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WEDNESDAY,DECEMBER 23, 2020 /// Now including Coastline Pilot and Huntington Beach Independent/// dailypilot.com Orange County obliterates coronavirus record BY LUKE MONEY, Healthcare agency reports a single-day high of 4,060 RONG-GONG LIN II cases on Sunday, as officials ask people to not gather. Orange County reported its BY LILLY NGUYEN show that adult bed capacity in highest daily number of co- intensive care units across the ronavirus cases over the weekend, Cases in Orange County have county are up to an unadjusted the latest record to fall amid the continued to push past previous 7.5%. most brutal barrage from a dis- records as county health officials The adjusted number of beds ease that is now infecting, hospi- plead with residents to refrain available is 0%. talizing and killing Californians at from gathering this Christmas This mirrors the rest of South- levels never seen before. and New Year’s. ern California, which the state de- The 4,606 new coronavirus in- On Sunday, the Orange County fines as Imperial, Inyo, Los Ange- fections announced Sunday shat- Health Care Agency reported les, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San tered the county’s previous one- 4,060 new daily cases, breaking Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis day high of 3,445, according to records set just last week. Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ven- data compiled by The Times. On Monday, the county health tura counties. The region bot- There have been 3,000-plus agency reported 3,753. Tuesday’s tomed out on Thursday. new daily cases logged county- numbers fell further to 2,233. Orange County is deploying wide only five times throughout Hospitalizations are now up to mobile field hospitals as the the entire pandemic — all since 1,806 with 390 patients currently county continues to respond to Dec. 13. Christina House | Los Angeles Times in intensive care units. an uptick in hospitalizations. Over the last week, Orange OVER THE last week, Orange County has seen roughly 693 new coronavirus Just two deaths were recorded, County officials said one such cases per100,000 residents, the14th-highest county rate in the state, both residents not currently living See Record, page A3 Times’ data show. Above: Triage tents are set up at UC Irvine Medical Center. in a care facility. Data on Tuesday See Orange, page A3 H.B. City Council members spar over mask usage Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz and Erik Peterson did not wear face coverings at Monday night’s meeting. BY MATT SZABO Tempers flared at Monday night’s Huntington Beach City Council meeting, as a clear divide has been established on the dais on the issue of mask usage during the coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz and City Councilman Dan Kalmick, each of whom were elected in No- vember, were at the heart of the dispute. Following a COVID-19 update by City Manager Oliver Chi and Huntington Beach Fire Depart- ment Chief Scott Blaine Ohigashi | Angels Baseball LP Haberle, Kalmick addressed the ANGELS BROADCASTER Victor Rojas, his wife and the couple’s two teenagers run Big Fly Gear, a boutique apparel company, out of their Texas home. council. He noted that two of the seven mem- bers, Ortiz and The voice of the Angels sells Erik Peterson, were not wearing Tito masks. Ortiz “We have to Dodgers championship T-shirts lead by exam- ple,” Kalmick said. “I’d just like to register my formal disappoint- BY BILL SHAIKIN run by Angels broadcaster Victor Rojas and but he believes Angels owner Arte Moreno, ment in council members Ortiz his family. President John Carpino and senior advisor and Peterson ignoring the mayor’s The holiday shopping season is on, and Rojas, his wife, and the couple’s two teen- Bill Stoneman did. letter asking them to wear masks with it the hunt for merchandise to com- agers run the business out of their Texas “The interview went well,” said Stoneman, as this meeting. I feel that it puts memorate the Dodgers’ first World Series home. He collaborates in designs, stuffs T- the GM of the Angels’ 2002 championship us at risk, and I’m just very disap- championship since 1988. shirts into packages for shipping, sends team. “He had a lot of competition, but he pointed that that’s the position One T-shirt is particularly eye-catching, handwritten notes and makes telephone calls came across very well. His thoughts were that you’re taking.” with its homages to Vin Scully, the Dodgers’ to thank customers. He just might be the per- good. He understands the baseball side of Ortiz, who also did not wear a classic uniform, and the hexagonal Dodger son on the other end of your email question. things pretty well. He’s got a great back- mask at his