Doctors and hospital officials say they’re cautiously encouraged that hospitalizations are not rising, while urging the public to wear masks and physically distance.
Author Archives: Nick Gerda
Nick covers the city of Santa Ana, as well as the County of Orange, often reporting on issues like homelessness, public safety, mental health, and the role of money in politics.
Since joining Voice of OC in 2011, Nick has regularly shed light on topics that are often kept in the shadows. He’s reported on systemic problems in the county’s mental health system. He also led a reporting team that produced sophisticated looks at how the Disney corporation campaign contributions influenced recent elections in Anaheim.
Nick also revealed evidence of elected leaders using their official powers to apparently pressure government contractors into donating to their election campaigns, in an article that was awarded best news story of the year by the Orange County Press Club. He firmly believes journalism should inform the public and help hold the powerful accountable.
An Orange County native, Nick first started covering local government in his mid-teens, before attending Santa Ana College, the American University in Cairo, and UC Irvine, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Languages spoken: English, elementary Spanish, minimal Arabic and minimal Japanese
Areas of expertise: Local government, local politics, homelessness, mental health policy, campaign finance, California Public Records Act, Ralph M. Brown Act, County of Orange government, Santa Ana city government and municipal finance.
Posted inCountywide
Report Prompts Questions on Why DA Spitzer Kept Snitch Scandal Prosecutors Despite Accountability Promises
A new report confirms and expands on an appeals court’s 2016 findings of misconduct.
Posted inCountywide
OC Restaurant Outbreaks Rose Sharply When Indoor Dining Opened, Now Down Since Closing, County Says
OC public health director: Dine-in closures aim to curb infections.
Posted inCountywide
Orange County Won’t List Workplace Coronavirus Outbreaks, Saying it Would Hurt Cooperation
This week, OC officials reiterated they have no current plans to publish such a list, citing concerns about fairness and cooperation.
Posted inCountywide
Orange County Rolling Out New Testing Site at Anaheim Convention Center
The drive-through site is expected to increase the county’s testing capacity by about 10 percent amid a shortage that’s been leading to week-long wait times.
Posted inCountywide
Orange County Continues to Face Shortages of Coronavirus Tests and Contact Tracing
Orange County is among many regions facing shortages on two key components to slow Coronavirus spread – testing and contact tracing.
Posted inCountywide
As Restaurants Face Coronavirus Outbreaks, OC Puts Health Inspectors on the Sidelines
Earlier in the pandemic, county officials said their inspectors were required to implement the state’s pandemic health orders on restaurants and other businesses.
Posted inCountywide
Which Orange County Hospitals Are Most Impacted by Coronavirus?
In response to questions for this article, state officials said for the first time Wednesday they would soon be publicly disclosing hospital-specific data.
Posted inCountywide
OC Hospitals at Risk from Virus Surge, Health Officials Say, Urging Masks and Physical Distance
OC health officials are issuing a dire warning about an ongoing surge of coronavirus patients at local hospitals they expect to worsen in the coming weeks.
Posted inCountywide
OC Hospitals Preparing for ‘Crisis Care Strategies’ as Coronavirus Patients Rise Sharply
Orange County Coronavirus hospitalizations are now rising faster than at any other point in the pandemic.
