SCVNews.com | Wednesday COVID-19 Roundup: 2 New Deaths at Henry Mayo as L.A. County Cases, Deaths Drop Sharply

Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Wednesday confirmed 162 new deaths and 2,394 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, while Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia reported two new deaths even as the county’s cases and deaths drop sharply.

New cases and deaths continue to fall in L.A. County as the surge following the year-end holidays eases.

As of February 9, the seven-day average number of daily cases declined by 85% to an average of 2,230 cases per day.

The SCV has now seen a total of 25,388 COVID-19 cases — only 60 more than Tuesday — and 242 deaths since L.A. County’s first confirmed COVID-19 infection on January 26, 2020.

To date, Public Health officials have identified 1,171,664 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 19,368 deaths.

“Our hearts go out to the many people across the county who are in mourning for someone who has passed away from COVID-19. We are thinking of you each day,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.

There are 2,855 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 31% of these people are in the ICU. The three-day average number of people hospitalized peaked on January 8, with 8,000 daily hospitalizations. As of February 14, the average number of people currently hospitalized is 3,100, a 61% decrease.

The seven-day average number of daily deaths is also sharply declining. This number peaked at 229 on January 10 and declined to an average of 91 deaths per day on February 9, a 91% decrease.

These decreases are meaningful, and they are good news, but the numbers remain much higher than the numbers we saw in the autumn.

“I want to thank everyone for making this decline possible,” Ferrer said. “While we share cautious optimism with others, we remain concerned that actions over Super Bowl weekend and this past holiday weekend could lead to another increase in cases starting next week if individuals were not taking precautions.

“Each individual and business doing their part to contribute to this decline continues to be the key to reducing transmission in L.A. County,” she said. “I understand waiting to be vaccinated requires enormous patience as we are all desperate to see this pandemic end. I am confident that in the weeks to come more vaccine will be available even if it is not as quickly as we’d like. Eventually, it will be everyone’s turn to be vaccinated and we are very much looking forward to the day when we can scale our vaccination efforts up to maximum capacity.”

School Reopenings for TK-6

L.A. County’s adjusted case rate has remained fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 people for more than five consecutive days, meeting the state requirements for schools to open on-site learning for grades TK through 6 if they are in full compliance with state and county directives.

The list of schools that are permitted to open for in-class instruction for students grades TK-6 is posted on the Public Health website. This includes almost 300 schools already open under the previous waiver program, and an additional 173 schools and 12 school districts are permitted to open with approved COVID Safety Plans.

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

California Wednesday Snapshot

Statewide, as of Tuesday, February 16, the California Department of Public Health officials confirmed a total of 3,416,147 COVID-19 cases (up 4,090) with 47,507 deaths from the disease (up 400) since the pandemic began.

There are 8,215 confirmed hospitalizations and 2,439 ICU hospitalizations in the state, continuing a downward trend.

As of February 14, local health departments have reported 91,866 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 385 deaths statewide.

There have been 46,384,932 tests conducted in California, an increase of 157,207 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

The 7-day positivity rate is 3.3% and the 14-day positivity rate is 4.1%, 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 Wednesday, the CDC reports that 6,435,184 doses have been delivered to entities within the state, and 8,406,525 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 Wednesday afternoon, February 17, 2021.

U.S. Deaths Nearing Half a Million People; Global Cases Near 110 Million People

Worldwide, 109,851,416 people have been infected by COVID-19 while 2,427,731 people have died of the virus as of 2:23 p.m. Wednesday Pacific Time, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

In the U.S., more than 27,814,064 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 489,942.

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 242,090 — half of the U.S. total — and No. 3 in cases with 9,978,747. India (population 1.353 billion) is No. 2 in cases, with 10,937,320 confirmed infections and No. 4 in deaths with 155,913, behind No. 3 Mexico’s 175,986 deaths, as of Wednesday afternoon.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Wednesday Update

Note: The two deaths Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported Wednesday brought the total of COVID-19 fatalities at the hospital to 135 since the pandemic began, according to spokesman Patrick Moody.

As of Wednesday, two cases were pending, 17 patients were hospitalized in dedicated COVID-19 units receiving ICU-level care, and a total of 1,126 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 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 Wednesday Update

As of 6 p.m. Monday, the latest update of the L.A. County Public Health dashboard recorded 240 deaths among Santa Clarita Valley residents since the pandemic began, but did not include the two deaths Henry Mayo reported Wednesday.

Of the 242 SCV residents who have died, 208 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 Newhall, one in unincorporated Bouquet Canyon, one in Lake Hughes, one in Val Verde, one in Valencia, and four in communities not yet named.

Of the 25,388 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

* City of Santa Clarita: 18,543

* Castaic: 3,529 (incl. Pitchess Detention Center & North County Correctional Facility*)

* Stevenson Ranch: 1007

* Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 756

* Acton: 425

* Val Verde: 300

* Agua Dulce: 246

* Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 171

* Saugus (unincorporated portion): 126

* Elizabeth Lake: 71

* Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 66

* Bouquet Canyon: 42

* Lake Hughes: 40

* Saugus/Canyon Country: 35

* Sand Canyon: 15

* San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon: 14

*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: 21879

* 5 to 11: 53085

* 12 to 17: 66443

* 18 to 29: 262893

* 30 to 49: 369174

* 50 to 64: 214056

* 65 to 79: 85358

* over 80: 30909

* Under Investigation 6778

L.A. County Demographics — Deaths by Age Group

Of the 162 new deaths reported today, 50 people who passed away were over the age of 80, 55 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 49 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 death is under investigation. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach.

