Recent increases in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have erased Riverside County’s progress in fighting the virus and the “curve is no longer flat,” Dr. Cameron Kaiser, county public health officer, told the Board. of Supervisors this week.
© (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
2-year-old Adeline Hernandez of Riverside appears perplexed by the yellow caution tape as she approaches closed swings at Ryan Bonaminio Park during the COVID-19 pandemic in April. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Riverside County experienced a sharp increase in cases in June, causing the intensive care bed capacity to reach almost 99% and the doubled infection rate, the amount of time it takes to double cases, drops to almost 27 days. As of Wednesday afternoon, of the 417 hospitalized patients, 117 of them were in intensive care.
Kim Saruwatari, the county’s director of public health, said the county has approximately 202 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents, which is more than double the state’s threshold of 100 cases. As of early June, the number of people who tested positive for the virus was also above the state’s 8% limit, but reached 12.3% on June 26, he said.
The county reported 772 new cases and six additional deaths Wednesday, with a total of 18,041 cases and 463 deaths.
“We are now at the point where our hospitalizations and ICU rates are higher than ever before during this pandemic,” Kaiser said during the videoconference meeting on Tuesday.
Earlier this week, Kaiser issued a public health order to close the bars until further notice, following Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcement. Bars had been allowed to reopen in Riverside County on June 12, but local authorities fear they have become a hot spot for new case groups.
The bars are among the toughest contact trackers to track down possible infections because people move in and out so frequently, Kaiser said. In addition, he said in a statement: “People don’t distance themselves much after a couple of drinks.”
Saruwatari added that the chances of the virus spreading in a bar are increased because people do not distance themselves socially or wear facial covers, and tend to “speak louder because it is a noisy environment.” The louder someone speaks, the more drops potentially contain the virus they spread.
Kaiser said the bar’s closure will be enforced, and those who challenge it risk losing their liquor license.
The bars “may be part of the explanation for why it is our younger individuals who are now falling ill,” he added. According to the county website, people ages 18 to 39 make up the highest number of most positive cases.
“They are less likely to die, but they can still have severe symptoms,” Kaiser said. “They may still require hospitalization and they can still transmit the disease.”
In terms of deaths, those ages 45 to 64 have as many deaths as those over 85, Kaiser said, and are the second-highest age group in absolute numbers.
In addition to the bars, Kaiser said recent protests and private gatherings during and after Memorial Day also contributed to the new cases. “Many [protesters] he used face covers and distance appropriately as recommended, but many did not, ”he said.
Saruwatari said the county has seen case groups in restaurants, department stores, and salad and date packaging. But, he said, “Most of the cases are really groups of people coming together. They are not social distancing. They do not have facial covers. They are together for more than 15 minutes at a time.
“They are family barbecues. It’s the fact of having some friends because it’s been a long time since you’ve seen them, and it’s that close contact with people that is really driving … the increase in cases that we’re seeing now. “
During Tuesday’s meeting, officials also took time to address rumors that COVID-19 patients from Imperial County, which only has two hospitals, were transferred overnight to Riverside County hospitals to receive treatment, which in turn overwhelmed those treatment centers.
Bruce Barton, the county’s director of emergency management, said that as of Monday, only five of the 365 coronavirus patients hospitalized in Riverside County are from Imperial County. More than 100 Imperial County patients have been admitted during the pandemic, he said.
Barton also noted that Riverside County hospitals accept transfers only if they have the ability to do so, and that they are generally transported during the day by ambulance.
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