Face Coverings Mandated Through June 19 In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A Riverside County public health order that mandates face coverings and social distancing amid coronavirus has been extended through at least June 19, it was announced Wednesday.

Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser may choose to extend the date into summer, depending on the COVID-19 situation at that time, it was announced during a news briefing.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's "stay-at-home" order also remains in place across the county and state, and it has no end-date. Residents are still required to stay home, other than for essential business or activities, such as grocery shopping or visiting the doctor, county health officials said. However, outdoor exercise is still being advocated by Newsom and county health officials, provided social distancing is practiced.

As of Wednesday, Riverside University Health System-Public Health announced 3,942 COVID-19 cases and 143 deaths associated with the illness. The number of tests conducted stands at 48,531. Two-hundred-and-fifteen COVID-19 patients are hospitalized — 78 of them in ICU. The number of people who've recovered from the virus was reported at 1,346.

During a news briefing Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that in coming weeks some "low risk" sectors of the economy will be opening, provided the state does not see a surge in COVID-19 cases. Read more: Roadmap To Reopening The Economy Outlined: Riverside County

“While we work within the governor’s plan for re-opening the state, people must be mindful that COVID-19 has not been eliminated,” Kaiser said. “The new normal in Riverside County will still require social distancing, facial coverings and other precautions. Summer will only slow the virus, and we are already thinking about what will happen in the fall.”

Kaiser had already ordered that Riverside County schools close through June 19. County health officials and the Riverside County Office of Education are discussing what the next school year might look like, Kaiser said. During his Tuesday news briefing, Newsom expressed interest in starting the upcoming school year early — possibly late July, early August — to make up for the early 2019-20 closure.

The county continues to see a low number of COVID-19 infections among children. As of Wednesday, 171 Riverside County children under the age of 18 have tested positive for the virus and none have died. The number of COVID-19 tests conducted on children, however, remains low, Kaiser confirmed.

On Wednesday, Riverside County officials also shared a list of food resources for seniors and adults with disabilities who may be stuck at home or struggling to buy groceries due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Through the Riverside County Office on Aging, adults over 60 years old or those suffering from disabilities have several options for picking up free food or having it delivered to their doorstep.

"We have a number of programs, depending on our callers' needs and nutritional risk. We will tailor enrollment to any one or more of these important nutrition programs," said Gary Robbins, the Officer of Aging's deputy director for programs and operations.

Robbins said requests for food have tripled in recent weeks, and the department is averaging almost 1,200 calls a day.

Seniors or disabled adults can call 800-510-2020, or visit www.rcAging.org to see if they qualify for any of the following resources:
— grab-and-go meals: up to seven to two weeks of cooked and frozen meals that can be picked up;
— courtesy pantry: two-week supply of food delivered within five to seven days of being requested;
— home delivered meals: one to two weeks of delivered food with no person-to-person contact for vulnerable adults; and
— emergency meals: up to three days of immediate food delivered for "fragile" adult and seniors, according the department.

Local restaurants are also being asked to email rcaging@rivco.org if they are interested in participating in the department's programs.

—City News Service contributed to this report