Aid Continues In Riverside County Amid Coronavirus

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County health officials released the latest coronavirus figures Friday, while news of more federal and state aid for small businesses, farmworkers, schools and the county's transportation agency was also announced.

Riverside County health officials Friday reported another 307 confirmed coronavirus cases and 10 additional deaths, while the number of hospitalizations and known active cases continued to fall.

The total number of COVID-19 infections recorded since the public health documentation period began in early March is 56,681, compared to 56,374 on Thursday, according to the Riverside University Health System - Public Health.

Officials said the total number of deaths tied to COVID-19 stands at 1,153.

The number of patient recoveries is now up to 51,988.

Department of Public Health Director Kim Saruwatari told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the recovery rate is now 90 percent of the total number of COVID-19 cases diagnosed over the last six months.

Emergency Management Director Bruce Barton said this week that the county's virus-related hospitalizations are trending "in a positive direction," with the number of patients receiving treatment in the county's 17 acute care facilities being back down to levels recorded in April.

The number of patients hospitalized countywide for treatment of the virus was at 143 on Friday, down 15 from a day ago. That figure includes 44 people in intensive care units — four fewer than Thursday, according to RUHS.

Business Grants Amid Coronavirus

On Wednesday, the third round of applications for the county's business assistance grant opened and will run through October 30, or until funds are exhausted. Expanded eligibility in round three includes recipients of Paycheck Protection Program loans of $75,000 and under, the county announced.

Eligible businesses for the business assistance grant include private for-profit businesses that have experienced a financial hardship as a result of COVID-19, businesses with less than 50 employees, and those operating for a minimum of one year as of March 1, 2020. Sole proprietors and businesses that received the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan or advance are also eligible, according to the county.

Over $30 million has been awarded to more than 3,000 Riverside County small businesses through the COVID-19 business assistance grant program, according to county officials. The program was approved June 2 by the Board of Supervisors. Funding is coming from the county's $45 million allotment of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) money designed to aid small businesses that are enduring hardships due to the coronavirus pandemic.

For more information on grant funding, visit www.rivcobizhelp.org, call 951.955.0493 or email bizinfo@rivco.org.

Farmworkers

A new program designed to protect farmworkers and food processing workers across Riverside County also began taking applications on Wednesday.

The Riverside County Housing for the Harvest program provides temporary housing options, including hotel and motel rooms, for COVID-19 positive or exposed agricultural workers if they are unable to self-isolate at home, according to county officials.

Riverside County is partnering with the TODEC Legal Center on this comprehensive program that also includes meals, transportation, wellness checks and a $2,000 stipend to cover lost work, officials said.

Housing for the Harvest is made available statewide and provides opt-in housing support for any counties or regions that are interested. California has received FEMA approval for the program during the COVID-19 pandemic and is seeking federal reimbursement for 75 percent of hotel costs.

Farmworkers seeking assistance through the program can call TODEC Legal Center at 888‑863‑3291. The application will be done over the phone, and the hotline will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Assistance is provided in English, Spanish and Purépecha, officials said.

Transportation

Meanwhile, the Riverside County Transportation Commission is being given more than $1 million in CARES funding, it was announced Friday.

RCTC, which oversees infrastructure projects countywide, was one of two entities in California selected this month for another round of transportation relief assistance under the federal CARES program signed into law by President Donald Trump in March.

The money will be used to support safety measures employed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, federal officials said Friday.

Last month, RCTC received $6 million in CARES money, and the latest disbursal will be $1.3 million, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

"We know many of our nation's public transportation systems are facing extraordinary challenges, and these funds will go a long way to assisting our transit industry partners in battling COVID-19," Federal Transit Administration Deputy Administrator Jane Williams said. "These federal funds will support ... essential travel and supporting transit workers who are unable to work because of the public health emergency."

According to Williams, $25 billion of the $2 trillion CARES revenue is dedicated to transportation.
Money distributed to RCTC and other entities can be used to purchase personal protective equipment, fund reconfiguration of public conveyances and cover costs associated with promoting public transit, officials said.

Schools

Nineteen school districts are set to receive $10 million of federal CARES Act funds allocated by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to Riverside County Office of Education Foundation's "All For One" campaign, it was announced Friday.

The money will be used to order additional laptops and mobile hotspot devices to support distance learning for Riverside County students.

First announced in August, the "All For One" campaign will provide funds directly to the districts to address students' needs related to distance learning, said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Judy D. White.

The total number of tablets/laptops and mobile hotspots being ordered is:

Laptops/Tablets To Be Ordered: 22,865

Mobile Hotspots To Be Ordered: 13,315

The following shows each district's allotment (the numbers are estimates based on $350 for a laptop/device and $150 for a hot spot):

 Alvord USD – 2,000 laptops/tablets, 200 mobile hotspots

 Banning USD – 700 mobile hotspots

 Beaumont USD – 2,000 laptops/tablets, 2,500 mobile hotspots

 Coachella Valley USD – 2,500 laptops/tablets, 2,500 mobile hotspots

 Corona-Norco USD – 2,500 laptops/tablets, 1,000 mobile hotspots

 Desert Center USD – 15 laptops/tablets, 15 mobile hotspots

 Desert Sands USD – 100 mobile hotspots

 Hemet USD – 500 laptops/tablets, 500 mobile hotspots

 Jurupa USD – 2,500 laptops/tablets, 1,500 mobile hotspots

 Lake Elsinore USD – 1,000 laptops/tablets, 2,500 mobile hotspots

 Menifee Union SD – 500 laptops/tablets, 100 mobile hotspots

 Moreno Valley USD – 2,200 laptops/tablets

 Murrieta Valley USD – 2,500 laptops/tablets, 50 mobile hotspots

 Palo Verde USD – 250 laptops/tablets, 250 mobile hotspots

 Perris Elementary SD – 800 laptops/tablets Perris Union HSD – 750 mobile hotspots

 Riverside USD – 2,200 laptops/tablets San Jacinto USD – 400 laptops/tablets, 400 mobile hotspots

 Temecula Valley USD – 1,000 laptops/tablets, 250 mobile hotspots

—City News Service contributed to this report.