COVID Hospitalizations Drop Below 100 In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The number of COVID-positive patients in Riverside County hospitals fell to double digits Friday for the first time since last summer.

According to Riverside University Health System, 94 COVID hospitalizations were counted Friday, with 15 of those patients in intensive care.

The decreased hospitalizations come nearly two years to the day when on March 19, 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the first stay-at-home order of the coronavirus pandemic.

"This is not a permanent state," Newsom told Californians two years ago.

Since then, public health orders have been lifted across the county. But while COVID hospitalizations and new infections continue a dramatic decline countywide, not everyone who becomes sickened by the virus recovers.

RUHS reported another 22 COVID-related deaths Friday, bringing the county's total fatalities to 6,427 since the pandemic began. The COVID fatalities are considered trailing indicators because of delays processing death certificates, meaning some deaths may have actually occurred weeks ago, according to health officials.

The RUHS also reported Friday another 252 new positive COVID tests, bringing total cases to 595,267 since the pandemic began. Verified patient recoveries countywide stood at 584,478 on Friday.