Coronavirus cases increase in Orange County amid emergence of Omicron surge

A fisherman wearing a face mask straightens his fishing line on Thursday at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley.

By Priscella Vega

Dec. 23, 2021 8:15 PM PT

With the holiday season underway amid growing coronavirus cases, Orange County Health officials are strongly urging people to take safety precautions before and after travel and gatherings.

Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, deputy county health officer, said in a media briefing Thursday that they’re seeing and expecting a rise in cases much like other surrounding counties in the state with the prevalence of Omicron, the latest dominant version of the coronavirus in the United States that’s already revived an indoor mask mandate.

As of this week, more than half of new infections in the nation were identified as Omicron, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Orange County was averaging about 400 cases per day, but Chinsio-Kwong said there’s been a steady increase beginning this week and suspects it’s related to the Omicron variant.

As of Thursday afternoon, the agency reported 655 positive cases with five deaths, including one skilled nursing facility resident. There are 322,550 cumulative cases to date, including deaths. O.C. reported its first Omicron variant case last week with an additional case this week, Chinsio-Kwong said.

“Even if you’re hearing news about Omicron causing mild illnesses, I want people to still take caution,” she said. “Every time this infects an individual it has a chance to mutate, so we’re looking at a potential for a more highly transmissible mutation or variant, one that can cause even more severe illness.”

According to preliminary results from a study led by Alejandro B. Balazs of the Ragon Institute in Cambridge, Mass., found that Omicron is twice as infectious as the Delta variant and four times more infectious than the original coronavirus. The study relied on a small sample size and has yet to be peer-reviewed, so the results may not be representative of Omicron’s overall behavior.

Public health officials and hospitals statewide are bracing for a rough winter with the holiday season and Omicron, reminding people to get their first set of vaccinations and booster as soon as they’re eligible.

“This is a critical time for us to use all of the tools we have available to prevent COVID from surging and potentially straining our county’s healthcare capacity,” Chinsio-Kwong said in a statement.

Officials recommend everyone test 24 hours before and three to five days after gathering or traveling despite vaccination status. Self-administered COVID-19 test kits are available for free online by visiting ochealthinfo.com/covidtest. John Wayne Airport terminals A and C are distributing kits to travelers.

Masks should cover the mouth and nose without any gaps above the nose or at the sides to ensure the air is pushed through the mask’s filter, according to the state department of public health. Layering two masks — a cloth one on top of a surgical one — can help them fit more snug against the face.

Here are the latest cumulative coronavirus case counts and COVID-19 deaths for area cities in Orange County, as of Thursday afternoon: