Coronavirus: 44 new deaths, ICU occupancy dips below 200 in Orange County on Feb. 20

Forty-four new deaths were reported by Orange County public health officials on Saturday, Feb. 20, raising the total number of COVID-19 fatalities to 3,770.

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. The most recent death recorded was on Feb. 13.

The Orange County Health Care Agency reported 391 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, increasing the cumulative total in the county to 244,380  cases since tracking began.

The county also reported 591 patients in local hospitals. There were 196 patients listed in intensive care units on Saturday, down 19 since the previous report. The hospital patient totals are about the same level as where they were at the end of November.

The California Department of Public Health vaccines dashboard shows that 610,343 vaccines doses have been distributed in Orange County as of Feb. 19.

An estimated 5,053 cases of the virus have been recorded in Orange County in the last 14 days. The 14-day average of cases was 9,111 a week ago.

The county update said 2,950,649 tests have been given for the coronavirus since testing began locally, with at least 17,530 new tests since the previous report.

Of the cumulative 3,770 deaths reported from the virus, 932 were skilled nursing facility residents, 419 were in assisted living facilities, one was an O.C. jail inmate and seven were listed as homeless.

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

• 85 and older: 32.97% (1,243, up 17)
• 75-84: 24.08% (908, up 7)
• 65-74: 19.31% (728, up 2)
• 55-64: 13.47% (508, up 8)
• 45-54: 6.63% (250, up 8)
• 35-44: 2.23% (84, up 1)
• 25-34: 1.06% (40)
• 18-24: 0.21% (8)
• 17 and younger: 0.03% (1)

It is estimated 222,990 people have recovered from the virus as of Saturday. The count of people who have recovered is based on the prior 28-day cumulative case count.

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.

Orange County hospitalizations and ICU patients:

California’s vaccination phases:

Source: Orange County Register