Orange County Urges Residents To Get Flu Shot To Prevent 'Twindemic' This Fall
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — The Orange County Health Care Agency Thursday reported 281 newly confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and four more deaths, bringing countywide totals to 50,471 cases and 1,069 deaths.
The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized increased slightly on Thursday to 239, and the number of people being treated in intensive care units increased to 64. The county's 7-day average positivity rate was 4.2%, within the parameters for the orange tier, though the daily case count per 100,000 remained above the threshold at 5.2.
At the county's weekly coronavirus update Thursday, Dr. Clayton Chau, the county's chief health officer and director of the OCHCA, and Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel emphasized the importance of planning to get flu shots so the county can avoid a so-called "twindemic."
"We are expecting several shipments at the end of September," Chau said. "Be on the lookout for flu shot events in the community throughout the five districts."
In order to encourage social distancing, flu shots will be made available on a walk-up and drive-thru basis.
Steel also announced that the county's libraries will be reopening for a new grab-and-go service on Sept. 22.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)