Los Angeles County coronavirus hospitalizations are continuing to climb, with the most-ever COVID-19 patients in the hospital countywide reported once again.

There are 3,299 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, 23 percent of which are in the ICU, according to Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

“The safest thing you can do during this very difficult time in the pandemic is to really stay home as much as possible and to interact only with members of your own household. However, for most families, it’s not possible for all of their members to stay only within their household bubble at all times. Many of us — and again thanks to all of our essential workers — must still go to work,” said Ferrer. “But every time you leave your home and you’re around other people, you are exposed to COVID-19. The more you frequent different places, the more exposures you have, and then when each person in your household returns home, they each will bring with them the risks associated with all of their encounters.”

The number of patients hospitalized has tripled over the past month, according to Ferrer. 

“The County’s number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 is increasing at a dangerous pace, and today’s number marks the first time in the pandemic we have reported more than 3,000 people currently hospitalized for COVID-19,” said department officials on Tuesday.

The number of COVID-19 patients is estimated to reach 4,000 within two weeks, according to public health. 

Dr. Christina Ghaly said the county is seeing nearly 500 new COVID-19 hospitalizations each day, with the number expected to increase to 700 a day.

Ghaly added the new patients are outnumbering the discharges, causing the total number of hospitalizations to rise.

See Related: Three Additional COVID-19 Deaths Reported At Henry Mayo As Hospitalizations Increase

An additional 9,243 coronavirus cases have been reported in Los Angeles County on Wednesday, according to public health.

The additional cases reported Wednesday bring the county’s cumulative total to 475,271 according to the department.

Last week, Los Angeles County reported the highest number of cases, with the record being topped for five days, according to the department. 

The five-day average for daily new cases reported with COVID-19 is 8,993, nearly double the five-day average for daily new cases the county saw on the day after Thanksgiving, according to public health officials.

75 additional deaths have been reported Wednesday, with the total deaths across the county reaching 8,075, according to the department.

The State announced a Regional Stay Home Order went into effect at midnight Sunday and would remain in effect for at least three weeks in California regions where ICU capacity falls below 15%. 

According to the State, as of Dec. 9, the Southern California Region has 9% staffed adult ICU capacity remaining. 

In Los Angeles County, the ICU capacity is at 11.8% as of Wednesday, according to public health.

Because L.A. County is in the Southern California Region, the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order is set to be modified to fully align with additional safety measures across sectors and the required effective date. The Order prohibits private gatherings of any size, closes sector operations, and requires 100% masking and physical distancing. The State Regional Stay at Home Order is similar to the existing County Safer at Home Health Offer with additional sector closings.

The Order does not modify existing school guidance. Schools that are open under County protocols can continue to provide in-person instruction as permitted.

See Related: Southern California Region Drops Below ICU Capacity Threshold, Stay-At-Home Order Imminent

Over 3,800,000 coronavirus tests have been conducted as of Wednesday, with about 11 percent of those tests returning positive.

An additional 255 Santa Clarita Valley coronavirus cases were reported Sunday, the largest one-day increase the community has seen yet.

On Wednesday, 213 new COVID-19 cases have been reported across the valley, with 11,058 cumulative cases having been reported in the valley since testing began in March, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH). These cases include:

• 7,496 in the City of Santa Clarita* (+162)
• 315 in the unincorporated areas of Canyon Country (+10)
• 2,529 in Castaic* (+22)
• 55 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus (+3)
• 375 in Stevenson Ranch (+11)
• 72 in the unincorporated areas of Valencia (+1)
• 131 in the unincorporated areas of Val Verde (+2)
• 40 in the unincorporated areas of Newhall (+1)
• 16 in the unincorporated areas of Bouquet Canyon 
• 18 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus/Canyon Country  (+1)
• Seven in unincorporated Sand Canyon
• Four in San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon 

In nearby Acton, there have been 152 cases, as well as 71 cases in Agua Dulce.

*As of Monday, Dec. 7, public health officials have recorded 1,922 cumulative cases have been reported at the Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center, including 1,397 at the North County Correctional Facility. Those cases are distributed between both the City of Santa Clarita and Castaic totals.

As of Wednesday, Dec. 8, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has conducted 13,215 COVID-19 tests. Of those, 1,604 have tested positive, and 40 tests are still pending with Henry Mayo, according to Patrick Moody, spokesperson for the hospital.

There are 67 patients in the hospital as of Wednesday, Dec. 8, while 448 patients have been discharged since the hospital’s first case was reported in March, according to Moody.

Four additional death was reported at Henry Mayo this week with the number of COVID-19 patients doubling over the past month.

There have been a total of 43 coronavirus deaths at the hospital, with at least 84 COVID-19 deaths reported across the Santa Clarita Valley.

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

Ed. Note: These numbers are subject to change based on further investigation by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

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