COVID-19 Hospitalization Rate Continues to Fall in Orange County

SANTA ANA (CBSLA/CNS) - Orange County reported 391 new cases of COVID-19 and 44 additional deaths on Saturday. According to the Orange County Health Care Agency, hospitalizations continued a downward trend, dropping from 636 on Friday to 591, with the number of coronavirus patients in intensive care dropping from 215 to 196. The county has 15.1% of its ICU beds and 63% of its ventilators available.

Since the pandemic began, OC has had a total of 244,380 cases and 3,770 fatalities.

As of Saturday morning, officials were still waiting for word on when the vaccines would be restocked. Winter storms have blocked delivery of doses nationwide and were to blame for the closure of Disneyland vaccination site until at least next week. The supply shortage may also delay next Wednesday's scheduled opening of anew distribution point at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The vaccine sites at Soka University and Santa Ana College will be also closed Sunday.

"We didn't get any (more) vaccine yet, so we're on a holding pattern with the temporary closures of at least the Disney POD," Orange County CEO Frank Kim said. "And there's no change to the current timeline for Santa Ana College and Soka University."

County officials on Friday used what little vaccines they had left to provide booster shots for seniors through mobile clinics that were set up to reach seniors who had to get help enrolling in the county's Othena app and website, Kim said. Anyone due a booster shot should not worry about being a little late, he said.

According to Dr. Clayton Chau, the county's chief health officer and director of the Orange County Health Care Agency, the manufacturers say a booster shot can be dispensed up to six weeks late and still be effective.

Starting next week, the county will allocate 70% of its vaccines for residents 65 and older and the rest for new categories of workers now made eligible for shots by the state. They include teachers, child care providers and food industry workers.

Vaccines