Orange County reported 269 new cases of COVID-19 and 98 additional deaths on Saturday, but officials said reports of deaths over the next few days could be higher than usual as they clear up the delay created. due to technical issues in the state reporting database.
The number of county residents hospitalized with coronavirus fell from 339 Friday to 321, and the number of patients with covid-19 in intensive care dropped from 91 the day before to 87, according to the County Health Agency. Orange.
The county has 32.2% of the beds in the intensive care unit and 66% of the available fans.
Of the deaths reported on Saturday, 16 were qualified residents in nursing centers and eight were residents in care centers, raising the cumulative total of these groups to 991 and 471, respectively.
The county reported 11,188 tests on Saturday, bringing the total accumulated to 3,104,730. There have been 236,047 documented recoveries.
Orange County’s drive to achieve the least restrictive red level for the state’s COVID-19 program to reopen the economy continues, as cases and hospitalizations decrease.
As of Thursday, the county was in seven cases per 100,000 people, which is just below the most restrictive purple level.
The overall positivity rate was 3.5 on Thursday, and the quartile rate of health equity (which reflects the hotspots rates of deprived neighborhoods) was 4.5, “the lowest figure we’ve had since that we started measuring equity. ” Kim said.
Outbreaks, defined as two or more confirmed cases in the past two weeks, have declined significantly in county nursing homes, with only two specialized nursing facilities and three nursing homes in the county. this metric from Wednesday.
“The trends are good,” Orange County CEO Frank Kim said Friday. “Trends would indicate we have very good chances of doing so (up to the red level) next week, but we won’t know until we see the data.”
The county must stay on its case rates and positivity until this Sunday and next Sunday to get the red level. County officials continue to sign up for March 17, the date when more businesses could be reopened.
Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett is optimistic about moving from red to orange soon.
“Our numbers continue to improve, we could be at an orange level in the not-too-distant future,” Bartlett said.
The U.S. Senate on Saturday passed a $ 1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief law. The bill will be sent to the House next week.
In addition, as of Wednesday, the Costa Mesa Fairview Developmental Center, which will close on March 15, had only eight patients. The facility, which reopened on Dec. 15, was used to recover coronavirus patients who no longer need to be hospitalized.
The outbreak in county prisons went from six infections on Thursday to four on Friday, with three newly registered inmates involved. None of the inmates are hospitalized and officials are awaiting the results of 638 tests.
The numbers governing the network by state levels to reopen the economy are updated every Tuesday, with purple being the most restrictive, red next and orange and yellow less restrictive. But these reports reflect the figures until Sunday, and as of that day, Orange County did not meet the criteria for the red level.
The county test positive rate improved to 3.9% from 5.4% last Tuesday, and the adjusted case rate per 100,000 in a seven-day average with a seven-day delay improved from 11.9 to 7.6.
To reach the red level, the county must have a case rate per 100,000 population of 4 to 7, a positivity rate of 5% to 8%, and a health equity quartile rate of 5.3%. at 8%.
The red level allows many companies and organizations to reopen. For example, retail stores could allow half the capacity instead of 25%, and museums, zoos, and aquariums could reopen for indoor activities at 25% capacity, as could movie theaters. , gyms and restaurants.
County officials closed the Disneyland vaccine mass distribution site for a few days starting Thursday, so tents can be reconfigured to allow access for the disabled by road, Kim said. The site will reopen Monday, Kim said.
The Santa Ana school vaccination site reopened on Wednesday, more than a week after it was closed due to a deficit in the supply of vaccines due to weather-related delays in deliveries. from the east.
Orange County officials expect to receive the new Johnson & Johnson vaccines no later than next week.