THE OMICRON variant is the cause of most new cases of coronavirus, but that surge appears to be fading (Shutterstock).

Despite small increases in some areas of Tuesday’s report on the coronavirus from the Orange County Health Care Agency, the overall trend suggests that the “winter surge” fueled largely by the Omicron variant is fading.

Confirmed new cases are at 702, up modestly from Monday’s four-day average of 690.5 and deaths are at 18, up from the four-day average of 12.5. But both figures were far below the daily numbers of a week, or even several days ago.

Hospitalizations declined from 453 to 431 and the number of persons being treated for COVID-19 in intensive care units fell from 89 to 77.

To date, Orange County has had 533,499 cases of coronavirus, of which 484,825 are considered recovered. The total of deaths is at 6,376.

Nationally, new cases – over a two-week period – are down by 66 percent, according to The New York Times, and deaths have decreased by 6 percent. In California, new cases are also down by 66 percent, but deaths are up by 26 percent, reports Los Angeles Times.