COVID-19 Hospitalizations Continue Declining In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 continued to trend downward Wednesday as county health officials reported an additional 31 coronavirus deaths.

With an additional 564 coronavirus cases reported Wednesday, the total number of infections recorded since the public health documentation period began in early March is 251,000, compared to 250,436 on Tuesday, according to the Riverside University Health System. Roughly two-thirds of the total cases are reported recovered from illness.

The county's COVID-19 death toll rose to 2,676.

Hospitalizations countywide were at 1,514 on Wednesday, down 10 from the day before. That includes 344 intensive care unit patients — nine fewer than Tuesday. Hospitalization figures have steadily been dropping since early last week.

In comparison, there were 1,660 coronavirus hospitalizations countywide reported last Wednesday, a decline of 146 patients over the week. The number of reported COVID-19 deaths, however, has risen by 369 people over the week, though virus-related fatalities are trailing indicators because delays processing death certificates often stretch back over several weeks.

The number of known active virus cases countywide is 76,970, a drop of 1,702 from Tuesday. The active count is derived by subtracting deaths and recoveries from the current total -- 251,000 -- according to the county Executive Office.

More appointments will open for free COVID-19 vaccine clinics after Riverside County received additional doses this week, but the available slots are few, it was announced Wednesday.

Scheduling of appointments (required) begins at noon Thursday, Jan. 21, for six upcoming county-operated clinics at Lake Elsinore's Diamond Stadium, as well as county fairgrounds in Perris and Indio. Only people 65 and older, and people who work in high-risk settings (all tiers in phase 1A, and tier 1 of phase 1B) are eligible to receive the vaccine. Read more here.

—City News Service contributed to this report.