COVID-19: Local cases, hospitalizations continue to grow, but region sees some relief

Ema Sasic, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·5 min read
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People stand in line at a pop-up COVID-19 testing tent in Palm Springs, January 5, 2022.
People stand in line at a pop-up COVID-19 testing tent in Palm Springs, January 5, 2022.

While COVID-19 cases continue to remain high, both the Coachella Valley and Riverside County saw some signs of relief in the past few days.

The nine Coachella Valley cities added 746 new COVID-19 cases in the week ending Wednesday. That is an 8% decrease from the previous week's 814 cases reported between July 13 and 20.

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

  • Cathedral City: 13,439 confirmed cases (+122); 151 deaths (+0); 13,175 recoveries (+200)

  • Coachella: 13,712 confirmed cases (+63); 121 deaths (+0); 13,517 recoveries (+165)

  • Desert Hot Springs: 8,283 confirmed cases (+61); 98 deaths (+0); 8,122 recoveries (+99)

  • Indian Wells: 675 confirmed cases (+5); 8 deaths (+0); 660 recoveries (+4)

  • Indio: 24,315 confirmed cases (+181); 284 deaths (+1); 23,845 recoveries (+320)

  • La Quinta: 8,929 confirmed cases (+76); 86 deaths (+1); 8,762 recoveries (+167)

  • Palm Desert: 10,437 confirmed cases (+120); 149 deaths (+0); 10,183 recoveries (+181)

  • Palm Springs: 8,785 confirmed cases (+90); 158 deaths (+0); 8,548 recoveries (+138)

  • Rancho Mirage: 3,065 confirmed cases (+28); 58 deaths (+0); 2,980 recoveries (+49)

The average number of copies per liter recorded at the Palm Springs wastewater treatment plant appears to have plateaued. The average of 937,841 viral copies per liter from the previous week has slightly increased to an average of 954,664 viral copies per liter for July 18 and 19, according to the latest report. The omicron BA.5 subvariant continues to be the dominant subvariant circulating in the community, making up 86.4% and 88.9% of sequenced samples on July 18 and 19, respectively.

The Valley Sanitary District reported that there were 367,455 viral copies per liter and 321,119 viral copies per liter of wastewater reported on July 18 and 19, respectively.

There were also 98 COVID-19 cases reported in unincorporated communities in the week ending Wednesday:

  • Bermuda Dunes: 1,639 confirmed cases (+10); 13 deaths (+0); 1,620 recoveries (+25)

  • Desert Edge: 686 confirmed cases (+4); 22 deaths (+1); 650 recoveries (+6)

  • Desert Palms: 800 confirmed cases (+15); 35 deaths (+0); 721 recoveries (+22)

  • Garnet: 1,574 confirmed cases (+5); 23 deaths (+0); 1,542 recoveries (+10)

  • Mecca: 1,968 confirmed cases (+11); 23 deaths (+0); 1,900 recoveries (+15)

  • North Shore: 737 confirmed cases (+1); 1 deaths (+0); 719 recoveries (+8)

  • Oasis: 1,639 confirmed cases (+25); 9 deaths (+0); 1,615 recoveries (+17)

  • Sky Valley: 475 confirmed cases (+2); 7 deaths (+0); 466 recoveries (+3)

  • Thermal: 807 confirmed cases (+4); 10 deaths (+0); 791 recoveries (+7)

  • Thousand Palms: 1,990 confirmed cases (+14); 13 deaths (+1); 1,965 recoveries (+23)

  • Vista Santa Rosa: 623 confirmed cases (+7); 5 deaths (+0); 611 recoveries (+8)

Between Friday and Wednesday, Riverside County reported 4,996 COVID-19 cases. Though the numbers still remain high, it's a significant decrease, a nearly 20% drop, from the 6,238 COVID-19 cases reported between July 8 and 13.

Another 1,177 cases were reported on Thursday.

With growing case numbers reported over the last few weeks, Riverside County has moved to the high community transmission level, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Under this level, the CDC recommends people wear a mask indoors in public and on public transportation.

At this time, however, county spokesperson Jose Arballo Jr. said there are no plans to reinstate an indoor mask mandate in public spaces.

"That could change, of course, if the state were to reinstate the indoor mask mandate," he said. "At that time, we could discuss the idea."

Other Southern California counties are also in the high level.

As of Thursday, there were 257 patients hospitalized in the county, which included 29 individuals in intensive care. Riverside County has the fifth highest number of patients in the state, behind Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange and Santa Clara counties, according to numbers posted on a statewide hospital dashboard on Thursday afternoon.

Riverside County reported an additional 15 deaths since Friday. There have been 6,599 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

In Riverside County, 59.4% of residents ages 5 and older have completed their primary vaccine series, which includes both shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. About 29.5% of the population ages 5 and older has been boosted.

U.S. adults who haven’t gotten any COVID-19 shots yet should consider a new option from Novavax.

“We’re excited to have a new tool in our COVID-19 toolbox here in the United States, and the Novavax vaccine provides another safe and effective option for unvaccinated adults," California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly and California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Tomás J. Aragón said in a statement.

All of the vaccines used in the U.S. train the body to fight the coronavirus by recognizing its outer coating, the spike protein — and the first three options essentially turn people’s cells into a temporary vaccine factory. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines deliver genetic instructions for the body to make copies of the spike protein. The lesser-used Johnson & Johnson option uses a cold virus to deliver those instructions.

In contrast, the Novavax vaccine injects copies of the spike protein that are grown in a lab and packaged into nanoparticles that to the immune system resemble a virus. Another difference: An ingredient called an adjuvant, that’s made from the bark of a South American tree, is added to help rev up that immune response.

Protein vaccines have been used for years to prevent other diseases including hepatitis B and shingles.

USA Today contributed to this report.

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and 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: COVID-19: Local cases, hospitalizations continue to grow, but region sees some relief