O.C. Health Care Agency looks to kids to promote ‘mask message’ as COVID-19 cases hold steady

Halloween may be over, but with mask-wearing continuing for the foreseeable future, Orange County Health Care Agency officials are inviting students countywide to submit designs by Nov. 19 for the first “Mask Message Contest.”

The idea is to help normalize facial coverings while the coronavirus pandemic continues its upward climb in Orange County. On Monday, agency officials reported another 183 cases for a cumulative total of 60,298 and a seven-day average of 5.1 new cases per 100,000 residents.

Orange County elementary, middle and high school students may participate in the Mask Message Contest by entering in one or more of three categories: mask art, written essay or social video. Prizes will be awarded to the winner’s county school in the form of $5,000 to $7,000 technology grants for Wi-Fi hotspots and more.

Essays must be 300 to 400 words and encourage the wearing of face masks using personal experiences, scientific research or fictional story elements. Social video entries of up to 60 seconds can be made with a camera, computer or smartphone and should educate and entertain viewers on mask wearing.

Students may work individually or in groups. Relatives and children of Orange County employees may not participate. Mask templates, rules and submission instructions are available online at occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/mask-message-contest-official-rules.

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Nov. 2, 2020

Agency officials on Monday reported no new deaths, adjusting the fatality rate downward by one to correct an earlier duplication for a countywide fatality rate of 1,483. Another 7,747 tests brought Orange County’s total number of tests issued to 1,126, 240, for a seven-day average testing positivity rate of 3.2%.

The seven-day average of daily tests per 100,000 residents stood at 240.9, while the average health equity quartile positivity rate hovered at 6%. Area hospitals reported Monday 183 individuals were being seen for COVID-19, including 60 in intensive care units.

Here are the latest cumulative coronavirus case counts and COVID-19 deaths for select cities in Orange County:

• Santa Ana: 11,634 cases; 317 deaths
• Anaheim: 10,293 cases; 319 deaths
• Huntington Beach: 2,642 cases; 86 deaths
• Costa Mesa: 2,054 cases; 44 deaths
• Irvine: 1,944 cases; 14 deaths
• Newport Beach: 1,255 cases; 26 deaths
• Fountain Valley: 582 cases; 20 deaths
• Laguna Beach: 256 cases; fewer than five deaths

Here are the case counts by age group, followed by deaths:

• 0 to 17: 4,493 cases; one death
• 18 to 24: 9,041 cases; five deaths
• 25 to 34: 12,942 cases; 21 deaths
• 35 to 44: 9,597 cases; 38 deaths
• 45 to 54: 9,710 cases; 115 deaths
• 55 to 64: 7,252 cases; 206 deaths
• 65 to 74: 3,647 cases; 293 deaths
• 75 to 84: 2,004 cases; 322 deaths
• 85 and older: 1,565 cases; 482 deaths

Updated figures are posted daily at occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/coronavirus-in-oc. For information on getting tested, visit occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/covid-19-testing.

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