CORONAVIRUS statistics in Orange County continue to rise and fall (Shutterstock).

The up-and-down pattern of coronavirus statistics in Orange County continued in Wednesday’s report from the county health care agency.

According to the OCHCA, the count of new confirmed cases rose to 557 from 517 on Tuesday. But that’s less than Monday’s estimate of 618.

Deaths held steady at six, but hospitalizations increased from 564 to 573.  The number of patients being treated in intensive care units declined from 132 to 129.

To date, Orange County has had 282,166 cases of coronavirus, of which 260,174 are considered recovered. The death total is 5,190.

At the national and state levels, there’s some indication that new cases are approaching a plateau. The New York Times is reporting that new cases – over a 14-day period – are increasing at 28 percent across the U.S.,

In California, the Los Angeles Times is reporting a 23 percent increase over a similar period. However, the national statistic for deaths is at 84 percent increase and 101 percent increase for California.