Orange County coronavirus measures are gaining ground; late arrival of vaccines – Orange County Register

A month and a half after three crucial COVID-19 tracking metrics shattered previous records in the worst wave to date, Orange County’s situation has improved to such an extent that it may soon turn upside down. qualify for the less restrictive red level of the pandemic rules.

And as thousands of people are vaccinated every day with more in reserve, rising immunity is expected to continue to push down the parameters – especially the share of coronavirus tests that come back positive, said Dr Clayton Chau, director of the OC Health Care Agency and County Health Officer.

Orange County’s health equity measure – or positivity test in neighborhoods where residents are more vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic – dropped to 7% this week, meeting the red level requirement of 8% for the first time since fall, according to a State Department of the Public. Update of health indicators Tuesday 23 February.

Last week, the county’s health equity measured 10.6%.

County-wide positivity testing, the first metric to cross territory from the red level last week, further improved to 5.4% from 7.8% last week, meaning that out of 100 people tested by swab or sputum in Orange County, about five are positive for the coronavirus.

The delay that keeps Orange County in the most restrictive purple level is its case rate, which also fell this week to 11.9 cases per day per 100,000 people from 20.7 last week, but has remained at -above the red level threshold rate of 7.

But Chau noted to the county supervisory board on Tuesday that the case rate “has dropped dramatically in the past month or so.”

Going to red level would ease some restrictions in Orange County – a handful of types of businesses and public places such as restaurants, cinemas and gyms could once again accommodate customers indoors, albeit with limited capacity and with other rules in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

All three metrics must be within the red level ranges for two weeks before the shift is official. The majority of California’s 58 counties remained in this week’s most restrictive purple level; only 11 counties were in lower levels.

Late vaccines have arrived

Chau told county supervisors in a meeting on Tuesday that a late shipment of vaccines that staff should have received last week to keep mass vaccination sites fully functioning finally arrived that morning, and that this week’s award is scheduled for Thursday.

Chau said this means the Disneyland Super POD (distribution point), which had been closed since Thursday due to reduced supplies, could reopen on Wednesday. He did not say whether two other county-run shooting centers at Soka University and Santa Ana College would immediately resume regular appointments.

But despite the supply line disruption caused in part by the freezing weather in the east, county officials had enough vaccines on hand to launch its latest large-scale site at the Anaheim Convention Center on Tuesday, where staff has treated patients requiring a second dose.

Despite a slow start complicated by vaccine shortages and technical issues with state and county systems, Chau said the county is now making solid progress in immunizing vulnerable groups, such as the nonwhite elderly.

The overall share of seniors vaccinated in Orange County is encouraging, Chau said, and as older people tend to have more severe cases of COVID-19 than younger, healthier people, the burden on hospitals premises should be lightened in the future.

“We believe we’ve passed more than half of people over the age of 65 who have received at least one dose of the vaccine – that’s something to celebrate,” Chau said.

Blue Shield’s new role

County officials have been frustrated by the lack of details on how Blue Shield will take over as the state’s vaccine administrator, but more information could be provided later this week.

On Tuesday, Chau told county supervisors he would meet with Blue Shield officials on Thursday. After the new administrator takes office (probably next week), the county will receive regular vaccine allocations like other healthcare providers, such as Kaiser Permanente and UCI Health, but will no longer have to provide doses. to small doctor’s offices and clinics, he said. .