Over an eight-day period, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported a total of 11 deaths among COVID-19 patients, the highest number of deaths reported within that time frame since cases started being tracked at the hospital.

From Friday, Dec. 11, to Friday, Dec. 18, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital experienced a 23.9% increase in total deaths, increasing from 46 to 57 total COVID-19 deaths, according to Patrick Moody, a hospital spokesperson. 

This information comes as no surprise at a time when coronavirus hospitalizations and cases continue to rise across the community. In that same time period, more than 1,500 local cases of coronavirus were reported among residents.

In addition, at least 98 COVID-19 deaths have been reported across the Santa Clarita Valley as of Friday, 84 of which are within city limits, according to the Los Angeles Department of Public Health.

Since the first week of December, deaths at Henry Mayo have increased by 46%, from 39 to 57, while hospitalizations have increased by just over 51%, from 52 to 79, according to a comparison of data released by Henry Mayo.

As of last Friday, Dec. 18, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has conducted 14,110 COVID-19 tests. Of those, 1,936 have tested positive, and 24 tests are still pending with Henry Mayo, according to Moody.

There are 79 patients in the hospital as of Friday, Dec. 18, while 538 patients have been discharged since the hospital’s first case was reported in March, according to Moody.

There have been a total of 57 coronavirus deaths at the hospital, with at least 98 COVID-19 deaths reported across the Santa Clarita Valley, according to LADPH.

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While these are only a fraction of the total COVID-19 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley, with 13,526 cumulative cases having been reported in the valley since testing began in March, public health officials are encouraging residents to be cautious and follow health guidelines, especially in light of a healthcare system that runs the risk of becoming overwhelmed if hospitalizations continue to go up.

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

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