Los Angeles County has reported its highest rate of transmission of COVID-19 over the holiday weekend, with Santa Clarita seeing more than 800 new cases of largely the Omicron and Delta variants. 

According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, hospitalizations have risen to 1,628 and over 20 percent of those getting tested for COVID-19have received positive results. Testing sites in L.A. County has been overwhelmed by lines of people getting tested over the weekend, according to officials.

See Related: Where To Get COVID-19 Tested Amid Highest Coronavirus Spike In Santa Clarita History

Over the holiday weekend, there were 21,200 new positive COVID-19 cases, two new deaths, 1,628 people currently hospitalized and more than 10,097,000 individuals tested across L.A. County, according to Public Health. 

As numbers are rising, Public Health is urging people to take measures to curtail the numbers and avoid higher-risk activities.

“Well-fitting and high-quality masks are an essential layer of protection when people are in close contact with others, especially when indoors or in outdoor crowded spaces where distancing is not possible,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health. “Although masks can be annoying and even uncomfortable for some, given that many infected individuals are spreading COVID 1 -2 days before they are symptomatic, the physical barrier tendered by a mask is known to reduce the spread of virus particles.”

As of Sunday, January 2, 49,002 cumulative cases have been reported in the Santa Clarita Valley since March of 2020, according to Public Health. These cases include:

• 33,709 in the City of Santa Clarita* (+460)
• 93 in the unincorporated areas of Bouquet Canyon
• 1,500 in the unincorporated areas of Canyon Country (+25)
• 5,101 in Castaic* (+36)
• 71 in the unincorporated areas of Newhall (+1)
• 6 in Placerita Canyon (+1)
• 25 in San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon (+2)
• 26 in unincorporated Sand Canyon (+1)
• 204 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus (+10)
• 57 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus/Canyon Country (+2)
• 2,380 in Stevenson Ranch (+210)
• 513 in the unincorporated areas of Val Verde (+36)
• 395 in the unincorporated areas of Valencia (+36)

A wide range of data and dashboards on COVID-19 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are available on the Public Health website:

• COVID-19 Daily Data (cases, deaths, testing, testing positivity rate, mortality rate, and hospitalizations)
• Gender, Age, Race/Ethnicity and City/Community Cases and Deaths
• Recovery Metrics
• Contract Tracing Metrics
• Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics

Public Health encourages everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated. Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated against COVID-19. Many vaccination sites across the county, including all the County-run sites, are also offering third doses of vaccine to eligible immunocompromised people.

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. To learn how to make a vaccine appointment, what verifications you will need to show at your vaccination appointment, and much more, visit the L.A. County Vaccination website (English) or Vacunate Los Angeles website (Spanish).

See All Coronavirus Coverage: Coronavirus Coverage – COVID-19 Map

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