Red tier could be in sight as Orange County coronavirus metrics improve – Los Angeles Times

Orange Countys coronavirus numbers continue to improve, as the county has now met one of the three metrics required to move from the states most restrictive, widespread purple tier for reopening to the less restrictive, substantial red tier.

The Orange County Health Care Agency reports that the countys test positivity rate has fallen to 7.8%. That figure is a seven-day average and comes with a seven-day lag. Counties in the red tier must have a positivity rate between 5% to 8%.

However, the county has a way to go to satisfy the other two requirements: an adjusted daily case rate of four to seven people per 100,000, and a health equity quartile positivity rate of 5.3% to 8%. The health equity quartile measures rates of infection with the virus in the countys most disadvantaged communities.

Orange Countys adjusted daily case rate is 20.7 per 100,000 people, and the health equity quartile rate is 10.7%.

We havent seen any spikes so far from the Super Bowl, so thats good news, Orange County Executive Officer Frank Kim told the City News Service this week.

Kim said the county has one foot in the red tier, and another firmly planted in purple still.

Counties have to meet the requirements for a less restrictive tier for two weeks before moving to that tier. Last fall, Orange County was in the red tier, under which places like movie theaters and gyms can be open indoors with modifications.

The county opened a new COVID-19 vaccination site on Wednesday at Santa Ana College. The appointment-only operation runs Tuesday through Saturday and aims to vaccinate 1,000 people who live in high-risk communities, like Santa Ana and Anaheim, per day.

Qualified individuals living in the identified high-risk communities will receive an appointment, according to a news release.

The healthcare agency reported 27 new deaths due to COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the countys overall death toll to 3,644 people. There were 166 daily positive coronavirus tests received, and 243,329 cases countywide have now been recorded to date, including deaths.

There are 719 patients hospitalized, and 235 of those are in intensive-care units.

Here are the latest cumulative coronavirus case counts and COVID-19 deaths for select cities in Orange County:

Here are the case counts by age group, followed by deaths:

Updated figures are posted daily at occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/coronavirus-in-oc. Information on the COVID-19 vaccine in Orange County can be found at occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/covid-19-vaccine-resources.

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Red tier could be in sight as Orange County coronavirus metrics improve - Los Angeles Times