Health & Fitness
COVID-19 Hospitalizations Hit New High In Riverside County
As expected, the death toll is also rising.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County health officials Thursday reported records for both the total amount of COVID-positive hospital patients and intensive-care unit patients.
There were 1,644 people being treated for COVID-19 on Thursday, up 23 from the day before. This figure includes 364 coronavirus patients in county ICU beds, up 21 from the prior day. Both figures are records, according Jose Arballo, a spokesman for the Riverside University Health System.
The total number of coronavirus infections recorded since the public health documentation period began in early March increased by 370 Thursday to 204,327, according to RUHS data. About two-thirds of the total cases have recovered from the virus.
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Another 38 deaths were also reported, bringing the total death toll to 2,189. The death figures are trailing indicators because of delays processing death certificates and can cover several weeks.
Meanwhile, the Riverside County Emergency Management Department announced Thursday that the state has set up a regional oxygen supply facility in the county to help augment dwindling supplies of oxygen brought on by an excess of patients seeking treatment for COVID-19.
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"Oxygen suppliers are having a difficult time meeting the high demand of area hospitals due to the COVID-19 pandemic," department Director Bruce Barton said in a statement. "This isn't limited to just one hospital. COVID patients need lots of oxygen and that's taxing the entire health care system." Read more about the oxygen facility here.
Health officials are in the midst of administering COVID-19 vaccines, with the first priority going to workers in acute-care hospitals, skilled nursing and assisted-living facilities, paramedics/EMTs, correctional hospitals and behavioral health facilities.
According to RUHS, as of Sunday, the county had received 25,310 doses of vaccine, and 17,294 had been administered. Statewide, only about one-third of the 1.3 million vaccine doses that have been received had actually been administered as of Monday.
