Orange County Now On State's 'Watch List' As Cases Surpass 13K
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Orange County health officials reported 456 new coronavirus cases and four additional deaths Monday as Gov. Gavin Newsom said the county has been added to the state's "watch list'' due to concerning coronavirus statistics.
The county's total number of cases now stands at 13,064 cases and 330 fatalities.
Last week, officials confirmed the county's deadliest week since the pandemic began with 56 reported deaths.
OC Health Care Agency reported a single-day record of newly confirmed cases announcing 540 cases on Saturday.
Newsom announced during a midday briefing that Orange County, along with Solano, Merced, and Glenn counties, had been added to the state Department of Public Health's watch list due to increasing percentages of positive tests.
Being added to the state's watch list initially means only that state health officials will work more closely with local officials on efforts to
manage the spread of the virus.
The number of people hospitalized dipped from 492 on Sunday to 485 on Monday. The number of patients in intensive care rose from 170 to 175.
To date, the county has performed 223,363 tests and has 7,193 documented recoveries.
Of the fatalities, 171 were from nursing homes, and two were transients.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)