Orange County officials confirmed Thursday night that a child under the age of 5 died in December of complications from COVID-19. The announcement comes as cases are climbing in Orange County and throughout California, driven by the Omicron variant. “We have lost another precious young life to this terrible virus; it is our third pediatric death in Orange County since the start of the pandemic,” said Dr. Clayton Chau, the county’s health officer. “Cases are reaching levels that we haven’t seen throughout this pandemic,” said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, deputy county health officer. “We strongly urge our county residents and visitors to please take all preventative measures to reduce your risk of getting sick or hospitalized.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 07, 2022 15:26 UTC