Southern California stay-at-home order likely to continue, as O.C. sees deadly holiday weekend

With a regional stay-at-home order restricting the operations of Orange County residents and businesses originally set to expire Dec. 28, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday state officials were still crunching the numbers but that an extension was “likely.”

In Orange County, meanwhile, the numbers aren’t looking good. This weekend, health officials reported 9,153 new coronavirus cases between Friday and Sunday, with 41 resident deaths recorded Friday, Christmas Day, and another 22 deaths Saturday.

Issued earlier this month for 11 Southern California counties, including Orange County, stay-at-home health orders effectively closed outdoor dining and personal care services, while capping most retail traffic at 20% capacity, for a three-week period beginning Dec. 7.

The order was triggered by the region’s aggregated ICU bed capacity falling below 15%. Currently, the capacity throughout Southern California remains at 0%.

Newsom said state public health officials typically make coronavirus trend projections in four-week increments and that Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly was currently analyzing data to create a forecast for the next four weeks.

“Dr. Ghaly will update you tomorrow on more specific projections,” the governor said Monday. “[But] it is clear and understandable it is likely those stay-at-home orders will be extended.”

Newsom announced 19,766 California residents were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Sunday, reflecting a 38% increase in the seven-day average. Among those, 4,228 were being seen in intensive care units.

Public health officials are anticipating another infection peak could arrive as soon as mid-January, the result of holiday-related travel, and possibly last throughout the month, the governor added.

Orange County health officials Monday recorded 2,144 new cases of coronavirus and zero deaths, bringing the countywide cumulative case count to 149,607 and pushing the fatality rate to 1,846.

Area hospitals reported treating 2,031 individuals for COVID-19 Monday, including 453 being cared for in intensive care units, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.

The county’s seven-day average of new cases stands at 51.8 per 100,000 residents. Another 20,307 tests were issued Monday, bringing the cumulative number of tests issued to 1,996,251 and accounting for a seven-day average testing positivity rate of 15.2%.

Here are the latest cumulative coronavirus case counts and COVID-19 deaths for select cities in Orange County:

• Santa Ana: 28,801 cases; 369 deaths
• Anaheim: 25,486 cases; 395 deaths
• Huntington Beach: 5,975 cases; 99 deaths
• Costa Mesa: 4,896 cases; 53 deaths
• Irvine: 5,450 cases; 22 deaths
• Newport Beach: 2,202 cases; 28 deaths
• Fountain Valley: 1,881 cases; 30 deaths
• Laguna Beach: 483 cases; fewer than five deaths

Here are the case counts by age group, followed by deaths:

• 0 to 17: 14,188 cases; one death
• 18 to 24: 21,103 cases; five deaths
• 25 to 34: 30,979 cases; 26 deaths
• 35 to 44: 23,621 cases; 43 deaths
• 45 to 54: 24,121 cases; 139 deaths
• 55 to 64: 18,466 cases; 250 deaths
• 65 to 74: 9,231 cases; 362 deaths
• 75 to 84: 4,606 cases; 409 deaths
• 85 and older: 3,209 cases; 611 deaths

Updated figures are posted daily at occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/coronavirus-in-oc. For information on getting tested, visit occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/covid-19-testing.

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