Public health officials with Los Angeles County reported 32 new COVID-19 cases within the Santa Clarita Valley Wednesday, as well as 1,956 new coronavirus cases across the county.

The number of reported COVID-19 patients hospitalized has not been impacted by the backlog in cases in the statewide lab system, according to Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health.

As of Wednesday, 1,956 new coronavirus cases have been reported, including about 100 cases from the state’s backlog, according to Ferrer.

The L.A. County total of cumulative coronavirus cases now stands at as of Wednesday, according to Ferrer.

Cases reported at the beginning of the week are usually lower due to a lag in testing from over the weekend, according to public health officials.

There are more than 1,378 people currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 throughout L.A. County, Ferrer said.

32 percent of those currently hospitalized are in the intensive care unit (ICU), according to Ferrer.

Testing results are available for over 2,100,000 individuals as of Wednesday, with approximately 10 percent of all people testing positive, according to public health officials.

61 additional deaths have been reported Wednesday, for a total of 5,392 people who have died due to coronavirus in Los Angeles County. Overall, the death rate in L.A. County is decreasing, according to Ferrer.

One person who passed away was between the ages of 18 and 29, and they did not have underlying health conditions, according to Ferrer.

92 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in the county had underlying health conditions, according to public health, further encouraging those with medical issues to stay home, if possible.

“With our death rate being so high, this means hundreds and hundreds of people who died did not have underlying health conditions,” cautioned Ferrer.

As of Wednesday, a total of 4,974 cumulative cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the Santa Clarita Valley since testing began in March. These include:

• 2,716 in the City of Santa Clarita*
• 106 in the unincorporated areas of Canyon Country
• 1,878 in Castaic*
• 22 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus
• 140 in Stevenson Ranch
• 39 in the unincorporated areas of Valencia
• 55 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
• Five in unincorporated Sand Canyon

*As of Tuesday, Aug. 17, officials had recorded 1,322 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, 54 cases have been confirmed in nearby Acton as well as 24 in Agua Dulce.

An analysis of available data indicates that as of Tuesday, Aug. 17, reads that approximately 36.8 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. 19, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has conducted 6,236 COVID-19 tests. Of those, 748 have tested positive, and 22 tests are still pending with Henry Mayo, according to Patrick Moody, spokesperson for the hospital.

There are seven patients in the hospital as of Wednesday, while 226 patients have been discharged since the hospital’s first case was reported in March, according to Moody. This is a decrease of two hospitalized patients since last Wednesday.

According to the LADPH dashboard, there have been 49 deaths in and around the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding communities, as well as two in Acton. 21 of these deaths were reported by Henry Mayo, 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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