The Roman Catholic bishop of Orange County has tested positive for the coronavirus, church authorities announced Wednesday. Bishop Kevin Vann, 69, has mild symptoms and is isolating at his home, the Diocese of Orange said in a statement. The announcement came as Orange County, like most of the state, continued to record an unprecedented surge in new coronavirus cases and related hospitalizations. AdvertisementThere were 1,519 coronavirus patients in county hospitals on Wednesday, an increase of nearly 463% from a month before, when there were 270 patients. The rapid rise prompted the county public health department to issue an order that forbids hospital emergency rooms from redirecting ambulances to other medical facilities.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 17, 2020 20:15 UTC