COVID Hospitalizations Fall To 37 In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus in Riverside County has dropped by another five people to 37, the lowest total since last June, according to the latest state figures.

The number of those patients in intensive care is down to four as of Saturday, one fewer than Friday.

One month ago, 155 people were hospitalized throughout the county with a coronavirus infection, 30 of whom were ICU patients.

Some patients may have been hospitalized for other reasons and discovered they had COVID-19 after a hospital-mandated test.

On Friday, Riverside University Health System officials said the aggregate number of COVID cases recorded in the county since the public health documentation period began in March 2020 is 598,245.

According to the RUHS, a total 6,484 deaths from virus-related complications have been recorded in the past 24 months, up 10 from the previous week. The fatalities are trailing indicators because of delays processing death certificates and can go back weeks, according to officials.

The majority of people who die of COVID complications have underlying conditions, mainly hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.

The number of known active virus cases in the county, based on available data, was 2,082, compared to 2,548 the previous week. The active count is derived by subtracting deaths and recoveries from the current total -- 598,245 -- according to the county Executive Office. Verified patient recoveries countywide are now 589,679.

The RUHS does not report COVID data on weekends.

— City News Service