COVID-19 numbers show promise

By OC Tribune Staff on August 30, 2020 • ( Leave a comment )

SOME BUSINESS openings may be coming if Orange County’s coronavirus numbers continue to show improvement (Pexels).

Orange County’s coronavirus numbers continued to show improvement in Sunday’s reports. According to both state and county statistics, the OC is on track to be moved to a less restrictive tier.

The county rates the crucial “test positivity” rate – what part of those tested for COVID-19 are actually infected – at 4.8 percent, a drop from 5 percent the day before. The state threshold is less that eight percent. State numbers for Orange County are at 5 percent and cases per 100,000 at 5.6 percent.

To qualify for a move “up” from the current “widespread” tier to “substantial” a county must improve to between 4 and 7 daily cases per 100,000 and a test positivity of between 5 and 8 percent for 21 days. Orange County is now in its eighth day. The state will announce tier changes on Tuesdays.

Statistics posted today (Sunday) by the Orange County Health Care Agency showed 254 new positive cases and four deaths. Three hundred twenty-nine cases are hospitalized, of which 99 are in intensive care units.

Here’s a list of OC cities with the most cases. Deaths are in parentheses.