Riverside County Coronavirus Update: Mask Mandate Returns, Stats

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Citing a sharp increase in COVID-19 infection rates since Thanksgiving, the state announced Monday that beginning Wednesday mask-wearing will become mandatory in all indoor public settings across California regardless of vaccination status.

The mask mandate mirroring a requirement already in effect in Angeles County and select other counties across the state will remain in place until Jan. 15.

Riverside County health officials follow state and federal mandates.

The state will also toughen the restriction for unvaccinated people who attend indoor "mega-events" of 1,000 people or more, requiring them to receive a negative COVID test within one day of the event if it's a rapid antigen test or within two days for a PCR test. The current rules require a test within 72 hours of the event.

State officials will also recommend, but not require, that people who travel to California or return to the state after traveling be tested for COVID within three to five days.

California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said the rule change is being prompted by what he called a 47 percent increase in COVID-19 case rates across the state since Thanksgiving. He said over that time, the statewide rate of daily new cases went from 9.6 per 100,000 residents to more than 14 per 100,000.

Ghaly said state officials also acted in hopes of avoiding the dramatic surge in cases experienced statewide last year during the winter holiday months.

"As we look at the evidence that masks do make a difference, even a 10 percent increase in indoor masking can reduce case transmission significantly," he said.

Under current state guidelines — which are followed by many counties including Riverside, Orange and San Diego — masks are only required indoors at public transit facilities such as airports, healthcare settings, adult and senior care facilities, schools, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, emergency shelters and cooling centers.

The state already technically requires mask-wearing for unvaccinated people at indoor public facilities, but the new rule will impact everyone regardless of vaccine status.

Los Angeles County has long maintained a mask-wearing mandate at indoor public facilities. Ghaly said roughly half of California's population lives in counties that already have an indoor mask-wearing requirement in place.

All indoor public spaces are affected, including retail stores, grocery stores, restaurants, theaters, family entertainment centers, government offices, and others.

Coronavirus Statistics In Riverside County

The number of people hospitalized Monday with the coronavirus in Riverside County was 292, according to the latest figures published by Riverside University Health System. The number of those patients in intensive care was 72.

One week ago, 243 patients were hospitalized with the virus, with 63 of those people in ICU, according to RUHS data.

The number of reported COVID-19 deaths surpassed 5,500 last week — the total currently stands at 5,502. The figure is up by 27 since one week ago.

The fatalities are trailing indicators because of delays processing death certificates and can go back weeks, according to health officials.

According to RUHS, the total number of coronavirus cases recorded since the public health documentation period began in March 2020 was 383,242 on Monday, up by 3,652 cases compared to one week ago.

Just 17.9 percent of county residents 18 and older have received a COVID-19 booster shot, according to RUHS data.

County residents can visit myturn.ca.gov to schedule COVID-19 vaccination.

City News Service contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on the Murrieta Patch