Coronavirus Updates In Riverside County: News, Numbers

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — County officials say that residents' efforts to social distance, wear face masks in public spaces, and stay home have paid off. Riverside County has flattened the coronavirus curve for now and residents are being asked to stay the course for the unforeseeable future.

Meanwhile, the death toll mounts. Figures released by Riverside University Health System-Public Health show that nearly 40 percent of the county's COVID-19 deaths were reported in the last seven days. The number of dead now stands at 112 people. One week ago, the number was 69 — a jump of 43 residents in just the last seven days. Over the last 24 hours, 12 people were reported dead due to COVID-19 complications.

Confirmed COVID-19 infections is now at 3,315 people, up by 97 in a 24-hour period. One week ago, the confirmed infections stood at 2,457 — a rise of 858 people over the last seven days.

The number of people who've recovered from the illness currently stands at 957; hospitalized patients is 222, with 83 of them in intensive care units.

See Riverside County caseloads and death counts by city here.

The county also announced Friday that it received $431 million from the federal government under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The funding will cover costs tied to the county's ongoing COVID-19 response, according to a news release.

The county's CARES funding was the seventh highest allocation in the nation, according to the release. Riverside County is the 10th largest county in the country by population.

The CARES funding cannot be used to cover projected revenue losses, such as loss of property tax revenue or sales tax revenue, the county said.

News this week from Gov. Gavin Newsom that hospitals could begin scheduling "important" surgeries that were previously cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19 showed that the curve has flattened and hospitals are not at full capacity.

Riverside County spokesperson Brooke Federico said Friday that Riverside University Health System-Medical Center is resuming surgeries by "evaluating and selecting patients with time-sensitive diseases to be treated first," followed by those who don't need hospital admission or an overnight stay.

Private hospitals across the county can follow the state's lead and begin resuming surgeries, Federico confirmed. Whether they do or not will be up to the hospitals.

With hot weather ahead this weekend, Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser gave clarification Friday on swimming pools amid COVID-19 concerns. Private community pools — such as those in gated housing and apartment complexes, hotels/motels, and country clubs — may open, but there are many restrictions: Only one swimmer is allowed in the water at a time, regardless of how big the pool is, and no one can use pool-area furniture. Read more about the restrictions: Swimming During Coronavirus? Riverside County Gives Update

This week the county also eased restrictions on non-contact outdoor activities, like golf and tennis, and parks and trails will remain open, including parking lots. Read more: Coronavirus Restrictions Lifted On Some Outdoor Activities: RivCo

Also this week, a virtual roundtable was held by Riverside County leaders and health officials who attempted to answer residents' questions surrounding coronavirus. See here: VIDEO: Coronavirus Questions Addressed In Riverside County

More COVID-19 news this week:

• Lake Elsinore Poppies Are Off Limits, Police Patrolling
• Do You Need Help With Food? Riverside County Launches New Tool
• Reopening Amid Coronavirus: Riverside County Gets A Preview
• RivCo Sheriff: Early Inmate Release Amid Coronavirus 'Reckless'

Don't miss updates about the coronavirus in California as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.