COVID-19 Hospitalizations Keep Dropping In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped 12 percent over the weekend in Riverside County, continuing a trend that began two weeks ago and dovetailing with wider declines that prompted the governor Monday to end his stay-at-home order, even though intensive care unit capacities are still at the bottom.

The Riverside University Health System reported 1,304 COVID-positive hospitalizations countywide, compared to 1,497 on Friday, along with 80 coronavirus-related deaths. The ICU bed count of COVID patients was 334, down one from Friday. No figures were released over the weekend.

The total number of coronavirus cases recorded in Riverside County since the public health documentation period began in early March totaled 264,363 as of Monday, compared to 258,352 on Friday, according to RUHS.

Officials said a total of 2,857 deaths stemming from virus-related complications have been recorded, compared to 2,777 reported Friday. The fatalities are trailing indicators because of delays processing death certificates and cover three- to four-week periods.

Riverside County and the 11-county Southern California region both remain effectively at 0 percent in ICU capacity. Gov. Gavin Newsom's Dec. 5 stay-at-home order was based on areas sliding below a capacity threshold of 15 percent.

However, the governor cited a "flattening of the curve" and projections that the downtrend will continue in announcing that he was lifting the order.

Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Karen Spiegel, who last month sharply criticized the stay-at-home order as causing further harm to struggling small businesses, expressed relief that those same businesses can now "refocus on their recovery."

She cautioned, though, that "while some of our businesses may be reopening, we cannot lose sight of the fact that coronavirus continues to be widespread," meaning residents should remain vigilant, exercising sanitation and distancing practices.

The county is still in the most restrictive "purple" tier of the governor's Blueprint for a Safer Economy framework. RUHS officials will be providing an update on the ongoing public health emergency during Tuesday's board meeting.

Read more here about what can reopen under the purple tier status.

COVID-19 vaccination clinics are planned all week. The county on Friday unveiled a new reservation portal for residents to make appointments after the first one crashed. The new site can be accessed via www.rivcoph.org/COVID-19-Vaccine.

Some slots are reserved exclusively for residents in tier 1 of Phase 1B — those who are 65 years and older — under the California Department of Public Health's revised vaccination guidance.