swearing-in ceremony Stadium scoreboard. “Some people don’t believe it’s me when I ground for it.” earlier this month, responded by Who sells that shirt? The voice of the An- reply to emails,” he said. As Rojas manned the microphone last accusing Kalmick of taking off his gels. Some people did not believe, either, when summer, a positive spin became increasingly mask at a Veterans Day event last The “It’s Time for World Champions Base- Rojas revealed last month he had interviewed difficult to find. The Angels stumbled to their month that both attended. ball!” shirt is the newest item in the collection to become the Angels’ general manager. “As soon as the cameras turned of Big Fly Gear, a boutique apparel company Some might not have taken him seriously, See Voice, page A3 off, you took your mask off amongst a bunch of older veter- ans that were there,” Ortiz said. Kalmick immediately denied Orange County bishop tests positive for the coronavirus Ortiz’s claim during the meeting and again on Tuesday. BY ALEX WIGGLESWORTH “There was video footage and many, many other folks there that The Roman Catholic bishop can attest that I wear my mask all of Orange County has tested the time,” Kalmick said in a text positive for the coronavirus, message. “I do so for both the church authorities announced safety of myself and others and last week. because I’m not a hypocrite.” Bishop Kevin Vann, 69, has During the meeting, Mayor mild symptoms and is isolating Kim Carr was passionate about at his home, the Diocese of Or- the need to wear masks. ange said in a statement. Initial “This is not a ‘plandemic,’” contact tracing suggests that Carr said, using a word that Ortiz Vann contracted the virus from used during his speech two weeks amember of his support team, earlier. the statement said. “This is very real, and it’s up to Vann has canceled all appear- us as Huntington Beach residents ances and won’t resume his to protect one another ... I’m sorry normal activities until he’s if I sound a bit exasperated, but it cleared by a doctor, the church is absolutely emotional for me said. that we cannot get people just to The announcement came as do something simple as to wear a Orange County, like most of the mask.” state, continued to record an Kevin Chang | Staff Photographer unprecedented surge in new co- SHORT-TERM RENTALS ronavirus cases and related hos- BISHOP KEVIN VANN is shown with Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove behind him. Vann has tested APPROVED FOR REGULATION pitalizations. positive for the coronavirus, church authorities announced last week. Vann, 69, is isolating at his home. The City Council unanimously There were 1,806 coronavirus approved short-term rentals in patients in county hospitals on county public health depart- other medical facilities. county’s 25 emergency medical Surf City, as long as the unit is Tuesday. A month before, there ment to issue an order that for- The order — the first of its centers became so overwhelmed owner-occupied as a “hosted were 270 patients. bids hospital emergency rooms kind in the region — went into The rapid rise prompted the from redirecting ambulances to effect last week after 20 of the See Bishop, page A2 See Mask, page A2 A2 WEDNESDAY,DECEMBER23, 2020 DAILY PILOT | COASTLINE PILOT | HUNTINGTON BEACH INDEPENDENT WWW.DAILYPILOT.COM THE DAILY COMMUTER Chapman University president PUZZLE self-isolating at home after By Jacqueline E. testing positive for coronavirus Mathews ACROSS 1Clutch BY SARA CARDINE we identify any possible on campus, 33 students 5Hidden supply exposure so we can limit living off campus, four 10 Get ready for As Chapman University the possible spread.” staff members and two surgery, briefly students crammed for ex- Early in the pandemic, faculty members. 14 Actress ams last week before the Chapman University offi- Aresident of Newport Anderson end of fall semester, Presi- cials established a line of Beach, Struppa is married 15 Edgar __ Poe dent Daniele Struppa an- succession in the event to Orange County Board of 16 In a __; furious nounced he was self-iso- senior staff members Education member Lisa 17 As strong __ ox lating at home after testing should fall ill or become Sparks. In July, the board positive last Wednesday incapacitated, Struppa approved a recommenda- 18 Toys "R" Us for the coronavirus. said in the announcement. tion to reopen county merchandise “I want to share the The move was made to en- public schools without 20 Last calendar news that today I tested sure the institution would mask and social-distanc- pg. positive for COVID-19,” “continue to function ing mandates, with Sparks 21 Washerful Struppa began in a Dec. 16 smoothly during this pe- voting in favor of the mea- 22 Uneasy feeling message to staff, faculty riod.” sure.