Orange County now has the second-most coronavirus infections in California, as the region and state continue to grapple with sharp spikes in the number of confirmed cases.
Over the last 14 days, Orange County has reported 12,104 additional COVID-19 cases, a figure that trails only that of Los Angeles, according to The Times’ coronavirus tracker. During that same time, Riverside County has confirmed 9,428; San Bernardino County, 8,754; and San Diego County, 7,135.
When accounting for population, however, Orange County has reported fewer overall cases per 100,000 residents than Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, but more than San Diego County.
An estimated 14,366 people have recovered from the coronavirus to date in Orange County, according to the county Health Care Agency.
Orange County also has reported the second-most coronavirus-linked fatalities in the state over the last 14 days, with 127 of its 493 total deaths confirmed over that period.
Overall, only Los Angeles, with 4,104 deaths, and Riverside, with 588, have lost more residents to the coronavirus. Both those counties also have seen more deaths per 100,000 residents than Orange County, while San Bernardino and San Diego have seen fewer, according to The Times’ tracker.
During a news conference last week, Orange County Executive Officer Frank Kim said he did not think the region’s case rate was out of line with those of neighboring counties.
“Obviously, there are some days where one county is higher than another,” he said, “but I did not see us as an outlier within the large urban counties in Southern California.”
During the early days of the pandemic, Orange County seemed to escape the devastating outbreaks and death tolls that hit other parts of the state — especially L.A. The county didn’t top 100 confirmed COVID-19 deaths until May 9, more than two weeks after Riverside County hit that grim milestone, according to public health data.
Some officials cited the county’s early numbers as evidence that the region was ready to more widely reopen businesses that were shuttered under California’s stay-at-home order.
But, as has been the case statewide, Orange County’s reopening of businesses and public spaces has been followed by sharp upticks in confirmed coronavirus infections and hospitalizations.
With cases increasing at an alarming rate, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced statewide restrictions last week to again halt all indoor dining and close bars, zoos and museums. More than two dozen counties on the state’s monitoring list — including Orange County — were forced to shutter gyms, houses of worship, offices with nonessential workers, malls, and indoor operations at nail and hair salons.
Orange County has drawn headlines for politically and publicly pushing back against some of the restrictions meant to help stymie the disease’s spread.
A major point of contention has been whether residents should be required to wear masks. In early June, the county’s public health officer resigned after weeks of verbal attacks, including a death threat, over her mandatory mask rules. Her replacement later rescinded the rules amid intense pressure, instead “strongly recommending” that residents wear face coverings when in public.
