RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA – Riverside County’s coronavirus numbers continue to trend in the right direction, although new infections and deaths continue, data released Friday.
According to Riverside University Health System-Public Health, 526 new COVID-19 cases were reported Friday, bringing the total to 49,482 cases since reporting began. Of that total, 26,792 people have recovered from the disease.
The death toll from COVID-19 stands at 927 countywide, up five since Thursday’s report.
Hospitalizations are declining. On Friday, 252 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, a drop of 15 since Thursday. Of those 252 patients, 81 are in ICU, according to RUHS.
Last Friday, 314 people were hospitalized for COVID-19, including 91 ICU patients.
Riverside County COVID-19 hospitalizations have been declining since mid-July, with Coachella Valley facilities still seeing the majority of patients.
To date, the province has tested 480,546 residents for COVID-19. Friday, the state reported that in the last seven days, Riverside County’s positivity rate was 9.9 percent – substantially below its high of nearly 20 percent last month.
If the province falls below an 8 percent positivity rate, it will be ready to drop the state’s ‘monitoring list’, provided it meets other thresholds, including hospitalizations.
As of Friday, Riverside County was trending at 167 people per 100,000. Less than a dozen counties were in lower trend, despite Riverside being one of the most popular California counties.
“Over the past two weeks, the tests have been tremendously down,” according to Riverside County Emergency Management Department Planning Chief Brian Tisdale, who also serves as mayor of Lake Elsinore.
“Testing is key to resume [the county]”Tisdale said, noting that there are 14 test sites in the county. Testing is free, appointments are available, and results are ready in” three to five days, “he said.
Despite concerns about reduced testing, on Friday the province confirmed that schools serving transition schools through Class 6 could apply for an exemption to reopen amid the pandemic.
“The biggest predictor of school dispersal is community dispersal, and although we are still finding new cases of COVID-19, our case rate has dropped sufficiently where we can consider exemptions from elementary schools,” said Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr . Cameron Kaiser. “However, the exemption process will not be a rubber stamp, and primary schools will be required to publicly demonstrate that they have the pieces in place to operate safely or that they are not approved. We want exhibits to be rare and, if an exhibit occurs, , for the school to show that they can handle it without putting others at risk. “
>>> Read more about the waiver program: Riverside County Elementary Schools can now apply again
Following the fall of the state’s monitoring list this week, San Diego County is ready to reopen all schools Sept. 1 if it continues to meet state thresholds, including case rates, percentage of positive tests, average number of tests that the province has. daily performance, changes in the number of hospitals accommodating patients, and the percentage of ventilators and intensive care beds available. The province will be placed on the list again, as it would be marked for three years following one of the metrics.
