Case counts surge, more slowly

Confirmed new coronavirus cases in Orange County remain high, although the average of the last three days is down from Friday’s peak.

In Monday’s report from the county health care agency, 2,181 cases were reported for the Saturday to Monday period. That averages out to 727 per day, compared to Friday’s total of 1,108 and 777 on Thursday.

Deaths declined from three to two, and hospitalizations ticked down from 454 to 453. The count of patients being treated in intensive care units rose from 71 to 84.

To date, Orange County has had 271,197 cases, of which 253,052 are considered recovered. The death total is at 5,150.

At the national level, The New York Times is reporting that – over a 14-day period – new cases are up 112 percent and deaths by 92 percent. In California, according to the Los Angeles Times, new cases have risen by 75 percent and deaths by 66 percent over a similar period.