THE CASE count for COVID-19 in Orange County declined again in Wednesday’s report (Shutterstock).

Encouraging numbers continue to come from the Orange County Health Care Agency’s reports of the status of the coronavirus.

According to the OCHCA, Wednesday’s count of confirmed new cases was 279, down from Tuesday’s 281 and Monday’s three-day average of 355.3

Deaths increased from seven to eight, but still lower than Monday’s three-day average of 10.3. Hospitalizations dropped from 166 to 159 and the number of patients being treated for COVID-19 in intensive care units ticked up to a still-low 29 from 28.

So far, Orange County has had 541,742 cases of the virus, of which 527,027 are considered recovered. The death total is 6,704.

Across the nation, The New York Times reports that – over a 14-day period – cases have declined by 51 percent and deaths by 26 percent. In California, Los Angeles Times reports a 61 percent decrease in new cases and a 17 percent decline in deaths.