CONFIRMED new corona cases in Orange County went into a steep drop in Thursday’s report from the county health agency (Shutterstock).

After a huge spike on Wednesday, the count of confirmed new cases of coronavirus in Orange County tumbled to a lower but still historic level on Thursday.

According to the county health care agency, today’s count was 5,906, falling from Wednesday’s 11,092. Deaths declined from three to two and hospitalizations rose slightly from 1,071 to 1,072.

The use of intensive care units to treat COVID-19 victims declined from 169 to 158.

To date, Orange County has had 422,418 cases, of which 314,541 are considered recovered. The total of deaths is at 5,916.

Nationally, The New York Times is reporting a 159 percent increase – over a 14-day period – in new cases and a 51 percent hike in deaths.