COVID-19 Deaths, Cases Climb As Riverside County Works To Reopen
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County health officials reported Tuesday that another eight people have died from coronavirus complications, while the Riverside County Board of Supervisors moved forward on a reopening plan and Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded the number of business sectors that can reopen statewide.
In addition to the latest fatalities, on Tuesday Riverside County health officials reported 59 more confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 5,248. The death toll stands at 225.
The county continues to trail behind only Los Angeles County, which leads the state in COVID-19 cases and fatalities.
Of the 185 Riverside County residents currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 69 are being treated in intensive care units, five fewer than Monday, according to the Riverside University Health System.
RUHS officials also reported 266 more documented recoveries among county residents, bringing the total to 2,911.
More than 75,000 Riverside County residents have been tested for the virus, which accounts for more than 3% of the county's population of nearly 2.5 million.
The numbers come as the Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 on Tuesday to establish a "Readiness & Reopening Framework" that could potentially expand the number of local industry sectors eligible to reopen under Gov. Gavin Newsom's four-phase reopening plan. Currently, the state is in phase 2. However, a “regional variance” program exists for counties that want to move faster — Riverside County among them.
The goal of the Framework “is to make Riverside County ready for the next stage of reopening. This will signal to the state that we're ready to move on. It provides robust guidance for protecting public health,” said Transportation & Land Management Agency Director Juan Perez, who collaborated on the 33-page document that can be found here.
Also on Tuesday, Newsom announced during a news briefing he has expanded the number of industry sectors that can reopen with some modifications to their businesses. Offices can now reopen statewide, as can shopping malls for curbside transactions only. Various other businesses, including car washes, pet grooming and dog walkers can resume — also with modifications.
County health officials also announced this week that they are eager to test residents under age 18 for COVID-19. The demographic makes up about 25% of the county's population, yet that age bracket accounts for just 6.6% of the testing appointments at the county's coronavirus testing sites, according to local officials.
"We would like to get a more complete picture of the illness as it has spread among young people," county Department of Public Health Director Kim Saruwatari said Monday. "This will helps us better understand who in the community has the disease and how it might be moving among children and families." Read more: Children Sought For Coronavirus Testing In Riverside County
Eight new state-funded coronavirus testing sites opened last week throughout the county, with the combined capacity to test an additional 1,000 people per day. Free testing for all residents regardless of symptoms will be administered at the new locations — which include Hemet, Norco, Perris, Mecca and Desert Hot Springs — by OptumServe, a private company. To get tested at these sites, visit https://lhi.care/covidtesting.
Four drive-up testing sites run by county public health officials in Perris, Indio, Riverside and Lake Elsinore remain operational, which can be accessed if an appointment is made by calling 800-945-6171.
This article originally appeared on the Temecula Patch
