O.C. coronavirus cases dip after spiking in recent weeks

A woman wears a protective mask while exercising on the boardwalk in Huntington Beach on April 2, 2020. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

by: Los Angeles Times

Posted: May 18, 2020 / 08:58 PM PDT

Updated: May 18, 2020 / 08:58 PM PDT

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Orange County health officials announced 59 new coronavirus infections Monday — breaking a streak of five straight days when the daily number of new cases broke triple digits.

It remains to be seen whether this is a deviation or part of an observed pattern, however. For weeks, the county has generally announced comparatively few COVID-19 cases on Mondays and Tuesdays, only to see the numbers rise later in the week.

Last week, for instance, the Orange County Health Care Agency reported 53 new coronavirus infections on Monday and 59 on Tuesday, but the rest of the week saw some of the most significant day-over-day growth in case counts since the outbreak began — including a single-day high of 226 new confirmed infections on Thursday.

Cumulatively, there have been 4,434 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Orange County. Of those who have tested positive, 461 have been residents of skilled nursing facilities and 350 have been county jail inmates.

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