Unlike progress on two coronavirus metrics overseen by California public health leaders, Orange County is more firmly planted in the red layer of the state’s epidemic tracking system, which determines what is opened in each county.
The state-level Public Health Department’s weekly-level system update on Tuesday, Oct. 27 showed that the county’s case rate has risen to 5.1 new cases per 100,000 residents per day, up from 4.6 cases per 100,000 last week.
The share of tests known as health equity metrics in some of the county’s epidemic-hit neighborhoods has risen from .6% to%% last week, minus the tangible gains made since the indicator was released earlier this month.
Public health officials are seeing high COVID-19 health similarities in low-income areas, where many residents cannot work from home and do not have health care equipment to navigate the epidemic.
Although Orange County lost ground in two carefully monitored coronavirus metrics, it remained in third place: the county’s overall test positive – the share of swab tests – positive returns – was week.8% since last week.
All three metrics are the cornerstone of the state’s public health department’s four-tier tracking system, and as the epidemic recedes, health professionals are critical to controlling what business and public sector can be reopened, and at what capacity.
Counties must remain in one of four levels – purple, red, orange or yellow – for at least three weeks and to advance to the next level to qualify in all three metrics. Tires cannot be left behind and counties that have a backpad in any metric can return to a stricter level.
Orange County dropped purple on September 8 for “widespread” risk, and has since been in the red for “significant” risk.
