Case count up in new report

The average number of new coronavirus cases in Orange County bounced up in Friday’s report, ending improvement shown in the three previous reports.

Statistics are issued by the county health care agency on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The latest report, which covers the three-day period from Aug. 9-11, shows confirmed new cases at 2,308 for a daily average of 769.33. That’s up from Tuesday’s report of 745 and down from previous averages of 955 and 927.

Deaths increased from 12 to 15. Hospitalizations rose from 271 to 291, and the use of intensive care units to treat COVID-19 patients climbed from 40 to 44.

To date, Orange County has had 648,871 confirmed cases of coronavirus cases, of which 617,736 are considered recovered. The total of deaths is 7,262.

Across the nation, The New York Times is reporting that – over a 14-day period – new coronavirus cases are down 17 percent, but deaths have increased by 8 percent. Hospitalizations have declined 3 percent.

In California, new cases have decreased by 39 percent over a two-week stretch, according to Los Angeles Times. Deaths, however, have risen by 10 percent.