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Orange County Coronavirus

Coronavirus Hits OC Homeless Shelters as Hospitalizations Continue to Skyrocket

JULIE LEOPO, Vice of OC

The county's Courtyard homeless shelter in Santa Ana on June 23, 2020. It's unclear if there's been coronavirus outbreaks at the shelter.

By Spencer Custodio Spencer Custodio | December 23, 2020
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Coronavirus outbreaks are tearing through Orange County homeless shelters as hospitals are treating a tsunami of virus patients after a series of record-breaking daily case increases. 


Editor’s Note: As Orange County’s only nonprofit & nonpartisan newsroom, Voice of OC brings you the best, most comprehensive local Coronavirus news absolutely free. No ads, no paywalls. We need your help. Please, make a tax-deductible donation today to support your local news.


“Over the last week, there has been a significant increase in COVID-19 positive individuals at congregate shelter locations,” reads a Tuesday memo from county health officer Dr. Clayton Chau to OC Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel.

The memo lists numerous outbreaks, but doesn’t say which shelters are being hit.  

“There are currently ongoing outbreaks (defined as 3 more cases within a 2-week period of time) in 16 shelters in Orange County. In the past two weeks, 118 persons experiencing homelessness were confirmed COVID-19 positive,” reads Chau’s memo. 

The current outbreaks are hitting homeless shelters harder than the first wave. 

“This is a considerably higher number of shelter outbreaks than we have seen previously, including during the summer surge when the most active outbreaks at any time included seven shelters,” reads the memo.

County officials worked with city officials in Fullerton to boost the number of shelter beds at the Fullerton Navigation Center for virus-positive homeless people, which are slated for isolation to help prevent the virus from spreading, according to the memo. 

Meanwhile, hospitals continue to be flooded with coronavirus patients as Orange County is quickly approaching 2,000 people hospitalized. 

As of Wednesday, 1,854 county residents were hospitalized, including 394 people in intensive care units, according to the county Health Care Agency. A week ago, 1519 people were hospitalized. 

The daily increases are happening even as hospitals are discharging as many stabilized patients as possible in an effort to free up beds. 

The county has broken hospitalization records every day since Dec. 2, after surpassing July’s highpoint of 722 people hospitalized in the first wave.

Except when the July peak hit, average daily cases were decreasing. In mid-July, OC’s daily average number of new cases was just over 900, using a rolling seven-day average. 

Now the county is averaging roughly 4,400 new cases a day — up from 790 when the month began.

OC saw 4,406 new cases reported Wednesday. 

State public health officials estimate about 12% of all new cases end up in hospitals two to three weeks down the road. 

The onslaught of new virus patients has forced some Orange County hospitals to curb their non-emergency procedures to free up staff and beds. 

The situation has deteriorated to the point where county health officials are forcing hospitals to take ambulance patients, even if their emergency rooms are full. 

The trends are alarming public health experts and doctors across OC.

“The pandemic is all of us — all of us moving around, meeting each other. That’s what spreads the virus,” said UC Irvine epidemiologist Andrew Noymer in a Tuesday phone interview. 

“We’ve been setting records in terms of hospital occupancy and the ICUs for some days now,” Noymer said. “One of these days it’s going to crest and start falling. If you bet on everyday increasing, chances are you’ll be successful more days than not.” 

Noymer said it’s difficult to predict when the trends will start decreasing and is closely following TSA screening data at airports to gauge how many people are flying for Christmas. 

“On the 21st, we were actually just under a million. That’s encouraging, but we’re still seeing a large volume of air travel judging by the TSA screening numbers. That means people are on the move nationwide,” Noymer said. “I’m worried about that.” 

The virus has now killed 1,781 OC residents out of 134,820 confirmed cases. 

It’s already killed more than three times as many people as the flu does on a yearly average. 

For context, Orange County has averaged around 20,000 deaths a year since 2016, including 543 annual flu deaths, according to state health data. 

According to those state death statistics, cancer kills over 4,600 people, heart disease kills over 2,800, more than 1,400 die from Alzheimer’s disease and strokes kill over 1,300 people.

Orange County has already surpassed its yearly average 20,000 deaths, with 21,110 people dead as of November, according to the latest available state data. 

It’s a difficult virus for the medical community to tackle because some people don’t show any symptoms, yet can still spread it. Others feel slight symptoms, like fatigue and a mild fever. Others end up in ICUs for days and weeks before making it out, while other people eventually die from the virus. 

