SANTA ANA, Calif. (CNS) — The number of coronavirus patients in Orange County hospitals fell below 200 Sunday, dropping to 195 from 207 on Saturday, according to the latest state figures.

The number of COVID patients in intensive care in the county was 58, down from 61 the day before.


What You Need To Know

  • The number of coronavirus patients in OC hospitals fell below 200 Sunday, dropping to 195 from 207 on Saturday

  • The number of COVID patients in intensive care in the county was 58, down from 61 the day before

  • The county had 24.6% of its intensive care unit beds available and 67% of its ventilators as of Friday

  • The number of fully vaccinated residents in Orange County increased from 2,190,754 Nov. 4 to 2,200, 493 as of Wednesday

The county had 24.6% of its intensive care unit beds available and 67% of its ventilators as of Friday.

Also Friday, the county logged 552 new infections and nine more fatalities associated with the virus, raising the cumulative totals to 308,540 cases and 5,643 deaths since the pandemic began, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.

The OCHCA does not report COVID cases or deaths on weekends.

Andrew Noymer, an epidemiologist and UC Irvine professor of population health and disease prevention, told City News Service that the county's infection rates are "pretty flat" as of now. But Noymer expects a rise in cases as the temperatures drop.

"There's going to be more this winter," Noymer said. "People forget how bad last winter was, but this winter will be worse than last summer, but not as bad as last winter."

Last winter, the county's hospitals were nearly full.

The number of fully vaccinated residents in Orange County increased from 2,190,754 Nov. 4 to 2,200,493 as of Wednesday.

That number includes an increase from 2,045,291 to 2,053,496 residents who have received the two-dose regimen of vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna. The number of residents receiving the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine increased from 145,463 to 146,997.

There are 189,201 residents who have received one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

About 3,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered Tuesday for the newly eligible ages of 5 to 11, the county's deputy county health officer recently told reporters.

Since those ages were authorized to receive the Pfizer vaccine earlier this month, nearly 7,780 doses overall have been administered.

"So seeing 3,000 on a Tuesday is really good," Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong said on Wednesday.

As of last Monday, 69% of the total population had received at least one dose, and 64% are fully vaccinated, Chinsio-Kwong said. When considering just eligible age groups 5 and older, 73% received at least one dose and 68% are fully vaccinated, she added.

Children age 5 to 11 represent 8% of the county's population, Chinsio-Kwong said.

The infection rate has been trending down among the vaccinated and unvaccinated, according to the most recent data from the OCHCA.

The case rate per 100,000 unvaccinated residents was 17.5 as of Oct. 30, but was down to 17 as of Nov. 6, the latest data available. For fully vaccinated residents it was 3.6 as of Oct. 30, and 3.3 as of Nov. 6.

The county's weekly COVID-19 case rate per 100,000 residents increased from 7.2 to 7.3 as of last Tuesday, while the test-positivity rate ticked up from 2.5% to 2.8%.

The county's Health Equity Quartile positivity rate — which measures progress in low-income communities — increased from 2.4% to 3%.