Coronavirus Recoveries See Largest Single-Day Increase: RivCo

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Figures released Thursday by Riverside County health officials show another jump in new coronavirus cases and another death, but the number of patients who have recovered from the illness also rose.

As of Thursday afternoon, Riverside University Health System reported 1,280 positive cases and 33 deaths. The increase of 101 new cases and one death was reported over a 24-hour period.

The number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 infection increased to 125, a jump of 51 people since Wednesday, the county health figures show. The number reflects the largest single-day increase since the county began releasing the figures.

Jose Arballo, spokesman for the Riverside University Health System, told City News Service, "We are happy to see the numbers (of recovered patients) jump like they did today, that was the biggest jump we've had. A lot of it has to do with being able to verify and close out cases."

Arballo said patients are considered recovered if they complete the prescribed quarantine period and are no longer showing symptoms. They then undergo interviews by health professionals, who eventually close out patients' cases and designate them recovered — but there is no second testing, he said.

While recoveries are an encouraging sign, the rate of infection does not appear to be flattening out. Just one week ago, the county reported 493 COVID-19 cases countywide. The increase suggests the county is still seeing COVID-19 cases double every four to five days — a trend health officials say may lead to more than 65,000 infections by early May.

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The city of Riverside continues to have the highest COVID-19 caseload, with 198 infections and one reported death. The number of confirmed cases jumped by 70 in the last 24 hours.

A Riverside skilled nursing facility has been the center of a COVID-19 outbreak, where there were 34 known cases of the virus among residents and 16 among workers. Read: Abandoned By Caretakers, 83 Nursing Home Patients Evacuated

Moreno Valley trails behind Riverside with 126 cases and five deaths. The overnight COVID-19 death was reported in the city.

In Southwest Riverside County, Temecula has the highest COVID-19 caseload with 55 and zero deaths. Murrieta has 47 cases and one death; Menifee — 44 cases and one death; Lake Elsinore — 35 cases and one death; Wildomar — 22 cases and one death; and Canyon Lake — four cases and zero deaths. The figures show an overnight increase of one case each in the cities of Temecula, Lake Elsinore and Wildomar. There were no new deaths reported in Southwest Riverside County.

Nearby unincorporated areas are also reporting cases, with French Valley having the most at 16 and no reported deaths. The caseload increased by three overnight.

In the Coachella Valley, where the first coronavirus infections were reported, there are now 313 confirmed cases and 16 deaths. The numbers represent just a single new case overnight in the desert region and no new deaths.

Palm Springs, Indio and Palm Desert lead in case counts, with 60, 58, and 51, respectively. The death tolls in those cities are eight, two, and two, respectively. There were no overnight changes in the three cities.

In the San Gorgonio Pass Area, the city of Banning has 48 COVID-19 cases and one death, while Beaumont has 24 cases and one death. The figures show a slight uptick in case counts but no new deaths.