets and parks.

This week there are 185 mobile sites scheduled throughout L.A. County.

The percentage of the population the County needs to vaccinate to achieve community immunity is unknown, however Public Health estimates it’s probably around 80%.

Currently, 400,000 shots each week are getting into the arms of L.A. County residents, and there are over 2 million more first doses to go before 80% of all L.A. County residents 16 and older have received at least one shot.

At this rate, Public Health expects the County will reach this level of community immunity in mid- to late July and that assumes the County continues to at least have 400,000 people vaccinated each week.

That would include both first doses that people need as well as their second doses.

Race/Ethnicity Disparities in Senior Vaccinations

The County is making progress vaccinating seniors in racial and ethnic groups hardest hit by the pandemic.

Sixty-two percent of Black/African American adults 65 or older have received at least one dose of vaccine, as have 64% of Latino/Latinx seniors, 71% of American Indian/Alaska Native seniors, and 76% of Asian seniors.

Seventy-eight percent of White residents have received at least one dose. Sixty-eight percent of residents 65 and older are fully vaccinated.

Although we are glad vaccine uptake has been robust among our seniors, not only do we see troubling gaps by race and ethnicity, we also have work to do in increasing uptake among younger populations.

Only 38% of Black residents 16 and older have been vaccinated, along with 42% of Latinx residents in this age group and 58% of American Indian/Alaska Native people.

This is compared to 60% among White residents 16 and older and 68% of Asian people in this age group.

Although 16 and 17-year-olds have only been eligible for the vaccine since mid-April, vaccination in this group has slowed since that time, and about one-third of teens in this age group have been vaccinated.

Among adults 65 and over, nearly the same proportion of men (83%) and women (82%) are vaccinated.

However, among people 16 and older there are disparities in vaccination by sex, with 62% of women having received at least one vaccine dose compared with 56% of men.

Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to learn how to make an appointment at vaccination sites, what verifications people will need to show at your vaccination appointment, and much more. 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. There may be an extended wait time to speak with an operator for help making an appointment during high demand times. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

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.

Blueprint for a Safer Economy

All counties are 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.

As always, local public health departments may implement policies that are more restrictive than the state.

Blueprint tiers are updated weekly on Tuesdays. The Blueprint summary as of May 4:

* 0 counties are currently in the Purple (widespread) Tier

* 12 counties are currently in the Red (substantial) Tier

* 39 counties are currently in the Orange (moderate) Tier

* 7 counties are in the Yellow (minimal) Tier (including L.A. County)

Find the status of activities in specific counties.

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 May 3, there have been 503 cases of 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.

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).

To date, Public Health has confirmed 186 children with MIS-C including two child deaths from MIS-C in L.A. County.

All 186 children with MIS-C in L.A. County were hospitalized and 37% of the children were treated in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Of the children with MIS-C, nearly 3% were less than one year of age, 25% were between the ages of 1 and 4 years old, 29% were between the ages of 5 and 9 years old, 27% were between the ages of 10 and 14, and 16% were between the ages of 15 and 20 years old.

Latino/Latinx children account for 74% of the reported cases.

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.

Vaccine Eligibility Update

As of April 15, individuals aged 16+ are eligible to make an appointment to be vaccinated. To sign up for a notification when you’re eligible for a vaccine, please visit myturn.ca.gov. 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, 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

California Testing & Turnaround Time

The testing turnaround time dashboardreports how long California patients are waiting for COVID-19 test results.

During the week of April 18 to April 24, the average time patients waited for test results was just under one day.

During this same time period, 83% of patients received test results in one day and 98% 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.

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 healthcare provider before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken.

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.

* * * * *

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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