Coronavirus: 22 new deaths, more than 800,000 tested in Orange County on Sept. 22

The Orange County Health Care Agency reported 181 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, Sept. 22, increasing the cumulative total to 52,382 cases.

There were 22 new deaths reported in the county on Tuesday, raising the death toll to 1,150. The data on deaths in the county is compiled from death certificates or gathered through the course of case investigations and can take weeks to process, officials say. The most recent deaths were on Sept. 20.

The Orange County Health Care Agency reported the local rate at which tests are coming back positive for coronavirus was 3.1% on Tuesday, within the range the state has set for counties in its red (substantial virus threat) tier to move to the orange (moderate threat) tier.

Orange County has to spend three weeks in the red tier, or until Sept. 29, before it could possibly drop down a level, if trends meet the criteria.

The seven-day average for new cases of coronavirus per 100,000 people in the county is 3.6, enough to lower the county to the orange tier when it is eligible.

A county must meet criteria for the next tier for both measures for the prior two consecutive weeks in order to progress down a level.

Several counties in the state were lowered to less restrictive levels on Tuesday.

Of the 1,150 deaths in Orange County, 425 were skilled nursing facility residents, 79 were in assisted living facilities and one was listed as homeless.

The county’s breakdown of deaths by age is as follows:

85 and older: 31% (353)
75-84: 22% (246)
65-74: 20% (235)
55-64: 13% (163)
45-54: 9% (99)
35-44: 3% (32)
25-34: 1.3% (17)
18-24: <1% (4)
17 and younger: 0% (1)

It is estimated about 90% of the cumulative reported cases, or 47,197 people as of Tuesday, have recovered. The count of people who have recovered is based on the prior 28-day cumulative case count.

The county reports a total of 805,192 tests have been given since testing began, and at least 7,004 tests were reported in the last 24 hours.

The county also reported 170 patients in hospitals with the coronavirus on Tuesday. This is about the same level of hospitalizations as in late April. The county report showed there are 55 patients in ICUs as of Tuesday, the lowest number since April 16.

Data posted each day is preliminary and subject to change, officials emphasize. More information may become available as individual case investigations are completed.

You can find the Orange County Health Care Agency dashboard here.

Hospitalizations and deaths: