COVID-19: Cases start to fall in Riverside County, Coachella Valley, local school districts

New numbers released on Monday reflect the fruition of a hopeful prediction made by a Riverside County Public Health official just days earlier: COVID-19 cases have started to not only plateau, but have even decreased in some instances.

The nine Coachella Valley cities added 1,168 new COVID-19 cases in the six days ending Monday. Weekly cases had been above 1,500 throughout January, with a high of 1,780 for the week ending Jan 10.

Six deaths were reported in the six days ending Monday.

Here is a full breakdown of confirmed total cases, deaths and recoveries by city since the start of the pandemic (weekly changes shown in parentheses):

  • Cathedral City: 9,490 confirmed cases (+123), 136 deaths (+0), 8,881 recoveries (+2)

  • Coachella: 9,602 confirmed cases (+204), 112 deaths (+1), 8,936 recoveries (+4)

  • Desert Hot Springs: 5,885 confirmed cases (+88), 89 deaths (+2), 5,494 deaths (+5)

  • Indian Wells: 340 confirmed cases (+12), 8 deaths (+0), 293 recoveries (+1)

  • Indio: 16,766 confirmed cases (+275), 254 deaths (+1), 15,483 recoveries (+7)

  • La Quinta: 5,444 confirmed cases (+137), 73 deaths (+1), 4,912 recoveries (+3)

  • Palm Desert: 6,282 confirmed cases (+176), 140 deaths (+1), 5,568 recoveries (+6)

  • Palm Springs: 5,598 confirmed cases (+94), 140 deaths (+0), 5,107 recoveries (+2)

  • Rancho Mirage: 1,746 confirmed cases (+59), 55 deaths (+0), 1,541 recoveries (+1)

There were also 199 COVID-19 cases reported in unincorporated communities for the six days ending Monday. One death was reported in Sky Valley.

COVID-19 cases in the three Coachella Valley school districts all decreased since Friday, too. Palm Springs Unified School District reported 492 student and 139 staff cases on Monday. Those numbers on Friday were 1,281 and 209, respectively.

At Desert Sands Unified School District, there are active cases of COVID-19 among 596 students and 143 staff members. Since Friday, student cases fell by 532 and staff cases decreased by 78.

The Coachella Valley Unified School District reported active cases within the past 10 days among 119 students and 32 staff members. Student cases decreased by 112, while staff cases fell by 33 since Friday.

Riverside County added 3,747 new COVID-19 cases between Friday and Monday. Two weeks ago, there were 4,364 cases reported between Jan. 7 and Jan. 10. That's a decrease of 14%.

Case and positivity rates, however, remain high. On Monday, the county's case rate was 259.1 per 100,000, and its positivity rate was 34.3%. Those numbers are unchanged from Friday.

Even though COVID-19-related hospitalizations fell late last week, patient numbers increased by 10 between Friday and Monday. There are 1,065 patients in county hospitals, including 174 people in intensive care, up four since Friday.

Between Jan. 7 and Jan. 10, hospitalizations increased by 95 patients. In two weeks, patient numbers have gone up by 179.

There were another 16 deaths reported over the weekend, bringing the total to 5,746 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Deputy Public Health Officer Dr. Shunling Tsang said during Riverside County Public Health's weekly vaccine update series that hospitalizations and deaths will likely still be on the rise for the next month.

A bill proposed by Democratic State Sen. Scott Wiener would allow children ages 12 and older to be vaccinated without their parents’ consent.

If passed, the legislation would ensure California has the youngest age of any state when children can make their own decisions about vaccines. Washington, D.C. allows children ages 11 and older to be vaccinated without approval from parents.

California currently allows children ages 12 and older to, without parental consent, get the Human Papillomavirus and Hepatitis B vaccines, along with treatment of sexually transmitted infections and other medical care.

“Giving young people the autonomy to receive life-saving vaccines, regardless of their parents’ beliefs or work schedules, is essential for their physical and mental health,” Wiener said. “It’s unconscionable for teens to be blocked from the vaccine because a parent either refuses or cannot take their child to a vaccination site.”

However, some of Wiener’s fellow lawmakers have already opposed the legislation. Republican California Assemblyman James Gallagher called the proposal “another example of Democrats wanting to remove parents from the equation.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom last year announced the country’s first coronavirus vaccine mandate for children in school. Though it has not yet taken effect, it will provide exemptions for religious beliefs and more.

In Riverside County, 59.6% of residents ages 5 and older are fully vaccinated and another 7.3% are partially vaccinated. About 25.9% of the population ages 12 and older has received an additional/booster shot.

USA Today contributed to this report.

Ema Sasic covers health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Riverside County, Coachella Valley added fewer COVID-19 cases