Big jump in new cases, but …

A blip in record-keeping on the coronavirus may have had an effect on Wednesday’s numbers for Orange County.

The count of confirmed new cases on Wednesday rose to 1,414 after plunging to 309 the day before. However, the county health care agency noted on Tuesday that its tally was affected by problems with the state reporting system.

Deaths were up to 60 from 25 on Tuesday. Hospitalizations dipped slightly from 619 to 617 and the number of patients being treated for COVID-19 in intensive care units ticked down from 125 to 124.

So far, a total of 528,794 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Orange County, of which 464,554 are considered recovered. The death total is at 6,265.

Nationally, The New York Times is reporting that new cases – over a 14-day period – have declined 63 percent while deaths are up 9 percent. In California, new cases have fallen 68 percent and deaths raised by 33 percent, according to Los Angeles Times.