Riverside County Awaits Update On Coronavirus 'Tier' Level
OCT. 20, 2020 UPDATE: RIVERSIDE COUNTY HAS MOVED BACK TO THE PURPLE TIER. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The overall number of coronavirus cases in Riverside County climbed over the weekend, increasing by 791, and three additional deaths were announced a day ahead of Tuesday's report on the county's status in the state's tiered grading system.
The total number of COVID-19 infections recorded since the public health documentation period began in early March is 64,075, compared to 63,284 on Friday, according to the Riverside University Health System. Of the total, the number of patient recoveries is 57,958.
The number of deaths tied to COVID-19 stands at 1,272.
RUHS officials reported that 153 people are hospitalized for virus- related treatment, an increase of five since the end of last week. That number includes 43 intensive care unit patients — one less than Friday.
Last Tuesday, state officials announced the county is at risk of being moved back into the purple tier, the most restrictive classification, under the state's public health regulation framework, because testing levels are below the threshold established for large counties and case rates are higher based on adjusted metrics.
At the county's request, the California Department of Public Health left the county's status unchanged until a review of data was completed. The findings by the CDPH are expected to be announced Tuesday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom's color-coded tier system relies on testing thresholds, case positivity rates, as well as equity measures that focus on specific communities. Riverside County moved out of the purple tier and into the red tier last month, allowing for some indoor businesses to resume operations with modifications.
According to the CDPH, the county now has a COVID-19 per-day case count of 8.1 per 100,000 people, but that has been adjusted to 9.2 per 100,000 because testing thresholds are below what the state prefers. Generally, a jurisdiction must fall below a daily count of 7 per 100,000 to qualify for the red tier. However, the county's testing positivity rate is 5.9 percent, which is well within red tier criteria.
The CDPH figures for Riverside County will be updated Tuesday.
On Monday Gov. Gavin Newsom said that while a vaccine against COVID-19 is in the works, any rollout must go through review of the state's newly formed Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.
The group of 11 experts along with the California Department of Public Health will "independently review" any vaccine before it can be rolled out statewide, Newsom said.
"There are some audacious stretch goals that you've been hearing that have been advanced out of Washington D.C.," Newsom said. "We have different protocols, processes and procedures related to each company and their vaccines."
After vaccines are approved by both the FDA and the state's experts, Newsom said they would be equitably distributed first to "high risk groups." First responders, senior citizens, racial ethnic minority groups, rural communities, those incarcerated and people with disabilities were among those who would first be vaccinated.
But the California governor was confident that vaccines would not be available to the general public until mid 2021.
"We don't anticipate mass availability until 2021, the question for all of us, 'is that in the first quarter, second or third quarter of 2021?'" Newsom said.
City News Service, Patch Editor Kat Schuster contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on the Murrieta Patch
