COVID-positive hospitalizations in Riverside County fell below 400, while known active cases also continued to decline countywide, but an additional 42 virus-related deaths were reported Thursday.
According to the Riverside University Health System, coronavirus hospitalizations currently number 381, down from 406 Wednesday, and that includes 102 intensive care unit patients, 14 less than a day ago.
RUHS said the aggregate number of COVID-19 cases recorded since the public health documentation period began in March is 289,185, 225 more than was reported the day before.
Officials said there have been a total 3,749 deaths from virus-related complications in the last 11 months, up from 3,707 on Wednesday. The fatalities are trailing indicators because of delays processing death certificates and cover three- to four-week cycles.
ICU bed availability countywide is at 12%, still below the 15% threshold that prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Dec. 6 regional stay-at-home order, which was canceled last month amid changing trends. Most ICU patients in the county are not infected with COVID, according to RUHS.
The number of known active virus cases countywide is 16,152, down 741 compared to Wednesday. The active count is derived by subtracting deaths and recoveries from the current total — 289,185 — according to the county Executive Office. Verified patient recoveries countywide are now at 269,284.
Officials announced earlier this week that because case rates have fallen below California Department of Public Health thresholds, school districts countywide are eligible to apply for waivers to restart in-person classes for students in transitional kindergarten to sixth grade. Districts are required to have safety plans and protocols in place to mitigate virus exposure risks. Four districts have been approved by the county and are expected to receive CDPH approval anytime.
The state’s new system of tracking and scheduling vaccines is slated to be rolled out in Riverside and 10 other counties soon. The system will be run by Blue Shield, although details are still being ironed out.
New guidance released by CDPH last week allows for outdoor sports to resume in counties in the purple and red tiers of the governor’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy framework, as long as they report case rates at or below 14 per 100,000 residents. Riverside County, still in the purple tier, is at 16.6 infections per 100,000 residents, according to RUHS.
Vaccination of seniors is a priority, but others who qualify under the CDPH Phase 1 guidelines include hospital workers, first responders, teachers and some agricultural workers. The portal to make an appointment for vaccination can be accessed via www.rivcoph.org/COVID-19-Vaccine. Anyone who needs assistance may also call the county’s 211 help line.
The county is still in the most restrictive purple tier of the governor’s framework, impacting bars, theaters, museums, indoor recreational facilities and wineries — all of which are supposed to remain closed. However wineries, like restaurants, can provide outdoor dining, takeout and delivery.