Orange County Again Reports New Record In COVID-19 Hospitalizations
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Orange County continued its record-setting pace for COVID-19 hospitalizations Tuesday as the outbreak at the county jail continued to grow with a record five inmates hospitalized.
The number of patients hospitalized rose from 2,178 Monday to 2,236 Tuesday, including an increase in intensive care patients from 500 to 504 — both new records.
County health officials also reported 1,376 newly confirmed cases and no new deaths, bringing countywide totals to 171,955 cases and 1,926 deaths.
The Orange County Jail's recent outbreak also continued, with an increase from 1,097 infected inmates Monday to 1,154 inmates infected Tuesday — five of whom were hospitalized. Authorities said they were awaiting the results of 202 more tests.
The latest outbreak has affected legal proceedings at the county's courthouses, including the ongoing preliminary hearing in a murder conspiracy case involving alleged Orange County Mexican Mafia chief Johnny Martinez. The case was put on hold when a co-defendant tested positive for COVID-19.
It has also impacted the OC sheriff's coroner's office, which has started accepting bodies of COVID-19 victims from hospitals because the area's mortuaries and funeral homes are too full.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
