Bars Ordered Closed, COVID-19 Hospitalizations: Riverside County
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — All bars have been ordered closed in Riverside County to help slow the spread of coronavirus, it was announced Monday.
Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser issued the order, which takes effect Tuesday, following a recommendation by Gov. Gavin Newsom over the weekend that Riverside County shut down its bars to slow the COVID-19 surge.
People don’t social distance well after a couple drinks, and contact tracing is difficult among bar patrons, Kaiser explained.
“My hope is that this will be only temporary and further closures won’t be needed, but it all depends on what every one of us as a county do to slow more spread,” he said of the closures.
Restaurants, pubs, and breweries that offer dine-in food may still offer alcoholic drinks, but only in the same transaction as a meal.
Wineries will still be allowed to offer tastings, as long as they adhere to state guidelines, according to Jose Arballo Jr., spokesman for Riverside University Health System-Public Health.
Bars, breweries and wineries had been allowed to operate in Riverside County since June 12 as the region and state reopened the economy under Newsom's accelerated stage two phasing. But local and state health officials have been concerned about the increasing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, along with an increase in hospitalizations and ICU beds in use.
“Since mid-June, there has been a growing health crisis with rising coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and ICU bed usage throughout our nation, the State of California and here in Riverside County,” said Riverside County Board Chair and Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “A local Riverside County order on bar closures has unfortunately become necessary to slow the spread of this virus. I want to remind everyone that facial coverings are a requirement, and encourage continuously keeping physical distance and washing our hands.”
Bars in Los Angeles, Fresno, Kern, Tulare, Kings, Imperial and San Joaquin counties were ordered closed by Newsom over the weekend amid COVID-19 concerns. Newsom recommended that Riverside, Contra Costa, Sacramento, Santa Clara, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Stanislaus counties issue local orders shuttering bars.
In Riverside County, Department of Environmental Health will enforce the closure order, starting with reaching out to all impacted businesses to explain the mandate and impacts to their operations. Officials said they believe most businesses will comply with the order, but those who do not may face additional action.
The order comes as Riverside County saw a jump in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations over the weekend. The total number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 rose by 47 to a total of 365 Monday — 106 of them in ICU.
As of Sunday, 98.7% of all ICU beds are currently being used countywide, data from Riverside University Health System show.
But Arballo said only 28% percent of ICU beds countywide are being taken by COVID-19 patients. An increased number of seriously ill, non-coronavirus patients are showing up at emergency rooms, he said. Officials are concerned that these patients held off on seeking treatment earlier due to COVID-19 concerns and are now turning up very sick, Arballo said.
As part of the county's COVID-19 surge plan, hospitals across the county will convert beds to ICU where necessary, Arballo said.
The number of coronavirus cases in Riverside County rose by 991 since Friday, bring the total number to 16,634 — which includes 7,667 who have recovered from the illness. The death toll rose by two people to 440.
The total number of people tested for the virus now stands at 222,796 countywide.
This article originally appeared on the Temecula Patch
