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SANTA ANA (CNS) - Orange County's COVID-19 hospitalizations fell again, dropping from 195 to 189, according to the latest state data.
The number of those patients in intensive care was 39, up from 36 the previous day.
The latest numbers come two days after the county reported 453 new positive COVID tests and 15 additional deaths linked to the virus, bringing the cumulative totals to 540,116 cases and 6,658 deaths since the pandemic began.
The new case rate per 100,000 people decreased from 10.7 Wednesday to 9.8 Friday, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. The testing positivity rate ticked up from 3.9% to 4%, and ticked up from 3.9% to 5% in the health equity quartile, which measures underserved communities hardest hit by the pandemic, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.
The OCHCA does not update COVID data on weekends.
The county had 24.3% of its ICU beds available and 64.4% of its ventilators as of Friday. Local health officials become concerned when the level of ICU beds falls below 20%.
Of those hospitalized, approximately 83% are unvaccinated and 86% of those being treated in ICU are not inoculated, according to the OCHCA.
The case rate per 100,000 people decreased from 8.9 Feb. 19 to 7.1 Feb. 26 for those fully vaccinated with a booster shot; from 14.9 to 5.8 for those fully vaccinated with no booster; and 18.7 to 12 for those not fully vaccinated.
The number of fully vaccinated residents in Orange County rose from 2,430,510 the previous week to 2,437,965, according to data released Thursday. That number includes an increase from 2,275,663 to 2,281,901 of residents who have received the two-dose regimen of vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna.
The number of residents receiving the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine increased from 154,847 to 156,064. Booster shots increased from 1,194,500 to 1,207,236.
In the most recently eligible age group of 5 to 11 years old, the number of children vaccinated increased from 79,858 to 82,166 versus 186,414, who have not been vaccinated. It's the least vaccinated age group in Orange County. The next-worst vaccinated eligible age group is 25 to 34, with 323,894 inoculated and 135,507 who have not received a shot.
The age group that has received the most booster shots is 55 to 64.