NEWPORT BEACH is one of several Orange County beach cities showing sharp increases in coronavirus cases (Wikipedia/Library of Congress).

The number of area confirmed cases of coronavirus continues to rise sharply, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.

Today’s (Wednesday) count showed 606 cases, up by 107 from Tuesday’s totals. Three more deaths were reported, bringing the total of deaths in Orange County to 10.

Sixty-seven cases are in hospitals, with 31 cases in intensive care units.

In the cases-by-city, a big increase has been noted in some of the beach cities of Orange County.

Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and San Clemente have moved from near the bottom of the list of total cases to the middle of the pack, or higher.

The congregating of young people – who may not have been as diligent as others in practicing social distancing – at beaches may be a factor in those results.

The leaders overall are as follows:

• Irvine: 57.
• Anaheim: 56.
• Newport Beach: 54.
• Huntington Beach: 39.
• Santa Ana: 36.
• San Clemente: 30.
• Laguna Beach: 25.

In The Tribune’s coverage area, the count is:

• Huntington Beach: 39.
• Garden Grove: 12.
• Westminster 7.
• Stanton: 1.