Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Wednesday confirmed 256 new deaths and 5,189 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, as Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia reported two new deaths.
The Santa Clarita Valley has now seen a total of 24,291 total cases 128 more cases since Tuesday and 214 deaths since L.A. county’s first confirmed COVID-19 infection on January 26, 2020.
Test results are now available for more than 5,543,000 people, with 19% testing positive.
There are 5,165 people hospitalized with COVID-19, and 27% of these patients are in the ICU.
To date, Public Health officials have identified 1,129,503 positive cases of COVID-19 and a total of 17,308 deaths countywide.
School districts across the Santa Clarita Valley endured an ever-changing school year that included sudden classroom-setting changes, cancelation of events and now a significant decrease in student enrollment which has led to some teachers receiving notices about potential layoffs if the funding situation doesn’t improve.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reduced physical distancing guidelines from 6 feet to 3 feet in a classroom setting, but local school districts cannot make changes until the state and county’s guidance aligns.
Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Friday confirmed 60 new deaths and 756 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 26,944 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley. In addition, nearly 3,235,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people across Los Angeles County.
Family members of 17-year-old Pedro Roman announced Monday the Valencia High School student died, following a recent relapse of his cancer.
Pedro was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2019. Since his diagnosis, support and love has poured in for Pedro and his family.
Football teammates shaved their heads in support of him undergoing chemotherapy, and the student section at Valencia High School honored him with banners and T-shirts showing his name during one of their football games. On Saturday, dozens showed up at a community blood drive in honor of their classmate.
In remembrance of Pedro, a community candlelight vigil has been organized. The event is set to take place at Central Park at 8:00 p.m. Thursday.
Experts fear Super Bowl parties will be COVID-19 super-spreading events: This is not the moment to let your guard down Korin Miller
While football fans across the country are gearing up for the Super Bowl on Sunday, infectious disease doctors and public health experts have a warning: Attending a Super Bowl party could put your health at risk.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned people against gathering for the big game, saying “every time we do have something like this, there always is a spike.”
“Enjoy the game, watch it on television, but do it with the immediate members of your family, the people in your household,” he told the
FAIRFIELD-SUISUN, CALIFORNIA
Column: We’re one horrible year into the pandemic. Is that hope we see on the horizon? [Los Angeles Times]
Almost exactly one year ago, the following headline appeared in the Los Angeles Times:
“Coronavirus spreads to Los Angeles, Orange County: How concerned should we be?”
More than we knew, obviously.
I remember thinking, when the shutdown began last spring, that the days seemed to drag on and yet fade in a flash. A year later, after relentless waves of stress and grief, time is still warped.
But since the pandemic hit, we’ve racked up nearly 16,000 deaths in L.A. County, 3,000 in Orange County and almost 40,000 in the state. California has had more than 3.2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in that time and in December alone, 2,200 L.A. County healthcare workers tested positive for the virus.