L.A. County Testing Results; Variant B.1.1.7

Testing results are available for more than 5,715,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 5.5%, down from 14.3% on January 15.

Public Health also confirmed four additional cases of COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7. (U.K. variant) on Wednesday, totaling 12 cases countywide.

With the reality that there are more infectious variants circulating in the state and L.A. County, Public Health officials said it has never been more important for each of us to keep our distance and wear a mask whenever out of our homes and around people we don’t live with.

Vaccine & Vaccination Update

At this time, vaccination continues to be only open to healthcare workers, residents, and staff at long-term care facilities, and people who are age 65 or older which account for approximately 2.2 million people in L.A. County.

While COVID-19 vaccine supply remains very limited, Public Health continues to build an extensive network with pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, health clinics, and community vaccination sites, including seven 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

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

The state is also transitioning the vaccination effort statewide to be coordinated by Blue Shield of California. During and after this transition, Public Health’s website, www.VaccinateLACounty.com and www.VaccunateLosAngeles.com, will remain a portal for the latest information about COVID-19 and the vaccine and link people to the statewide appointment registration system.

Vaccine Doses and Appointments

Nearly 1,541,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across L.A County. Of those vaccinated, 399,642 people have received second doses. This means 5.1% of the county’s population of 16 and older have now been fully vaccinated.

There continues to be a scarcity of supply and variability in the amount of vaccine received from week to week. Last week, the county received 219,700 doses of vaccine, and the majority of vaccines were used to provide second doses. This week there are 391 vaccination sites administering vaccine countywide, including large capacity vaccination sites like the ones at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Dodger Stadium and sites run by hospitals, pharmacies, health clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Together the county has the capacity for 500,000 appointment slots this week, however, there are only enough doses to distribute less than half that; a little more than 211,000 appointments. The county’s large-capacity vaccination sites alone could be providing 168,000 additional doses if there was sufficient vaccine supply.

Once L.A. County begins receiving more vaccine doses, all county sites are ready to begin vaccinating many more people each day. Vaccinating residents and workers also works best when there are many different sites to meet the varied needs of our population. For this reason, both large sites and smaller sites operated by trusted community providers, pharmacies, and Federally Qualified Health Centers are needed to ensure vaccines are easily accessible.

New Sectors Eligible for Vaccine March 1

As Public Health prepares to open up eligibility for the vaccine to three additional sectors starting on March 1 – education and childcare, food and agriculture, and first responders and law enforcement – the county is working with partners to address challenges in vaccinating the more than 1.8 million workers that will be eligible for the vaccine.

This includes partnering with schools, unions, businesses, healthcare providers and community partners to set up sector-specific vaccination sites. Jurisdictions that have food production and other factories are planning to set up sites for workers to be vaccinated near their workplace. Many school districts are already partnering with providers to create vaccination sites for their workforce, and in some cases, for teachers and staff from other districts or other schools. Employers and unions are also working on plans to provide their workforce with the vaccine.

Vaccines for Seniors

Thirty-nine percent of L.A. County residents 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

The county continues to enhance efforts that can better meet the needs of seniors. Many older people in L.A. County may struggle to get to a site for a vaccine. Starting this week, mobile strike teams began visiting senior housing developments and senior centers to provide vaccines in locations where seniors are living or visiting regularly.

Public Health officials are also working with ride-hailing services to facilitate seniors accessing community vaccination sites and pharmacies are outreaching to their customers 65 years or older to offer them vaccination appointments at their site.

Residents are encouraged to visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to sign up for available appointments, learn about the vaccination phases, determine when it is your turn to get vaccinated, and sign-up for our COVID-19 vaccine newsletter.

Once it is your turn to be vaccinated, it will always be your turn. Your eligibility for a vaccine will not expire or go away, and you will not miss your window to be vaccinated once eligible.

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 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.

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

* 3 counties are currently in the Red (substantial) Tier (Del Norte, Mariposa, Plumas)

* 3 counties are currently in the Orange (moderate) Tier (Alpine, Sierra, Trinity)

* No counties are in the Yellow Tier

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

Vaccinate All 58
In order to increase the pace of COVID-19 vaccine distribution to those at greatest risk, the state is prioritizing individuals 65 and older to receive the vaccine as demand subsides among health care workers. This effort will help to reduce hospitalizations and save lives.

To sign up for a notification when you’re eligible for a vaccine, visit myturn.ca.gov.

For more information on the vaccine effort, visit the Vaccinate All 58 webpage.

‘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.

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.

California Testing & Turnaround Time
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 31 to February 6, the average time patients waited for test results was 1.1 days. During this same time period, 77% of patients received test results in one day and 93% 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.

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 February 8, 266 cases of MIS-C reported statewide, 42 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: Your Actions Save Lives

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.

* 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.

* Getting tested if you believe you’ve been exposed. Free, confidential testing is available statewide.

* Getting vaccinated when it’s your turn.

* 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.

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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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