The lowest weekly COVID-19 positivity rate was reported last week as the number of new daily cases continues to decline in Los Angeles County, health officials said.

1,148 additional Los Angeles County coronavirus cases have been reported Wednesday bringing the total to 246,148, according to Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. 

The department noted cases Wednesday are lower in part due to reduced testing due to wildfire smoke and recent extreme weather. 

“Last week, we saw the lowest test positivity rate to date at around 3.4 percent. This means that almost 97 percent of the tests that people took for COVID-19 ended up being negative. Just a month ago in mid-August this rate was around five percent,” said Ferrer. “So we’re happy to see the progress that we’ve made and we’re very much hoping that this number continues to decrease.”

As of Wednesday, Los Angeles County remains in Tier 1 of the state’s coronavirus criteria, the highest, most restrictive category.

“We’re being cautious in our re-openings of schools, businesses and other institutions,’ said Ferrer. “As we reopen sectors, we’re watching the impact of our actions on our ability to continue to slow the spread of the virus here in L.A. County.”

Public health officials are reminding residents to minimize nonessential activities due to unhealthy air quality. 

There are currently 804 people hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 30 percent of those patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), according to the department.

Testing results are available for over 2,400,000 individuals as of Wednesday, with a positivity rate of 10 percent, according to public health officials.

31 additional deaths have been reported within the county Wednesday, for a total of 6,303 recorded people who have died due to coronavirus in Los Angeles County since March.

92 percent of those who died due to COVID-19 had an underlying health condition, according to public health officials. 

As of Tuesday, a total of 5,568 cumulative cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the Santa Clarita Valley since testing began in March. This is an increase of 5 compared to Wednesday. These include:

• 3,213 in the City of Santa Clarita*
• 122 in the unincorporated areas of Canyon Country
• 1,923 in Castaic*
• 27 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus
• 156 in Stevenson Ranch
• 42 in the unincorporated areas of Valencia
• 66 in the unincorporated areas of Val Verde
• Six in the unincorporated areas of Newhall
• Six in the unincorporated areas of Bouquet Canyon
• One in the unincorporated areas of Saugus/Canyon Country
• Six in unincorporated Sand Canyon

*As of Tuesday, Sept. 15, officials had recorded 1,327 cumulative cases among prisoners at the North County Correctional Facility, and 496 at the Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center. Those cases are counted in both the City of Santa Clarita and Castaic totals.

Additionally, 66 cumulative cases have been confirmed in nearby Acton as well as 26 in Agua Dulce.

An analysis of available data indicates that as of Tuesday, Sept. 15, approximately 32.7 percent of all cumulative cases in and around the Santa Clarita Valley can be attributed to the inmate population at the North County Correctional Facility and the Pitchess Detention Center.

As of Wednesday, Sept. 16, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has conducted 7,664 COVID-19 tests. Of those, 839 have tested positive, and 23 tests are still pending with Henry Mayo, according to Patrick Moody, spokesperson for the hospital.

There are 14 patients in the hospital as of Wednesday, while 244 patients have been discharged since the hospital’s first case was reported in March, according to Moody.

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

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