Riverside County health officials Friday reported 498 newly diagnosed coronavirus cases and 13 additional virus-related deaths, marking the largest one-day increase in reported fatalities in nearly two months.
The aggregate number of COVID-19 infections recorded since the public health documentation period began in early March is 68,050, compared to 67,552 on Thursday, according to the Riverside University Health System.
The death toll tied to COVID-19 now stands at 1,319. Friday’s reported deaths occurred as far back as Sept. 24, according to RUHS spokesman Jose Arballo.
The last time daily reported fatalities surpassed a dozen was on Sept. 4, when 14 deaths were reported, county figures show.
There are now 150 patients infected with coronavirus being treated in county hospitals, one more than Thursday. This figure includes 33 intensive care unit patients, two fewer than the day before.
COVID-19 hospitalizations are currently at or below levels reported in April.
The number of known active cases countywide is 6,003, an increase of 181 from Thursday. The active count is derived by subtracting deaths and recoveries from the current total — 68,050 — according to the county Executive Office. The number of verified patient recoveries is 60,728.
The county’s coronavirus positivity rate has climbed to 5.6% amid a significant increase in the volume of people being tested countywide. Department of Public Health Director Kim Saruwatari told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the testing rate had reached 221.6 per 100,000, compared to 195.5 per 100,000 a week ago. The state’s threshold for large counties is 239.1 per 100,000.
“There’s been a tremendous amount of effort to increase testing in the county,” Saruwatari said.
With the increase in screening, there has been a proportional rise in positive results. The state-adjusted positivity rate edged up to 5.6% compared to an overall rate of 5.2% last week. Additionally, the daily COVID-19 case rate is now 10.1 per 100,000 under the California Department of Public’s Health criteria. The previous rate calculated by the state was 9.1 per 100,000.
Except for the positivity rate, which is still low, the other figures make the county ineligible for movement back into the “red” tier under the CDPH’s parameters.
Based partly on the low screening counts, the agency last Tuesday reclassified the county in the “purple” tier, the most restrictive under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s color-coded coronavirus regulatory framework, meaning some businesses that had reopened in recent weeks were required to close again, though the compliance level was unknown. The designation impacts gyms, restaurants, movie theaters and places of worship.
The board approved a self-directed reopening plan on Oct. 6, but the timetable originally included with the plan for allowing businesses to fully open was removed on a 4-1 vote because it would have conflicted with state mandates.