Coronavirus Cases Surpass 1,000 In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — As of Tuesday afternoon, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Riverside County exceeded 1,000, and the death toll rose.

There are now 1,016 cases and 28 deaths countywide. The city of Riverside has the most cases with 96, including one death, while Moreno Valley has 94 confirmed COVID-19 cases and three deaths. Sixty-seven people have now recovered from the illness, and the ratio of infected males versus females is now nearly equal, the county figures show.

As of Tuesday morning, Riverside County was fourth statewide in the number of COVID-19 cases.

RELATED: Coronavirus Death Toll 'Bit Of An Undercount' In Riverside County

During the Riverside County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser underscored the need to "mitigate as much as possible" in the face of a possible viral "surge."

"There have been an estimated 10,000 COVID-19 tests performed in Riverside County," Kaiser said. "Sustained transmission is possible (by those who may not be presenting symptoms). Wearing face covers is necessary. There are risks to essential workers by the public, and they to the public."

Face coverings are now mandated countywide. In an April 6 video posted on the Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Facebook page, Sheriff Chad Bianco urged the public to follow the face covering mandate but said the county is not under martial law and will not be turned into a police state. No one will be cited for exercising outdoors without a face covering if they are practicing social distancing, the sheriff said.

In addition to the face covering mandate, Kaiser has banned gatherings of all kinds, except among members of a household.

Although the face-cover mandate and gathering ban remain in effect through April 30, Kaiser has extended many restrictions through June 19, including school closures, short-term lodging, and golf courses, for example.

The ban on gatherings comes as Passover, Good Friday and Easter approach, leaving the faithful and those who celebrate with extended family facing a new reality.

"As the religious holidays approach, I urge communities of faith to take every advantage of the technology available to them," the doctor said. "As more and more Riverside County residents come into compliance with the order, we could start to see changes as early as next week."

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Kaiser acknowledged that the "long hypothesized surge" that received so much attention locally and nationally may not be as pervasive as previously believed, but will rather stem from infections within "long-term care and skilled nursing facilities."

"Infections may mount in those environments," he said. "I don't think it's hyperbole to say there are multiple hot spots. We are still in containment mode, and we are still in the fight."

Over the weekend, it was announced that at least 30 patients and some staff at a Riverside skilled nursing facility tested positive for COVID-19. That number could climb as test results are still pending for other patients and employees at the Extended Care Hospital of Riverside, 8171 Magnolia Ave.

COVID-19 infections have not yet overtaxed the county's ICU bed capacity, county Department of Public Health Director Kim Saruwatari said during Tuesday's board meeting, but she predicted the "coming weeks will be bad."

Emergency Management Director Bruce Barton told the board that the real surge at the moment was a "socioeconomic" one resulting from unemployment and other hardships connected to the coronavirus emergency.

According to Barton, the county has seen 4,600 new CalFresh and 2,600 new MediCal applications in the last several weeks, as more residents seek aid to address food insecurity and loss of insurance coverage.

Barton said the county stands ready to assist 420 food pantries and handle "resource requests" tied to sheltering of the homeless.

He said a priority is to acquire more N95 masks and respiratory ventilators, but the pipeline is plugged. According to the EMD director, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has taken over handling orders for ventilators, and the county's first order for shipments was denied for unspecified reasons. Another order is pending.

—City News Service contributed to this report.

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