County acts to increase capacity for administering vaccines

Public Health officials released the following updated COVID-19 statistics Friday:

County health officials Friday called Gov. Gavin Newsom’s expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility a “major development” that “reflects the significant progress in our vaccination efforts.”

Those 50 and older become eligible for the vaccine starting Thursday, with those 16 and older gaining eligibility April 15.

The county is pursuing various strategies to expand its capacity to administer one million vaccinees per week, according to Dr. Paul Simon, chief science officer for the county’s Public Health Department.

The county has a “goal of getting 70% of all groups vaccinated as quickly as possible,” Simon reported. “Ninety-five percent of vaccines (received by Los Angeles County) have been administered within one week of receiving it.”

Simon estimated that between 800,000 and 1 million people will become eligible in the county Thursday.

“There will undoubtedly be a rush come April 1st,” Simon said. “If (individuals are) not able to get an appointment immediately, wait a week or so and things will be easier to navigate.

Simon encouraged Angelenos to “hang in there and continue to take precautions,” suggesting that Los Angeles may be a few months away from accelerating its reopening.

County public health officials released the following updated COVID-19 statistics Friday:

▪ New COVID-19 cases reported in L.A. County in the past 24 hours: 859

▪ Total COVID-19 cases in L.A. County: 1,217,034

▪ New deaths related to COVID-19 reported: 39

▪ Total COVID-19 deaths in L.A. County: 23,055 Hospitalizations countywide: 692; 26% of whom are in the ICU.

Hospitalizations at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital as of March 19: 8, with 1,176 discharged since the onset of the pandemic.

COVID-19 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley in the past 24 hours: 32, 25 of which came from the city of Santa Clarita.

▪ Total COVID-19 cases in the SCV: 27,047

▪ Total COVID-19 deaths in the SCV: 294

The numbers 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: 19,848

▪ Unincorporated – Acton: 460

▪ Unincorporated – Agua Dulce: 267

▪ Unincorporated – Bouquet Canyon: 47

▪ Unincorporated – Canyon Country: 821

▪ Unincorporated – Castaic: 3,668 (majority of Castaic cases come from Pitchess Detention Center, exact number unavailable)

▪ Unincorporated – Lake Hughes: 41

▪ Unincorporated – Newhall: 68

▪ Unincorporated – Placerita Canyon: 1

▪ Unincorporated – San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon: 15

▪ Unincorporated – Sand Canyon: 17

▪ Unincorporated – Saugus: 128

▪ Unincorporated – Saugus/Canyon Country: 39

▪ Unincorporated – Stevenson Ranch: 1114

▪ Unincorporated – Val Verde: 328

▪ Unincorporated – Valencia: 185