The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is reporting “significant increases” in the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and testing positivity rates.
On Saturday, the DPH reported 2,169 new cases in L.A. County and 23 new deaths, bringing the total number of cases to 95,371 and the total number of deaths to 3,285.
The Santa Clarita Valley numbers, which include those cases from a Pitchess Detention Center outbreak, had 38 new cases reported in the last day, bringing the SCV’s total to 3,037.
Department of Public Health officials reiterated their growing concerns about the infection rate Saturday.
“The seven-day average of daily new cases is over 1,900 — an increase from the 1,379 average two weeks ago,” according to a DPH news release. “There are 1,698 people currently hospitalized. This is higher than the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen in recent weeks.”
Additionally, the county has tested 1,037,000 individuals with a 9% positivity rate, and the daily positivity rate has increased from 5.8% to 8.6% over the course of the last two weeks.
Of those who died in the last day: 12 people were over the age of 65 years old; eight people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old; and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Thirteen people had underlying health conditions, including nine people; and two deaths were reported by the city of Long Beach.
The DPH also warned against people using “phony mask exemption cards” that claim the person is not required to wear a mask when in public or inside a business. The cards have a fake government seal on them, and inform the person being shown the card that the cardholder does not have to wear a mask due to a “disability” that they do not have to disclose to the person checking for masks at the door.
“Everyone, except children under the age of 2, should wear a face covering securely over their nose and mouth any time they leave the house and keep six feet apart from others not in your household when out and about,” read the DPH report. “People with medical conditions that prevent safe use of a face covering are asked to wear a face shield.”
The mortality rate countywide is 3.44% among confirmed cases.
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital released its latest figures Wednesday, reporting a total of 2,725 patients had been tested — many of whom have been tested more than once — with 282 tests returning positive, 2,766 negative and 50 still pending, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody. Thirteen people remained in the hospital, and 99 have recovered and been discharged, Moody added.
The number of SCV cases, including all area health care providers’ daily figures and those at Pitchess Detention Center, totaled 3,037 as of Saturday, which, broken down into region, are as follows:
City of Santa Clarita: 1,078
Unincorporated – Acton: 21
Unincorporated – Agua Dulce: 13
Unincorporated – Bouquet Canyon: 1
Unincorporated – Canyon Country: 43
Unincorporated – Castaic: 1,777 (majority of Castaic cases come from Pitchess Detention Center, exact number unavailable)
Unincorporated – Lake Hughes: 1
Unincorporated – Newhall: 3
Unincorporated – Placerita Canyon: 0
Unincorporated – San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon: 0
Unincorporated – Sand Canyon: 0
Unincorporated – Saugus: 5
Unincorporated – Saugus/Canyon Country: 0
Unincorporated – Stevenson Ranch: 55
Unincorporated – Val Verde: 27
Unincorporated – Valencia: 13
To view all coronavirus-related stories, visit signalscv.com/category/news/coronavirus.
