Good morning and welcome to the TimesOC newsletter.
It's Friday, Jan. 7. I'm Ben Brazil, bringing you the latest roundup of Orange County news and events.
Orange County hospitals are in crisis mode as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to spread through the community.
At least nine hospitals have set up surge tents to treat more patients, and ambulances are waiting longer to drop off patients in emergency rooms, Gregory Yee and Rong-Gong Lin II reported this week.
In an effort to not overload the hospitals, Orange County deputy health officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong is cautioning residents to avoid emergency rooms unless they are actually suffering an emergency.
"Our hospitals are getting full," Chinsio-Kwong said. "Our ERs are getting full. So if you are looking for a test, if you have mild symptoms, please consider first a virtual appointment with your healthcare provider to not overwhelm the ERs even more because we really want ERs and urgent cares to really just take care of the urgent situations."
A healthcare worker walks outside UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
There were 6,266 cases and two deaths reported in the county on Thursday. Meanwhile, the rest of the state is also suffering from a massive surge that provoked an extension of the indoor mask mandate for at least another month. Hospitalizations are rising statewide among all age groups.
Chinsio-Kwong said the positivity rate in Orange County is also on the rise, jumping from 8.2% to 16.2%.
As of Thursday, there were 724 people currently hospitalized in Orange County, more than triple the number from two weeks ago. However, as noted by Yee and Lin II, the numbers are lower than last year's winter surge. There were more than 2,200 COVID-19 patients in the hospitals this same time last year.
As has been said for many months, unvaccinated people are more likely to contract the virus. In Orange County, the unvaccinated are about four times as likely to test positive. Being vaccinated has become all the more crucial to fortify against the extremely contagious Omicron variant, health officials say.
Last week, the variant accounted for about 20% of cases in the county. As of Wednesday, that rate had increased to 82%.
The state Coastal Commission has approved a development plan for downtown Laguna Beach. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)
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MORE NEWS
Downtown Laguna Beach will see some changes in the future. Those changes will be guided by a specific plan that was approved this week by the state Coastal Commission. My colleague Lilly Nguyen wrote that the update to the plan has been debated for the last few years, with residents worrying that the downtown area could lose its "village-like" appeal. The plan also seeks to rectify longstanding parking issues in Laguna Beach.
Huntington Beach residents are divided over the city's potential plans to create new trails leading to the ocean for bicyclists and pedestrians. The Trails to the Sea project would utilize the service roads along the Talbert and Huntington Beach channels. City officials are currently seeking public input on the project, and some Surf City residents believe the trails would be dangerous and an invasion of privacy to those who live along the channels.
The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce will need a new leader after Sandy Morales, current president and chief executive, announced her voluntary resignation this week. Morales' decision came after she was recruited to be the director of corporate relations for a global nonprofit, wrote reporter Andrew Turner.
The popular O.C. Swap Meet has been cancelled for this Saturday as a precautionary measure due to the COVID-19 surge. Reporter Sara Cardine reported that the owner of the meet said he had potentially been exposed to the virus. The swap meet is held twice a month at the O.C. fairgrounds and may return Jan. 22.
A man attacked workers at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Tustin last week, calling them "murderers." According to an alleged victim of the attack, the man became irate after he was asked to wear a mask. He reportedly referred to the COVID-19 pandemic as a hoax and said that he was not a "sheep."
An Able Coffee employee stamps the company logo on coffee cups. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)
LIFE AND LEISURE
Adeel Asif and Anthony Palmeri met while working with special needs children in Irvine. After realizing that it's very difficult for disabled people to find employment, they decided to start Able Coffee Roasters to provide jobs to their students and others who can't find work. Asif said the shop provides a safe space for families of disabled people. "We have been able to create a very unique environment that is inclusive and they feel safe and don't feel judged," Asif told my colleague Sarah Mosqueda.
The Orange County Museum of Art launched a new initiative this week to celebrate its 60th anniversary and the opening of a new building. The museum will acquire 60 new art pieces to add to its more than 4,500 works. "You really only get this opportunity to build a new museum, likely, once in an institution's history," said director Heidi Zuckerman. "It's an opportunity to fill in past gaps."
Chinese American artists will take center stage at the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens in San Clemente to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Some of the events, held from Feb. 1 to 15, will also be free to make them accessible to all families.
Classical music enthusiasts won't get their fix at the Segerstrom Center this weekend after a set of shows were rescheduled due to the recent COVID-19 surge. My colleague Gabriel San Román wrote that the Pacific Symphony concerts will instead be held on June 23 through 26. "In consultation with guest artists, musicians and health experts, and given the proximity of these concerts to the holiday travel season, we decided to postpone the program," said John Forsyte, Pacific Symphony's president and CEO. "We want to start off the New Year honoring our ongoing commitment to the well-being of our audiences, musicians and staff. We take that responsibility seriously."
Phil Nevin, left, will become an Angel coach. (Associated Press)
SPORTS
The Angels are close to finalizing their coaching staff after recently moving Ray Montgomery from the front office to bench coach. Reporter Mike DiGiovanna detailed the team's various moves this week, including the ongoing discussions with outfielder Adam Eaton to be the Angels' first base coach. However, there is some dispute as to whether Eaton will be prevented from taking a coaching position due to taking a buyout on his 2022 contract with the White Sox.
Costa Mesa High School has named Gary Gonzalez as the new head coach of the Mustangs' football team. Gonzalez has served as an assistant coach on the team for eight years. "I am very honored to have this title," Gonzalez said in his first remarks as head coach. "It means a lot to me. I'm very honored to lead you young men and women, and it is my duty to make sure that you guys have a great experience playing football and to build a culture where you thrive academically, and on the field, as well."
Stay in Touch
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