Orange County reports 78 new COVID-19 deaths as second vaccine super site opens

The Orange County Health Care Agency reported 78 deaths due to COVID-19 on Saturday, the same day that a vaccine super site opened at Soka University in Aliso Viejo.

Saturday’s total included 14 skilled nursing facility residents, 10 assisted living facility residents and 54 residents not living in a facility. The death toll in the county due to the coronavirus disease now sits at 2,625.

There were also 2,752 daily positive COVID-19 tests received, and the cumulative case rate, including deaths, is now at 221,493 people.

The Soka University super site is one of two in the county, joining Disneyland, which launched vaccine services on Jan. 13. Preregistration is required for those eligible, which includes healthcare workers and people 65 years old and over, on the online system at Othena.com.

Orange County CEO Frank Kim, center, takes a question from an appointment holder as others line up to receive a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday at Soka University.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

“I, along with my board colleagues and our county health officer and director of our county’s heathcare agency, Dr. Clayton Chau, fully understand the need and urgency to vaccinate our most vulnerable population as quickly as possible,” Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said in a news conference Saturday.

“While the need is great, our supplies are limited. We are working as hard as we can, and utilizing all available resources to secure more vaccine from the state, so that we can move this program forward as effectively and expeditiously as possible.”

Bartlett said she understood that not everyone can make it to a super POD site, and that the county is working to bring the vaccine in smaller PODs to areas where there is a greater concentration of senior citizens.

She said more information will be forthcoming on more options to make the vaccine available.

“In the meantime, please continue to adhere to health and safety guidelines,” Bartlett said.

“Wear a face covering, practice social distancing and practice good hygiene. It is incredibly important that we continue to protect ourselves and our loved ones at this time. We are not out of the woods yet, but we’re almost getting there.”

Hospitalizations due to the virus were at 1,818 on Saturday, with 482 of those cases currently in intensive care units. There have also been 2,544,782 COVID-19 tests administered to date, including 25,262 tests reported Saturday.

An estimated 152,368 people in the county have recovered from COVID-19, the healthcare agency reported.

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

• Santa Ana: 40,271 cases; 486 deaths
• Anaheim: 37,154 cases; 515 deaths
• Huntington Beach: 9,021 cases; 125 deaths
• Costa Mesa: 7,708 cases; 71 deaths
• Irvine: 8,671 cases; 40 deaths
• Newport Beach: 3,140 cases; 42 deaths
• Fountain Valley: 2,952 cases; 39 deaths
• Laguna Beach: 690 cases; fewer than five deaths

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

• 0 to 17: 22,286 cases; one death
• 18 to 24: 30,879 cases; five deaths
• 25 to 34: 44,746 cases; 31 deaths
• 35 to 44: 34,806 cases; 56 deaths
• 45 to 54: 35,649 cases; 181 deaths
• 55 to 64: 27,694 cases; 347 deaths
• 65 to 74: 13,754 cases; 504 deaths
• 75 to 84: 6,870 cases; 597 deaths
• 85 and older: 4,691 cases; 903 deaths
  

Updated figures are posted daily at occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/coronavirus-in-oc. Information on COVID-19 vaccines in Orange County can be found at occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/covid-19-vaccine-resources.

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