Delay In Riverside County COVID Data Due To State Review Of Cases

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — As Riverside County health officials continue monitoring coronavirus following the June 15 statewide reopening, it was announced Tuesday that the county’s COVID-19 tracker will be updated for the public once a week instead of daily in an effort to get a "more accurate look at data trends."

The tracker had not been updated over the last week. County officials said delays occurred because the state “reconciled” COVID-19 case data, with thousands of case files being reviewed to ensure the published data accurately reflected the number of cases and other information. The reconciliation impacted the running tally of COVID cases in Riverside County, causing the number to drop by several hundred even though new cases were being reported.

Publishing a total that was less than previously displayed, while new cases were being reported could present an inaccurate picture of what was happening, according to Tuesday's announcement.

“There were some questions as to why the dashboard had not been updated since last week,” said Kim Saruwatari, director of Public Health for Riverside County. “It was important the data we publish properly show what is happening with the pandemic and we wanted to provide the most accurate information.”

The most recent figures provided by Riverside University Health System show the total number of county COVID cases recorded since the public health documentation period began in March 2020 is 301,655. The number of hospitalized COVID patients is 50, and that includes 13 intensive care unit patients. A total of 4,627 COVID deaths have been recorded in the last 15 months.

Moving forward, the county's coronavirus tracker will be updated Wednesdays, starting July 7. The website will display the number of cases, deaths and other data associated with the pandemic. The county tracker has been live for more than a year.

"The weekly updates will provide a more accurate look at data trends," according to the county announcement.

Vaccine data will continue to be posted Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Two events being eyed by the county are the June 15 reopening and the upcoming July 4 holiday weekend. The events might provide some insight into the county's COVID "herd immunity." Trends, if any, will not begin to be realized until about three weeks after each event, according to Riverside County Public Health spokesperson Jose Arballo Jr.

According to county health data, 45.9 percent of Riverside County residents 12 and older have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Data on the number of people who have acquired a level of immunity through infection but who have not been vaccinated are unavailable, so the county's collective herd immunity is difficult to gauge. Events that trigger mass gatherings — like the Fourth of July — may offer clues.

For those still looking to get vaccinated, the county offers its vaccination portal at https://www.rivcoph.org/COVID-19-Vaccine. You can also call 951-358-5000 for more information.