Hospitalizations have returned to the same level they were at when December began and they rose sharply because of the latest surge in infection rates.
The OC Health Care Agency reported 658 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, Feb.16, increasing the cumulative total in the county to 243,163 cases since tracking began. There were 40 new deaths reported by the county, raising the total number of COVID-19 fatalities to 3,617. The county’s update Tuesday reflects data from Monday, when the offices were closed for the Presidents’ Day holiday, and Tuesday. 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.
