The number of known active coronavirus cases throughout Riverside County climbed by 671 Wednesday, and the number of deaths connected to the virus increased by nine, according to local health officials.
The latest numbers bring the county’s total number of active cases to 12,370, with 515 fatalities, according to the Riverside University Health System.
The active case count is derived by subtracting deaths and patient recoveries from the current cumulative total — 21,957 — according to the county Executive Office.
There are currently 506 patients hospitalized in Riverside County medical facilities for COVID-19, or 12 fewer than Tuesday, which includes 130 patients in intensive care units, eight fewer than Tuesday.
“The positivity rate in coronavirus testing is 15.9%,” county Department of Public Health Director Kim Saruwatari told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. “The state threshold is 8%. We are closely monitoring testing.”
Emergency Management Department Director Bruce Barton told the board that of the county’s 17 hospitals, six are operating at maximum capacity. But they are “not overwhelmed” because all of the medical facilities are able to add spare cushion on short notice, exceeding licensed capacities by 30% if necessary, as happened during the 2017 flu outbreak, he said.
So-called “sub-acute” bed space countywide is at 68% capacity, while 94% of designated ICU beds are occupied, but fewer than a third of those are COVID-19 patients, according to Barton.
He said 10 prisoners from state penitentiaries are in hospitals within the county, along with four patients from hard-hit Imperial County. Imperial County’s two functioning hospitals have been operating over capacity for the last two months, and an unspecified number of patients have been transferred to multiple jurisdictions statewide for care.
The number of verified patient recoveries countywide is now 9,072. The county defines a recovery as someone who has not exhibited any COVID-19 symptoms for at least 14 days.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has implemented a ban on indoor operations at restaurants, wineries, family entertainment centers, cardrooms, theaters and museums in what he termed a precautionary move to address the “particularly concerning” spike in infections in 23 counties on the state’s “watch list,” including Riverside County.
The new state mandate barring indoor activities at those venues is slated to last another two weeks at least.
Bars countywide were also ordered closed last week under a new public health order. They had been allowed to reopen on June 12, after having previously been shut down as part of the governor’s stay-at-home order issued March 19.
Riverside County was advancing into Stage 3 of the governor’s four- stage public health de-regulation plan, but with COVID-19 cases spiking, and the renewed restrictions, that process is now on hold.