SANTA ANA (CNS) - Orange County health officials reported 62 new COVID- 19 cases and one additional death today, bringing the county's totals to 3,602 cases and 77 deaths.
The number of patients hospitalized with the virus stood at 230 on Tuesday, with 100 patients in intensive care, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. That last number rose from 77 the previous day.
The total number of people in the county tested for the virus now stands at 54,769, with 399 tests reported Tuesday.
Of the county's total cases, 3% involve people under 18 years old; 10% are between 18-24; 18% are between 25-34; 15% are between 35-44; 18% are between 45-54; 16% are between 55-64; 10% are between 65-74; 6% are between 75- 84; and 4% are 85 and older.
Of the patients who died, 3% were 25 to 34 years old, 5% were 35 to 44, 10% were 45-54, 13% were 55-64, 17% were 65-74, 29% were 75-84, and 23% were 85 or older.
Men make up 54% of the county's cases and 57% of its fatalities.
Latinos account for 39% of the fatalities and whites 32%, followed by Asians (19%). According to the Health Care Agency, 4% were black, 1% were native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1% are mixed race, and 3% fall into the category of “other.”
The Orange County Sheriff's Department reported Monday that 289 inmates have contracted COVID-19, but only eight are currently sick from the virus and 100 have recovered. Sheriff's officials are awaiting the results of 110 tests.
There has been no update since Friday on the number of patients and staff afflicted with COVID-19 at skilled nursing facilities in the county. As of Friday, 373 patients had tested positive and 23 had died, and 192 staffers had contracted coronavirus with one dying, according to the county.
Santa Ana has the most recorded cases in the county with 570, followed by Anaheim with 545 and Huntington Beach with 270.
Anaheim officials said 66 patients and 13 staffers tested positive at Windsor Gardens Convalescent Center of Anaheim on Ball Road near Knott Avenue. Two patients have died at the facility.
County officials are working hard to ramp up their testing to 4,000 per day.
“Our testing network is going to be enhanced dramatically,” Orange County CEO Frank Kim told City News Service, adding that officials are in talks with a major company to provide more testing.
“Part of what's happening now is hospitals are doing the majority of testing” and limiting testing to symptomatic people, he said.
Increased testing in skilled nursing facilities is a priority now, Kim said.
“We know that's a focus and we are having internal discussions about how to more effectively safeguard nursing homes,” Kim said. “We're having those discussions with the industry now.”
The Orange County Board of Supervisors was meeting Tuesday to discuss their latest efforts to combat the pandemic, and to debate how to safely reopen county businesses and government facilities.
Officials feel they can meet most of the governor's benchmarks for reopening more businesses, such as handling a 35% surge in cases, but the biggest hang-up is clearing two weeks without a single COVID-19-related death, Kim said.
County officials are working on a proposal to the governor on “variances” to some of the governor's metrics when it comes to larger- population counties such as Orange and Los Angeles, Kim said.
Beaches in Orange County were reopened Friday, with restrictions, while so-called “low-risk” businesses such as clothing and book stores, music shops, toy stores, sporting goods stores and florists reopened with curbside service only.
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