Riverside County Surpasses 3,000 COVID-19 Deaths

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Hospitalizations connected to COVID-19 continue to trend downward in Riverside County as officials reported the death toll from the virus rose above 3,000 Wednesday.

Total virus-related fatalities stood at 3,003, according to Riverside University Health System data, although the deaths are trailing indicators due to delays processing death certificates that typically cover three-to four-week periods.

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations countywide was at 1,238, down 27 from Tuesday, the RUHS data showed. The figure includes 315 patients being treated in intensive-care unit beds, down four from the day before.

If COVID-19 hospitalizations continue trending down, the county's peak will have been Jan. 10, when 1,675 people suffering virus-related complications were undergoing treatment.

Despite the decrease, the county's ICU space remains at 0 percent, along with the rest of the 11-county Southern California region.

"Our (hospital) numbers are going down. We're cautiously optimistic about that," Department of Public Health Director Kim Saruwatari told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. She said that even though Gov. Gavin Newsom has lifted the stay-at-home order, "we can't let our guard down" by disregarding health safety protocols.

County Emergency Management Director Bruce Barton told the board that conditions are generally improving in county hospitals, with patients taking up about 83 percent of licensed capacity, compared to just over 90 percent during the holidays.

The total number of coronavirus cases recorded since the public health documentation period began in early March is 268,490, compared to 266,849 Tuesday, according to the RUHS.

Meanwhile, Riverside County has received 191,975 Pfizer and Moderna SARS-Cov-2 vaccine doses to date, according to RUHS. However, because each dispensation regimen requires two shots within a 30-day period, the immunization program has been limited.

The number of doses given to people throughout the county stood at 127,175 Wednesday.

People 65 years and older, along with hospital workers, first responders and teachers currently qualify to receive the vaccine under the California Department of Public Health's vaccination guidance.

According to health officials, about 800,000 residents are eligible to receive shots based on current criteria.

The county's vaccine portal can be accessed via www.rivcoph.org/COVID-19-Vaccine.

—City News Service contributed to this report