Restrictions Continue In Riverside County As Vaccination Expands

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County will have to wait at least another week before it learns whether it can reopen more businesses, according to state data released Tuesday.

In the meantime, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was expected into the county this week. And, on March 15, vaccination eligibility will expand statewide to people with underlying health conditions, Riverside University Health System's Dr. Geoffrey Leung told the Riverside County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

Several Bay Area counties, as well as Imperial County in Southern California, emerged from the state’s most restrictive purple tier and moved into the red tier, the state announced. Riverside County did not make the cut because its adjusted COVID-19 case rate was still too high, according to state metrics. Under California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, the adjusted case rate must fall to seven cases (or lower) per 100,000 residents in order to progress.

As of Tuesday, Riverside County had an adjusted case rate of 8.3 cases per 100,000 residents, according to state data.

“We’re getting very close to the red tier,” said Supervisor Jeff Hewitt, Fifth District.

Under the current purple tier designation, bars, theaters, museums, indoor recreational facilities and wineries are supposed to remain closed. However wineries, like restaurants, can provide outdoor dining, takeout and delivery.

RELATED: Live Outdoor Events Can Resume April 1 In Riverside County

The number of residents getting COVID-19 tests has slowed in Riverside County, according to the state metrics, and that is hindering the local case rate. The adjusted case rate takes into account the amount of testing being performed in the county relative to the median testing rate in the state. A testing rate above the state median adjusts the case rate lower, while a testing rate below the state median adjusts the case rate higher. The latter is the case in Riverside County, where the "unadjusted" rate Tuesday was at 7.8 cases per 100,000 residents, Riverside County Public Health Director Kim Saruwatari told the board.

Riverside County Board Chair Karen Spiegel, Second District, expressed concern that only PCR tests — not antigen tests — are counted by the state.

Saruwatari confirmed the supervisor’s scrutiny and explained that while rapid-result antigen tests “play an important role” they don’t offer the same level of accuracy.

“People should know this,” Spiegel said.

Both Saruwatari and Leung encouraged residents to continue getting tested. All of the county’s test sites offer the PCR test.

The health leaders also announced that all county sites now offer both first- and second-dose appointments. In previous weeks, appointments were being stringently allocated, but an increase in vaccine supply has prompted the county to open up the scheduling.

According to Leung, the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 is being distributed in the county this week.

Leung also announced that starting March 15, vaccination eligibility expands statewide to include people with underlying health conditions as well as people with disabilities.

The state’s parameters are still being drafted, Leung said, noting that it was unclear whether people would need to provide proof of their condition(s) prior to getting vaccinated.

“The state is still rolling that out,” he said.

According to previous information posted on the California Department of Public Health website, healthcare providers can use their clinical judgment to vaccinate people aged 16-64 who are “deemed to be at the very highest risk” to get very sick from COVID-19 because they have the following severe health conditions:

• Cancer, current with a weakened immune system
• Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or above
• Chronic pulmonary disease, oxygen-dependent
• Down syndrome
• Solid organ transplant, leading to a weakened immune system
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease
• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (but not hypertension)
• Severe obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 40 kg/m2)
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%

People with developmental or other severe high-risk disabilities are also eligible for vaccination beginning March 15. According to the state information, the criteria include:

• A person who is likely to develop severe life-threatening illness or death from COVID-19 infection.
• Acquiring COVID-19 will limit the person’s ability to receive ongoing care or services vital to their well-being and survival.
• Providing adequate and timely COVID care will be particularly challenging as a result of the person’s disability.

Update on Riverside County's COVID-19 numbers

COVID-19 hospitalizations reversed course slightly, with an uptick in admissions Tuesday, according to the Riverside University Health System

RUHS data showed COVID-positive hospitalizations now number 264, up from 251 Monday, and that includes 59 intensive care unit patients — five fewer than a day ago.

Countywide ICU bed availability is roughly 20 percent, back to where it was at the end of November and before the governor's stay-at-home order. The threshold established for triggering the order was 15 percent or less overall ICU availability.

The total number of COVID-19 cases recorded since the public health documentation period began last March is 291,492, up 452 from Monday.

The total number of COVID-19 deaths stood at 3,940 Tuesday, an increase of 28 over the last day.