Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials discussed the impacts COVID-19 has had on workers Monday while providing updates on the county’s COVID-19 figures.
Public Health reported 16 deaths countywide in the last 24 hours, one of which came from the Santa Clarita Valley, bringing the local death toll to 58.
“The health and safety of workers is of utmost importance,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during Monday’s briefing. “At all of our workplaces, we’re often with colleagues and sometimes with customers whose exposures to COVID-19 are unknown. Because of this, there’s a significant potential for transmission of the virus at workplaces, making it critically important for employers to adhere to the workplace protocols.”
These protocols include infection control measures, such as disinfecting, physical distancing, masking and supplying workers with appropriate personal protection equipment.
Public Health’s compliance team continues to travel to businesses across L.A. County, educating business owners and employees of the public health requirements and ensuring each business is in compliance with such protocols.
As a result of inspections conducted since Aug. 30, 46 citations were issued to 25 different establishments, according to Ferrer.
“In some cases, these establishments were also closed because there were significant health and safety concerns or flagrant violations of the health officer order, including operating indoors in violation of both the state and the county health officer order,” Ferrer added.
Of the 46 citations issued, 25 were to gyms or fitness centers, 16 were to places of worship, three were to retailers, one was to a restaurant and one was to a family entertainment center.
The county also recently launched the free Safety Compliance Certificate Program, which allows businesses to complete online training, self-certifying that they are fully implementing the required COVID-19 protocols.
Since then, a total of 663 businesses and 712 employees have completed the training and received certificates.
COVID-19 numbers updated
Over the weekend, the Santa Clarita Valley saw 49 new COVID-19 cases, 26 of which were reported Saturday and 23 on Sunday, with an additional 16 cases reported Monday.
Public Health also released the following updated COVID-19 statistics Monday:
Countywide COVID-19 cases reported in the past 24 hours: 652
Total COVID-19 cases in L.A. County: 261,446
New deaths related to COVID-19 reported in the past 24 hours: 16
Total COVID-19 deaths in L.A. County: 6,366
Hospitalizations countywide: 749; 28% of whom are in the ICU and 16% on ventilators
Hospitalizations at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital as of Sept. 18: 11, with 246 discharged since the onset of the pandemic
COVID-19 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley in the past 24 hours: 18
Total COVID-19 cases in the SCV: 5,822
Total COVID-19 deaths in the SCV: 58
The number of SCV cases, including all area health care providers’ daily figures and those at Pitchess Detention Center, broken down into region, are as follows:
City of Santa Clarita: 3,341
Unincorporated – Acton: 68
Unincorporated – Agua Dulce: 26
Unincorporated – Bouquet Canyon: 6
Unincorporated – Canyon Country: 130
Unincorporated – Castaic: 1,937 (majority of Castaic cases come from Pitchess Detention Center, exact number unavailable)
Unincorporated – Lake Hughes: 3
Unincorporated – Newhall: 7
Unincorporated – Placerita Canyon: 0
Unincorporated – San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon: 0
Unincorporated – Sand Canyon: 6
Unincorporated – Saugus: 27
Unincorporated – Saugus/Canyon Country: 1
Unincorporated – Stevenson Ranch: 159
Unincorporated – Val Verde: 69
Unincorporated – Valencia: 42
To view all coronavirus-related stories, visit signalscv.com/category/news/coronavirus.
