Mixed results on COVID-19

Two categories of statistics on the status of the coronavirus in Orange County showed improvement in Friday’s report, and two showed the opposite.

The report covers Aug. 16 to 18.

According to that report, hospitalizations dropped from 291 to 271 and the use of intensive care units to treat COVID-19 patients declined from 44 to 36.

However, deaths rose from 15 to 29 and confirmed new cases were at 2,076, which averages to 692 per day, an increase from Tuesday’s average of 654. A week ago the average was 769.

In Orange County to date there have been 653,562 confirmed cases, of which 626,094 are considered recovered. Deaths are at 7,303.

Nationally, new cases are down 19 percent and deaths by 3 percent – over a 14-day period – reports The New York Times. In California, new cases have declined 37 percent and deaths by 11 percent, according to Los Angeles Times.