Orange County Sees Uptick in COVID-19 Statistics
SANTA ANA, Calif. Orange County’s COVID-19 statistics reflected modest increases in a weekly update released July 6, but hospitalization rates have held steady since last week.
According to state data released every Tuesday, the county’s average daily new case rate per 100,000 residents edged up from 1 last week to 1.5, while the overall test positivity rate ticked up from 0.9 percent to 1.2 percent.
The county’s Health Equity Quartile rate, which measures positivity in hot spots in disadvantaged communities, climbed from 1.1 percent last week to 1.4 percent.
“We’re seeing growth in cases and test positivity,” Orange County chief executive Frank Kim told City News Service. “While it’s not a surprise, anytime you see growth in numbers you still worry, but we still have close to 30 percent of our population who are unvaccinated so you worry about those with a greater risk of complications if they get infected.”
Public health officials at the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) have announced that, as of June 27, 2021, 70% of Orange County residents age 18 and older have now received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, reaching a huge milestone for the County.
“Vaccination has proven to be a vital component in reducing test positivity rates in our county over the last several months,” said Dr. Clayton Chau, HCA Director and County Health Officer. “Since the reopening of our state on June 15, with many people no longer wearing masks or physically distancing, we’ve seen a slight increase in our seven-day positivity rate from 0.9% to 1.1% in the lowest HPI quartile areas. Of most interest is the fact that over 90%, of new positive cases were among people who are not fully vaccinated. In fact, over 95% of persons hospitalized with COVID-19 had not been fully vaccinated. We know the vaccines work. We are continuing to offer them to our community and encourage everyone who are not vaccinat
Andrew Noymer, a UC Irvine professor of population health and disease prevention, said Tuesday that the slight increases were expected. It s been two weeks since everything opened up ., Noymer said. There was always going to be a small increase when we lifted restrictions.
Noymer is predicting more significant increases in the fall, when lower temperatures compel more indoor activity and students return to classes.
Noymer was critical of Los Angeles County s recommendation that vaccinated residents return to masking up when indoors in public places. The American public has no appetite for masking indefinitely, Noymer said. That s just not going to fly. We need to keep our powder dry for the fall or winter and let people have the summer off, which is why I don t understand what LA County is doing. They re telegraphing that the vaccines don t work, which is wrong, they do work.
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Costa Mesa’s Orange County fairgrounds stayed busy throughout the pandemic offering COVID-19 tests, vaccinations and hosting a number of drive-through events but for the first time in a long while, the site is getting back to what it does best.
The 164-foot La Grande Wheel XL is being assembled, carnival game booths are coming into form and farm animals are being groomed for the auction block in preparation for the 2021 O.C. Fair, which runs July 16 through Aug. 15.
This year’s theme “Time for Fun” couldn’t be more fitting, after organizers pulled the plug on last year’s festival at the beginning of a pandemic only now is showing signs of receding.