CORONAVIRUS numbers in Orange County decreased in Monday’s report after a rise on Friday (Shutterstock),

After a steep rise in new cases on Friday, Monday’s three-day average of new coronavirus cases in Orange County showed a return to declining numbers.

The latest report from the county health care agency showed 2,845 new cases over a three-day period (the OCHCA does not report statistics on weekends and holidays). That averages out to 948.33 cases per day, compared to Friday’s 2,795.

Deaths – also a three-day tally – totaled 28, a three-day average of 9.33 cases a day. That’s down from 12 on Friday.

Hospitalizations declined from 746 on Friday to 620 on Monday, and the number of COVID-19 patients being treated in intensive care units went from 134 to 123.

Nationally, The New York Times reports that new cases – over a 14-day period – declined by 57 percent, while deaths were up 18 percent. In California, Los Angeles Times is reporting new cases down 59 percent and deaths up 53 percent over a similar stretch.