Number of COVID-19 cases in the SCV rises to 27
The total number of COVID-19 coronavirus cases in the Santa Clarita Valley has risen to 27, according to Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials.
Public health officials said Friday the number of new COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County has risen by 257 in the past 24 hours, for an updated total of 1,465 confirmed cases countywide.
Also in the past 24 hours, five new deaths were reported, bringing the total number of deaths in L.A. County to 26.
The numbers include 54 new cases in the city of Long Beach, and nine cases in the city of Pasadena.
“In less than a week … we have gone from 409 cases to 1,465 cases,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of Public Health. “We’ve more than tripled the number of people (infected) here in L.A. County.”
All five deaths reported in the county’s Friday announcement were over the
age of 60, and one of deaths reported Thursday was from an individual in his 40s with underlying conditions, Ferrer said.
As of Thursday, 11,000 people have been tested in Los Angeles County and about 11% of them are positive.
Of those, 317 cases have at some point been hospitalized due to COVID-19, or 22% of all positive cases. The mortality rate in Los Angeles County is 1.8%, or 0.4% higher than that of New York City.
“They have a lot more testing capacity, and therefore they’ve been able to identify many more people who are positive,” said Ferrer.
Additionally, the public health officer for Los Angeles County ordered closure of all public trails and trail heads, as well as beaches, public beach parking lots, bike paths and beach access points.
“The order is effective immediately and runs through April 19,” said Ferrer.
As of Friday, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials shifted the way in which they
categorize case numbers by area.
SCV breakdown
The SCV’s total, according to
Public Health, is broken down as follows:
▪ City of Santa Clarita: 24
▪ Unincorporated — Castaic: 3
▪ Unincorporated — Acton: 0
▪ Unincorporated — Agua Dulce: 0
▪ Unincorporated — Canyon Country: 0
▪ Unincorporated — Lake Hughes: 0
▪ Unincorporated — Newhall: 0
▪ Unincorporated — Placerita Canyon: 0
▪ Unincorporated — Sand Canyon: 0
▪ Unincorporated — Saugus: 0
▪ Unincorporated — Saugus/ Canyon Country: 0
▪ Unincorporated — Stevenson Ranch: “—”
▪ Unincorporated — Val Verde: 0
▪ Unincorporated — Valencia: “—”
Anywhere there is a “—” means the community could have between one and four cases, according to county DPH officials.
“This is done to protect patient
privacy,” said Bernard Tolliver, a DPH spokesman. “Once these locations have five or greater cases, then that will be included. Locations that have zero will say ‘zero.’”
These numbers correspond to the current listings posted Friday afternoon by county DPH officials.
When asked what health officials believe is a realistic timeline for increasing testing countywide, Ferrer said an update on a predictor model will be discussed as early as next week.
“All of us need an improvement in the number of tests that we’re able to perform every day, and we also need faster turnaround time,” said Ferrer. “They are also looking at other kinds of tests that don’t require as much (personal protective equipment), they’re swabs that people can use themselves.”
Dr. Clayton Kazan, medical director for the L.A. County Fire Department, has been placed in charge of coordinating the expansion of COVID-19 testing countywide.
Said Ferrer: “If you don’t mind waiting a little, I know Dr. Kazan will be back with us on either Monday or Tuesday, and he’ll be able to report out way more detail on testing capacity across the county.”