L.A. County reports fewer than 1,000 COVID-19 cases

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials said Monday the county is continuing to emerge from the devastating winter surge, as the United States hit a deadly milestone — a half-million people having died as a result of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Public Health reported fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases Monday for the first time in nearly four months, though this likely represents an undercount due to the lag in weekend reporting, according to Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

Even so, cases, test positivity, hospitalizations and deaths are all dropping, per Public Health.

“This wasn’t a miracle, and the significant drop in our case numbers reflects actions and choices taken by millions of residents, workers and employers,” Ferrer said.

Over the weekend, the Santa Clarita Valley saw just over 100 new COVID-19 diagnoses, with 66 reported Saturday and 51 Sunday, along with two deaths reported by Public Health in the area, bringing the death toll to 249.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital also reported two additional deaths at the hospital Monday, neither of which has been added to the county death toll.

In addition, Public Health is continuing its vaccination efforts, with nearly 1.8 million vaccines having been distributed thus far.

Education and child care, emergency services, and food and agriculture workers are expected to begin receiving vaccines March 1.

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

▪ Countywide COVID-19 cases reported in the past 24 hours: 943

▪ Total COVID-19 cases in L.A. County: 1,181,403

▪ New deaths related to COVID-19 reported in the past 24 hours: 21

▪ Total COVID-19 deaths in L.A. County: 19,904

▪ Hospitalizations countywide: 2,213, 31% of whom are in the ICU

▪ Hospitalizations at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital as of Feb. 22: 18, with 1,135 discharged since the onset of the pandemic

▪ COVID-19 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley in the past 24 hours: 39

▪ Total COVID-19 cases in the SCV: 25,619

▪ Total COVID-19 deaths in the SCV as of Feb. 22: 249, with two additional deaths reported Monday 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: 18,762 ▪ Unincorporated — Acton: 434 ▪ Unincorporated — Agua Dulce: 251

▪ Unincorporated — Bouquet Canyon: 43

▪ Unincorporated — Canyon Country: 774

▪ Unincorporated — Castaic: 3,541 (majority of Castaic cases come from Pitchess Detention Center; exact number unavailable)

▪ Unincorporated — Lake Hughes: 40

▪ Unincorporated — Newhall: 66 ▪ Unincorporated — Placerita Canyon: 1

▪ Unincorporated — San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon: 14

▪ Unincorporated — Sand Canyon: 15

▪ Unincorporated — Saugus: 131 ▪ Unincorporated — Saugus/Canyon Country: 39

▪ Unincorporated — Stevenson Ranch: 1,027 ▪ Unincorporated — Val Verde: 307 ▪ Unincorporated — Valencia: 174