Officials ramp up efforts to slow spread of COVID-19 in hard-hit northeast San Fernando Valley

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Officials are stepping up efforts to slow the alarming spread of COVID-19 in the northeast San Fernando Valley, an area of Los Angeles filled with multi-generational families living under the same roof.

"Our community continues to experience and be the ground-zero location for the rising cases here in the city of Los Angeles," said Councilmember Monica Rodriguez.

The local impact of the virus is illustrated on the city's new COVID-19 map, which provides the latest details on cases and deaths across 139 neighborhoods in L.A.

A map detailing COVID-19 cases and deaths across Los Angeles' 139 neighborhoods was activated Monday as the city's positivity rate reached its highest point during the pandemic.

The map's latest data shows new cases per 100,000 residents in each neighborhood between Dec. 12 and Friday. During that time, the city recorded 37,806 new infections and 207 deaths.

"Pacoima has a total of 9,200 cases and in Sylmar, over 8,300. The combined confirmed caseload represents the top 25 communities in the city of Los Angeles that have been impacted by COVID-19," Rodriguez added.

Officials at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills say the number of patients infected with the virus has quadrupled since the beginning of November. The facility is now caring for the highest number of people since the start of the pandemic.

Mobile COVID-19 testing site in Pacoima offers relief to hard-hit San Fernando Valley

Los Angeles is expanding mobile COVID-19 testing as cases continue to surge. The city is focusing on the San Fernando Valley and South L.A., where infection rates doubled earlier this month.

"What we're seeing in this community in particular is whole families showing up with COVID and, in some cases, multiple family members hospitalized at the same time and some get better and some don't," said Dr. Bernard Klein, the facility's chief executive.

Community organizations have been distributing COVID care kits to families, containing gloves, masks, disinfectant and instructions on how to prevent the virus from spreading.

City News Service contributed to this report.