Noymer said the peak might come mid-January, but that’s if Christmas and New Years don’t produce even more cases during the second wave — a spike on top of a spike — like Thanksgiving did. 

“My guess based on everything i’ve seen so far is that we’ll peak sometime in mid-January. But that comes with two caveats, the first being is that it’s in all of our hands when it peaks — the die is not cast yet,” Noymer said. And the other caveat is just the overarching thing is that nobody really knows.” 

Here’s the latest on the virus numbers across Orange County from county data:
Infections | Hospitalizations & Deaths | City-by-City Data | Demographics





Spencer Custodio is a Voice of OC staff reporter. You can reach him at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @SpencerCustodio

How can I sign up for a vaccine?

For full details on the COVID-19 vaccine in Orange County view our Voice of OC vaccine page that is constantly updated and has links of where to register for an appointment: http://bit.ly/occovidvaccine.

What is COVID-19? Do I have it?

INFORMATION View the CDC website. View OC's website. View the latest OC case counts.

TRANSLATIONS See the county's guides in non-English languages. Learn key Coronavirus facts in Vietnamese and Spanish via VietRise. See VietRISE guides in Spanish and Vietnamese.

PROTECTION To limit exposure, the CDC recommends: wash your hands often, avoid close contact with others, cover your mouth and nose with a cloth mask when around others, cover coughs and sneezes, clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

SYMPTOMS The CDC identifies these key symptoms that can occur any time between 2 and 14 days after exposure: Fever or chills, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches,  headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea. If you suspect Coronavirus, CALL your primary medical provider.

EMERGENCY SYMPTOMS If you display any of the following emergency warning signs, seek immediate medical attention: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, or bluish lips or face.

RISK The CDC identifies people most at risk for serious illness: Older adults, and people who have serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease.

What is open?

RESIDENTS The County of Orange offers a list of notices and news on what guidance is given for families and persons.

SCHOOLS The latest information for the county is available from the Orange County Board of Education.

STATE GUIDE TO WHAT IS OPEN A full list of statewide guidelines for what is open and what is closed.

SOCIAL DISTANCING Staying away from other people is called "social distancing." The aim is to SLOW the spread of Coronavirus so as to not overwhelm the nation's health care systems and so that people in need can get help. The Washington Post explains: "The spread (of COVID-19) can be slowed, public health professionals say, if people practice "social distancing" by avoiding public spaces and generally limiting their movement."

What support is available?

STRESS & ANXIETY Stress and anxiety can be triggered by the situation and resources are available to help from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and from the American Psychology Association. Concern over this new virus can make children and families anxious, here are tips on talking with children about COVID-19.

MENTAL HEALTH The County of Orange offers a list of available mental health support services.

FIRST RESPONDERS The County of Orange offers these support services for first responders and health care workers.

BUSINESSES & ORGANIZATIONS The County of Orange offers a list of up-to-date guidelines for business and faith-based/community organizations.

FOOD ASSISTANCE Voice of OC offers a weekly list of available food pantries in Orange County. You can also apply for food benefits over the phone through the CalFresh program at 800-281-9799 or online.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Buses and trains still offer service, but routes have been reduced so make sure to check your route ahead of time.

HOMELESSNESS The County of Orange offers a list of available shelter beds and other resources.

GENERAL FINANCIAL HELP Here are some services:

  •   • Find information on unemployment and disability benefits.
  •   • The Orange County Social Services Agency, despite closing its lobby, is processing online filings for assistance programs. This includes emergency cash assistance for immediate needs like rent or medical bills. The phone line has averaged a 30 minute wait time and offers a callback service, but people are encouraged to apply for benefits online.
  •   • Residents can apply for any of these programs by calling 800-281-9799.

RESTAURANT OWNERS & EMPLOYEES You can find a detailed list of resources available to restaurant owners and employees

How can I help?

VOLUNTEERING A statewide guide offers examples of ways to volunteer safely during Coronavirus. Options include, but are not limited to: donating plasma, making cloth face masks and supporting local food banks. Orange County's Second Harvest Food Bank lists support options online.

DONATIONS An Orange County Community Resilience Fund has been started through the OC Community Foundation to raise money for local nonprofits and volunteer organizations.

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