SANTA ANA (CNS)—Orange County reported 1,448 new cases of COVID-19 and 47 additional deaths Jan. 17, bringing the county’s totals to 210,813 cases and 2,367 fatalities. Hospitalization rates continued to dip, dropping to 2,026 Jan. 17—down from 2,065 on Jan. 16, 2,101 Jan. 15 and 2,169 Jan. 14, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA). The number of coronavirus patients in intensive care decreased by four to 538, a slight reduction from Jan. 10’s record of 547. Of the 47 deaths reported Jan. 17, six were skilled nursing facility residents, and eight were residents of assisted living facilities. Since the start of the pandemic, the virus has killed 730 skilled nursing facility residents and 259 assisted living facility residents. The death reports are staggered and sometimes take weeks to be logged, but December was the deadliest month for the county since the pandemic began, with 538 fatalities recorded …