Another 585 coronavirus cases and eight additional deaths were confirmed Tuesday in Riverside County, but hospitalizations and known active virus cases continued their weeks-long plunge, according to health officials.
The aggregate number of COVID-19 infections recorded since the public health documentation period began in early March is 54,572, compared to 53,987 on Friday, according to RUHS. No data was released during the holiday weekend.
Officials said the total number of deaths tied to COVID-19 now stands at 1,075.
The number of patients hospitalized countywide for treatment of the virus is 175, down 10 from Friday. That figure includes 60 people in intensive care units.
Emergency Management Director Bruce Barton told the Board of Supervisors last week there has been “an ongoing significant decrease” from the peak of hospitalizations in mid-July, when 550 people with COVID-19 were in the county’s 17 acute care medical facilities.
The number of known active cases countywide is 5,379, a decline of 1,551 since the end of last week. The active count is derived by subtracting deaths and recoveries from the current total — 54,572 — according to the county Executive Office.
The number of verified patient recoveries is 48,118. A recovery is defined as someone who has not manifested symptoms for 14 days.
On Aug. 28, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a four-tier, color-coded system that’s used to assess the speed at which to loosen public health regulations impacting businesses, some of which have permanently closed countywide. The county remains in the purple, or worst, tier, requiring many indoor businesses to remain shut down or substantially limit capacity.
In order for the county to move to the next level, the red tier, it has to document less than seven new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population on a rolling seven-day average, and the positivity testing rate must be less than 8% in the same period.
Additional information about the formula can be found at www.covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy.
The doubling time — or the number of days in which documented virus cases increase 100% — is 51 days. A doubling rate of seven days is reason for alarm, while expanding doubling times point to moderation, or gradual success in virus containment, according to health officials.