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OC Firefighter Tests Positive For Coronavirus, County Cases Increase To 65

SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Orange County increased to 65 Friday, an increase of 12 new cases — including a firefighter.

According to the Orange County Fire Authority, the firefighter experienced symptoms while working at Station #4 in Irvine and went home sick. The authority said the firefighter was recovering at home and was experiencing mild symptoms.

It was not immediately known how the firefighter contracted the illness.

The authority said 24 other firefighters came into contacted with the infected firefighter and were placed in self-isolation at home.

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Of the total, 28 residents contracted the illness while traveling, seven were person-to-person spread and 26 were community acquired cases, according to Orange County Public Health Officials. The remaining four cases were under investigation.

For the first time, county officials reported that a child under the age of 18 has been diagnosed with the virus. Thirty-three cases are reported in people ages 18-49, 19 between the ages of 50-64 and 12 in people older than 65. Thirty-nine of the confirmed cases are male and 26 are female.

County officials said 994 people have been tested, leaving the county with enough tests for 930 people.

Ten Orange County Jail inmates with flu-like symptoms have been tested, but authorities were waiting results and said no one had tested positive as of Friday.

Meanwhile, Orange County Transit Authority said it would be reducing service due to the drastic drop in ridership in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

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