Henry Mayo reports two new deaths, pandemic-high 104 hospitalizations

Public Health officials reported more than 300 COVID-19-related deaths in the past 24 hours and announced new efforts to expand vaccine distribution during a press briefing, while Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital saw its highest hospitalization rate to date Friday.

Paul Simon, chief science officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, reported 318 deaths in the county in the past 24 hours, adding that this was the highest death count reported since the onset of the pandemic.

This high death count comes one day after Los Angeles County officials announced one person dies from COVID-19 every eight minutes.

At Henry Mayo, 104 people were hospitalized and two patients

died Friday, according to Patrick Moody, spokesman for the hospital. It is the highest hospitalization rate seen since the beginning of the pandemic at HMNH.

The county’s vaccine-distribution plan was expanded after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced everyone eligible in Phase 1A would be able to receive the vaccine instead of waiting for each tier in the phase to complete its vaccination process.

Simon said the Public Health Department is hopeful emergency and non-emergency health care workers and residents in assisted nursing facilities will be vaccinated by early February, and the next phase, phase 1B, of distribution can begin with people over the age of 75 and essential workers.

The revised distribution plan begins Monday, Simon said. He added 151,772 doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine have been administered as of Thursday.

L.A. County Public Health officials also released the following updated COVID-19 statistics Friday:

Countywide COVID-19 cases reported in the past 24 hours: 18,313

Total COVID-19 cases in L. A. County: 889,405

New deaths related to COVID-19 reported in the past 24 hours: 318

Total COVID-19 deaths in L. A. County: 11,863

Southern California region ICU available capacity: 0%

Hospitalizations countywide: 8,074, 20% of whom are in the ICU

Hospitalizations at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital as of Jan. 8: 104, with 779 discharged since the onset of the pandemic

COVID-19 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley in the past 24 hours: 308

Total COVID-19 cases in the SCV: 19,148

Total COVID-19 deaths in the SCV as of Jan. 8: 134, including two additional deaths reported Friday by Henry Mayo.

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: 13,710 Unincorporated — Acton: 316

Unincorporated — Agua Dulce: 161

Unincorporated — Bouquet Canyon: 30

Unincorporated — Canyon Country: 551

Unincorporated — Castaic: 3,097 (majority of Castaic cases come from Pitchess Detention Center; exact number unavailable)

Unincorporated — Lake Hughes: 28

Unincorporated — Newhall: 57

Unincorporated — Placerita Canyon: 0

Unincorporated — San Francisquito Canyon/ Bouquet Canyon: 11

Unincorporated — Sand Canyon: 10

Unincorporated — Saugus: 99

Unincorporated — Saugus/ Canyon Country: 28

Unincorporated — Stevenson Ranch: 720

Unincorporated — Val Verde: 213

Unincorporated — Valencia: 117