This week, Orange County health officials acknowledged the county’s coronavirus death chart – which shows date of death – is missing some deaths in recent days because of an average week-long lag in reporting, creating an impression of a major drop that may not be accurate.

The county Health Care Agency reports the deaths differently than the state Department of Public Health by using dates the deaths occur, while the state tallies them on the days the deaths are reported. 

It’s been over a month since most locals have been instructed to work from home. If you’re a part of the restaurant industry, however, food and beverage are considered an essential service.

Due to the closure of all dining rooms, thousands of service staff have been forced to file for unemployment; if we factor in the rest of California, that count is above a million. Those that are still on the clock are utilizing gloves, masks, disinfectant, hand sanitizer, and other precautions to prevent catching and spreading COVID-19.

While many establishments have temporarily closed their doors, others have chosen different paths.

A host of high-profile congressional seats in Orange County are up for grabs in the upcoming March primary, along with two key local races for county supervisor and a host of other local offices.

This week, voters get to see the official run down of faces vying for those seats as the filing deadline for candidates running for public office is on Friday.

Orange County’s top elected officials are warning the lack of affordable housing threatens the quality of life and upward mobility of residents, and puts the county’s economic future at risk.

“Orange County is experiencing a substantial shortage of housing, which is creating a significant negative impact on household budgets and the quality of life of its residents, as well as diminishing our county's workforce,” states the county’s new Declaration on Housing, which was adopted March 13 by the Board of Supervisors.

A broad-based campaign was launched Wednesday to bring together Orange County’s leaders in business, philanthropy, faith, and government around ending homelessness, including providing housing with support services for homeless people who have been on the streets for years.

The effort, led by Orange County United Way, piggybacks on a study it commissioned from UC Irvine that found it costs the public less to house long-term homeless people with wraparound health services than keep them on the streets where they often rotate in and out of expensive stays at emergency rooms and jails.

The proposed El Toro 100-Acre Parcel Development Plan, along with the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (FPEIR), will be presented to the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 14 for final approval. On Nov. 3, the County issued a Notice of Availability for the FPEIR, which addresses potential environment impacts and recommends the environmentally superior alternative – the Reduced Intensity and Reduced Density Alternative – as the preferred project.