Public Health Further Discourages Trick-Or-Treating On Halloween

Posted by: Devon Miller in Coronavirus, Santa Clarita Latest News October 30, 2020 - 2:28 pm 1 Comment 1,604 Views

While it is not prohibited under the current Public Health Order, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is further discouraging trick-or-treating on Halloween amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public Health officials do not recommend trick-or-treating or trunk-or-treating this year, as participating in these activities increases the risk of exposure to the virus through communal food handling, crowding and mixing with non-household individuals, according to the department.

“Safer options include participating in a virtual party, attending a drive-in event, driving around your neighborhood to see decorated houses, holding a scavenger hunt for treats at home, or attending a special Halloween drive-in movie,” reads a statement issued by the department Friday.

Santa Clarita Mayor Cameron Smyth said trick-or-treating “allowable” in the City of Santa Clarita, but urged residents to follow social distancing guidelines and wear face coverings.

Officials say that carnivals, parties, festivals, live entertainment and haunted house attractions are “not safe this Halloween and are not permitted” under the current Health Officer Order.

“As we head into the holiday weekend, please remember there is simply too much COVID-19 going around for us to let our guard down. The fewer people you and your household have in-person contact with, the lower your risk of getting and spreading COVID-19. For the County to continue on our recovery journey, many more of us need to get back to doing what we know works – and we need to stop engaging in activities that makes it easy for transmission of the virus,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of public health.

An additional 39 Santa Clarita Valley Coronavirus cases have been reported Friday, a part of 1,296 new cases across Los Angeles County, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

The new cases reported Friday brings the Santa Clarita Valley coronavirus case total to 7,171 and the countywide total to 306,327, according to the department.

26 additional deaths were reported Friday, bringing the cumulative total in L.A. County to 7,056 deaths, according to public health.

Nearly 3,101,000 tests have been conducted as of Friday, with about 9 percent of those tests returning positive.

L.A. County remains in Tier 1 due to the current adjusted daily case rate of 8 cases per 100,000 residents. Per the State guidelines, to move to Tier 2, the County’s case rate needs to be 7 or fewer new cases a day per 100,000 residents for two consecutive weeks.

The County’s test positivity rate is 3.7 percent which places the County in Tier 2 for this metric, according to public health.

There are 743 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Tuesday, 30 percent of which are in the ICU.

As of Friday, a total of 7,171 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since testing began in March. These include:

4,360 in the City of Santa Clarita*
174 in the unincorporated areas of Canyon Country
2,189 in Castaic*
38 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus
200 in Stevenson Ranch
52 in the unincorporated areas of Valencia
103 in the unincorporated areas of Val Verde
26 in the unincorporated areas of Newhall
10 in the unincorporated areas of Bouquet Canyon
11 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus/Canyon Country
Seven in unincorporated Sand Canyon
One San Francisquito Canyon/Bouquet Canyon

Additionally, 85 cumulative cases were confirmed in nearby Acton as well as 37 in Agua Dulce.

As of Thursday, Oct. 29, officials had recorded 1,878 cumulative cases among prisoners at Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, including 1,366 at the North County Correctional Facility. Those cases are distributed between both the City of Santa Clarita and Castaic totals.

An analysis of available data indicates that as of Thursday, Oct. 29, approximately 26 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, Oct. 28, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has conducted 10,109 COVID-19 tests. Of those, 1,027 have tested positive, and 14 tests are still pending with Henry Mayo, according to Patrick Moody, spokesperson for the hospital.

There are 15 patients in the hospital as of Wednesday, while 299 patients have been discharged since the hospital’s first case was reported in March, according to Moody.

30 coronavirus deaths have been reported at Henry Mayo which are apart of at least 73 deaths 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. 39 cases and 14 deaths previously reported were not in Public Health’s jurisdiction.