24August 2020
ORANGE COUNTY, CA– Orange County health authorities Thursday announced 29 more COVID-19 deaths and 369 extra coronavirus diagnoses, raising the death toll to 947 and the cumulative case total to 47,459.
Of the deaths reported Thursday, 11 were experienced nursing facility citizens, and 18 were neighborhood members, according to Orange County Health Care.
Of the total death toll, 362 have been experienced nursing facility citizens and 59 resided in nursing home.
Since Sunday, the county has reported 52 COVID-19 deaths. Last week, 87 deaths were recorded, and the week prior saw 89 deaths reported.
The 29 deaths were expanded over the past number of weeks. It’s not uncommon for there to be a lag in reporting of coronavirus deaths as authorities get the notifications from a range of sources. The deadliest day for the county because the pandemic began was Aug. 3, when 17 people died.
Dr. Clayton Chau, director of the Orange County Health Care Company and the county’s chief health officer, said at Thursday’s press conference that deaths have been going down.
“The pattern is still trending down, so I’m enthusiastic” it will continue, Chau said.
The primary issue for public health professionals is the capacity for a “twindemic” as flu season quickly starts, Chau said.
Usually “people don’t think about flu shots up until fall,” he told reporters. “You might be amazed, but flu distribution has currently started.”
And authorities “expect it will become more extensively available in the coming weeks,” he said. “We’re urging the neighborhood to get vaccinated to avoid the possibility of a twindemic.”
Homeowners 65 and older or anyone with a compromised immune system is recommended to get an influenza shot in mid- to late September, Chau said.
Officials are also concerned about another break out emerging from Labor Day weekend.
“I’m not the only one,” Chau said. “Most all health officers for other counties up and down the state worry about that. We truly motivate people to have a party through Skype and Facetime and really just stay home if you don’t really need to be out.”
Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, who is also the president of the California State Association of Counties, told City News Service that Labor Day get- togethers are “concerning, especially counties greatly affected by tourism.”
Bartlett said among her staffers went to a state beach this week and “really got up and left because it was so congested she was feeling extremely uneasy.”
Closing or limiting access to beaches for the vacation weekend would be left as much as Chau, but it may be considered if the coronavirus numbers are trending upward at that time, Bartlett said.
The county’s information on hospitalizations and other key metrics have been relocating the right direction, with the rate of county citizens checking favorable for COVID-19 at 5%, below the state’s preferred limit of 8%.
Hospitalizations dropped from 399 Wednesday to 372 on Thursday, with the variety of intensive care system clients dipping from 113 to 112.
The county’s case rate per 100,000 citizens ticked up from 80.7 to 82.1, which is well above the California Department of Public Health limit of 25 per 100,000 citizens.
The county has 31% of intensive care system beds available, which is better than the state’s 20% limit. And the county’s health centers have 60% of their ventilators available, well above the state requirement of 25%.
The modification in three-day average of hospitalized clients stands at 0.3%, much lower than the 10% state requirement.
The OCHCA reported that 616,911 COVID-19 tests have been carried out, consisting of 5,767 reported on Thursday. There have been 39,678 documented healings.
A brand-new “very site” for COVID-19 testing like the one at Anaheim Convention Center opened Wednesday at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. There is no out-of-pocket expense for a test, as insurance will cover some and the county will spend for those uninsured.
Officials will focus on testing for people with signs, people have come into contact with a contaminated person, healthcare employees, first responders, anyone who works or lives in high-density real estate and employees in necessary companies such as grocery stores and teachers.
Results will be available in one to 2 days. Anybody wanting to set up a test should make a booking through occovid.19. ochealthinfo.com
Chau told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that he was “optimistically positive” that the county will remain off the state’s watch list.
Orange County was removed from the list Sunday. The state mandates a county must be off the list for 15 days before all schools can resume.
Bartlett said authorities are anticipating the guv to make a statement on Friday discussing which companies would be enabled to resume to indoor commerce.
Hair salons appear the very best bet to open first, perhaps as soon as Monday, Bartlett said.
“We’re unsure if it will include nail beauty salons and other individual care services,” Bartlett said.
Bartlett said county authorities in the state have concerns about how to deal with reopening of indoor mall.
The primary anchors like Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom’s are totally open up to business with the doors near to the rest of the malls, but if the malls are restricted to 25% business, then that would hurt the anchors who have complete access to consumers now, Bartlett said.
Ways in which to manage that issue are under conversation, according to Bartlett, who added, “there are a great deal of unanswered concerns.”
Orange County might be put back on the watch list should it be flagged for surpassing any among 6 various metrics for 3 successive days. Those metrics are the case rate, portion of favorable tests, typical variety of tests a county is able to carry out daily, modifications in the variety of hospitalized clients and portion of ventilators and intensive care beds available.
Orange County, by city, coronavirus totals as of Thursday:
Aliso Viejo – 326 Total Cases
Anaheim – 8150 Total Cases
Brea – 431 Total Cases
Buena Park – 1360 Total Cases
Costa Mesa – 1620 Total Cases
Coto de Caza – 34 Total Cases
Cypress – 489 Total Cases
Dana Point – 232 Total Cases
Water fountain Valley – 464 Total Cases
Fullerton – 2155 Total Cases
Garden Grove – 2577 Total Cases
Huntington Beach – 2152 Total Cases
Irvine – 1440 Total Cases
La Habra – 1239 Total Cases
La Palma – 140 Total Cases
Ladera Cattle Ranch – 149 Total Cases
Laguna Beach – 176 Total Cases
Laguna Hills – 278 Total Cases
Laguna Niguel – 363 Total Cases
Laguna Woods – 51 Total Cases
Lake Forest – 750 Total Cases
Los Alamitos – 148 Total Cases
Midway City – 110 Total Cases
Mission Viejo – 705 Total Cases
Newport Beach – 1021 Total Cases
Orange – 2159 Total Cases
Placentia – 815 Total Cases
Rancho Mission Viejo – 56 Total Cases
Rancho Santa Margarita – 296 Total Cases
Rossmoor – 56 Total Cases
San Clemente – 421 Total Cases
San Juan Capistrano – 406 Total Cases
Santa Ana – 9207 Total Cases
Seal Beach – 249 Total Cases
Silverado – 43 Total Cases
Stanton – 595 Total Cases
Trabuco Canyon – 170 Total Cases
Tustin – 1126 Total Cases
Vacation home Park – 46 Total Cases
Westminster – 910 Total Cases
Yorba Linda – 616 Total Cases
Source: patch.com