Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital announced one additional death related to COVID-19 Wednesday, as California Department of Public Health officials announced they would be aligning with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in recommending people masking indoors once again statewide, regardless of vaccination status.
The announcement by the California Department of Public Health is only a recommendation, not a mandate.
The CDC changed its mask guidance Tuesday, recommending everyone wear masks indoors in areas with high or substantial COVID-19 transmission, which includes Los Angeles County.
However, L.A. County already tightened restrictions earlier this month, requiring residents wear masks in indoor public settings whether they’ve been vaccinated or not.
The move comes as the Delta variant has been circulating, causing a sharp increase in hospitalizations and case rates not only across the state but also locally.
“The most effective way to prevent a stay in the hospital for COVID-19 is to get vaccinated,” Henry Mayo spokesman Patrick Moody said.
As of Wednesday, Henry Mayo had 21 COVID-19 patients in the hospital — more than double figures reported last week — with a total of 1,294 COVID-19 patients discharged, according to Moody.
The additional death reported Wednesday brings the hospital’s total deaths to 152 since the pandemic began, while a total of 308 deaths have been reported across the Santa Clarita Valley, according to Public Health data.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials also released the following updated COVID-19 statistics Wednesday:
Countywide COVID-19 cases reported in the past 24 hours: 2,454
Total COVID-19 cases in L.A. County: 1,290,226
New deaths related to COVID-19 reported in the past 24 hours: 15
Total COVID-19 deaths in L.A. County: 24,658
Hospitalizations countywide: 891; 22% of which are in the ICU.
Hospitalizations at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital as of July 28: 21, with 1,294 discharged since the onset of the pandemic.
COVID-19 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley in the past 24 hours: 87, 64 of which came from the city of Santa Clarita
Total COVID-19 cases in the SCV: 29,582
Total COVID-19 deaths in the SCV as of July 27: 308
Percentage of vaccinated people (at least one dose) in the city of Santa Clarita as of July 23: 71.6%
Percentage of vaccinated people (at least one dose) in the SCV as of July 23: 68.0%
