17 new Santa Clarita coronavirus cases have been confirmed Thursday, with 1,999 additional cases being confirmed within Los Angeles County.

The Santa Clarita Valley cumulative total is now 4,796, and the L.A. County total of cumulative coronavirus cases stands at 216,139 as of Thursday, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH).

“The only way for us to continue our recovery journey is to see lower rates of community transmission. Our actions as individuals, business owners and business operators to take the necessary steps that protect each other, workers and customers require adherence to infection control and distancing directives,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of public health. 

The state has determined there has been under-reporting of COVID-19 cases due to technical issues with the electronic laboratory system (ELR), but the backlogged results are expected to become available in the coming days according to Governor Gavin Newsom.

Public Health has noted issues with the State electronic lab reporting system for about two weeks. 

Once the data reporting issues are fixed, the number of cases is expected to increase, according to the department.

Data sources that track other key indicators, including hospitalizations and deaths, are not affected by this reporting issue.

Public Health continues to respond to a high volume of Health Officer Order violation complaints and initiated nearly 32,000 investigations. Since March, Public Health investigated more than 20,000 restaurants, more than 4,700 grocery stores, and more than 3,600 other businesses.

Ferrer further urged businesses to report any outbreaks to assist curb the spread of COVID-19.

“Businesses need to immediately alert us when there is an outbreak,” she said. “This is what is needed to get our children back to their schools and to get more of our community members back to work.”

A total of 1,481 people are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 throughout L.A. County, according to Public Health.

Of those hospitalized, 32 percent of patients are in the intensive care unit (ICU) as of Thursday, according to the department.

Testing results are available for over 2,012,000 individuals as of Thursday, with a daily positivity rate of 10 percent, according to public health officials.

64 additional deaths have been reported within the county Thursday, for a total of 5,171 recorded people who have died due to coronavirus in Los Angeles County since March.

As of Thursday, a total of 4,796 cumulative cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the Santa Clarita Valley since testing began in March. These include:

• 2,563 in the City of Santa Clarita*
• 100 in the unincorporated areas of Canyon Country
• 1,874 in Castaic*
• 21 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus
• 131 in Stevenson Ranch
• 38 in the unincorporated areas of Valencia
• 52 in the unincorporated areas of Val Verde
• Six in the unincorporated areas of Newhall
• Five in the unincorporated areas of Bouquet Canyon
• One in the unincorporated areas of Saugus/Canyon Country
• Five in unincorporated Sand Canyon

*As of Wednesday, Aug. 12, officials had recorded 1,322 cumulative cases among prisoners at the North County Correctional Facility, and 495 at the Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center. Those cases are counted in both the City of Santa Clarita and Castaic totals.

Additionally, 54 cases have been confirmed in nearby Acton as well as 21 in Agua Dulce.

An analysis of available data indicates that as of Wednesday, Aug. 12, reads that approximately 38 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, Aug. 12, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has conducted 5.893 COVID-19 tests. Of those, 719 have tested positive, and 29 tests are still pending with Henry Mayo, according to Patrick Moody, spokesperson for the hospital.

There are nine patients in the hospital as of Wednesday, while 217 patients have been discharged since the hospital’s first case was reported in March, according to Moody.

A majority of all deaths in the county had underlying health conditions, according to public health, further encouraging those with medical issues to stay home, if possible.

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

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