Coronavirus Cases See Largest Single-Day Rise: Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The spike in Riverside County's coronavirus cases is continuing for a second straight week, and the largest one-day increase came Tuesday.

Riverside County health officials reported 409 newly confirmed coronavirus cases — the highest since the start of the pandemic — and 11 additional fatalities.

Infections countywide now stand at 11,694, with 395 deaths attributed to COVID-19, according to Riverside University Health System.

Since June 9, there have been 2,104 new COVID-19 cases — and 30 people have died over the seven-day reporting period.

Hospitalizations are also rising. Since Monday, the number of hospitalized patients went up by nine to 237, though the number being treated in ICU units — 65 — was down by five from the previous day.

Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage reported this week it has seen a near quadrupling of COVID-19 hospitalizations since late May, when the county got permission from the state to move into an "accelerated" stage 2 allowing for more business reopenings.

Nearly three weeks ago, Eisenhower Health had 12 patients being treated for coronavirus complications. Last Wednesday, there were 45 COVID-19 patients at the hospital — the highest number Eisenhower Health has reported since the pandemic began. The number was at 41 as of Monday.

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, who is an emergency room physician, said in a Facebook posting on Monday that Eisenhower Health's data "demonstrates a rapid rise in hospitalizations."

"People are getting sick. All of us have a role to play in mitigating the spread of COVID-19. Please wash your hands regularly, wear a mask in public near people, keep your distance, and follow other recommendations from the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)," he wrote.

Riverside County — which rescinded its mandatory mask and social distancing mandate — has permitted more businesses and organizations to resume operations following Gov. Gavin Newsom's March 19 shutdowns for COVID-19 mitigation.

Motels, gyms, bars, museums, theaters and wineries are among the latest entities given the green light to reopen under public health guidelines that encourage social distancing, caps on the size of gatherings and repetitive sanitation of spaces.

"We have long looked forward to reopening more Riverside County businesses, which provide valuable goods, services and jobs vital to the fabric of our economy," county Supervisor Karen Spiegel said late last week. "It's very important that while visiting these businesses, all residents continue to do their part to slow the spread of the disease by wearing face coverings and maintaining six feet from others."

Personal care businesses, including nail salons, as well as sporting venues and libraries, are still prohibited from resuming operations. However, day camps for children were among the facilities given the approval to reopen.

In an effort to halt COVID-19 outbreaks inside prisons, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced Tuesday that non-violent inmates with 180 days or less to serve on their sentences will be eligible for supervised release starting July 1. Read more here.

Riverside County has documented 65 COVID-19 recoveries in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 6,165. More than 159,000 tests have been administered countywide.

Officials are recommending that people who are continuing to have contact with others from outside their households get tested for COVID-19 every 14 days. Click here to find a location for free testing. RELATED: Coronavirus Testing Recommended Every 14 Days: Riverside County

—City News Service contributed to this report.