Orange County Suffers Economic Fallout During Coronavirus Week 2

MISSION VIEJO, CA —At the end of week two of the new coronavirus shutdown in Orange County, the Orange County Healthcare Agency reported 53 total cases of coronavirus, up from 42 on Wednesday, and 29 on Tuesday.

• 33 of the infected are men.
• 20 are women.
• 25 are travel related.
• 7 are person to person spread.
• 19 cases are community acquired.
• 2 cases, one man and one woman, remain under investigation.
• 26 fall into the age range of 18 to 49
• 17 are 50 to 64 years old
• 10 are 65 and older.

To date, there have been 589 people tested for new coronavirus.

The county has enough tests for 942 specimens as of Thursday afternoon.

Currently, there are two drive-thru testing facilities in the county. Both are only available to residents who have been ordered there by a doctor. The locations remain undisclosed.

As 19 people were infected through community spread of the virus, Orange County residents have told Patch that they would feel more comfortable knowing where that occurred.

Patch has reached out to the Orange County Healthcare Agency and the Emergency Operations Center of Orange County, as well as received word from Supervisor Andrew Do's office.

The County Board of Supervisors discussed releasing data by city during their Tuesday meeting.

Patch reader Toni Nelson of Capistrano Beach told us her feelings about that response, saying: "The policy they have put into place has made people trust officials even less than they already do... The more public officials level with us and provide good information, the more we’ll trust them."

This has been a week of emotional highs and lows for many residents as we navigate the new world of coronavirus, as well as social restrictions designed to "flatten the curve" and keep us safe.

Orange County officials amended an order Wednesday, releasing restrictions on shop owners and retaining bans on in-restaurant dining, bars, and movie theaters. Health clubs and gyms were also told to close their doors.

Restaurants may stay open for pickup and delivery services, and many residents are taking advantage of that opportunity.

Though the order did not prohibit school classes, most schools have voluntarily closed or have moved to online-only learning.

The order "does not apply to essential public transportation, airport travel, shopping at a store, mall or farmers' market, or charitable food pantries and distributions, or to congregate living situations, including dormitories and homeless encampments," according to the amended order from Dr. Nichole Quick.

Seniors 65 and older or anyone with a serious chronic medical condition or compromised immune system are strongly encouraged to stay at home.

Senior citizens were told Thursday that there would be support available to anyone over 60 who is self-isolating.

In Orange County, there are 577,000 older adults, and all have been told to stay home. Though some can rely on family, others are alone in their isolation.

Grocery stores have opened doors early for many elderly who wish to venture out in search of supplies.

The Orange County Office on Aging can assist seniors who are without access to food and other necessities as they self-isolate to avoid the virus, a spokesperson from the Emergency Operations Center wrote.

A Call Center is available for any OC elderly in need at: 800-510-2020

The orders on whether or not to stay home, whether or not businesses needed to close their doors have had major fallout across the county.
On Wednesday, County CEO Frank Kim and other officials did their best to address public confusion.

Kim says it has been difficult to craft an order because there have been "so many shifting definitions from the state and federal government on the acceptable number of people for any gathering."

That difficulty led to the loss of jobs for many in the county whose employers were unsure if they were allowed to keep the doors open.

One such employee reached out to Patch, saying, "They set a fire in Orange County, and now there are burnt remains."

One of 25 employees, Jenette di Fazio of Ladera Ranch, lost her job as she was unable to work from home.

Her employer, a small flooring company in Irvine, sought to comply with the original order, and let her go.

"I had a full-time job with benefits, and now it is all gone," she said. "I am now filing for unemployment and wondering how I will support my family."

Her employer understands the new amended restrictions have different allowances, Jenette said.

"He needs to wait for the ride out and see how much business is going to take place," she tells us.

Still, she remains a casualty of the virus that is now infecting the Orange County economy.

Though Supervisor Don Wagner and others encouraged the population to get out, order takeout, and continue to support local business, constraints have fallen fast and hard on everyone.

County officials want to encourage people to follow the 6-foot distance guideline, so if a gathering is too big to keep people six feet away from each other, it should not be halted, he said.
"It's not my place to comment on what the private sector should do," Kim said.

County officials want to protect the public's health, but they are also concerned about the economy, Kim said.

"Our economic vitality is important," he said. "Our economic vitality is one of the factors that make Orange County a wonderful place to live and to work, so it's important for us to hang on to that economic engine at a very difficult time."
Although northern Californians are being advised to mostly stay at home, Orange County is not yet there, Kim said.

"Obviously, we're paying very close attention to the spread of the disease in the county to protect the public, and, depending on what occurs, we'll have a thoughtful and informed discussion with our health officer, but at this time there is no plan to take a more aggressive action...

There is no intent today to take such dramatic actions (as quarantine) in the near future unless conditions worsen significantly."

City News Service contributed to this report.

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How are you coping with the shut down in your town? Let your Patch Editor know by emailing: ashley.ludwig@patch.com

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