Riverside County Coronavirus Update: Numbers, News

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — As health officials around the state keep an eye on the coronavirus "surge on top of the surge" following the holidays, Riverside County officials Friday reported another nearly 4,000 new cases of the virus, 67 more COVID-related deaths, and a rise in hospitalizations and ICU admissions.

The total number of coronavirus cases now stands at 207,841 in the county, compared to 203,957 on Thursday, and the COVID-19 death toll was reported at 2,218 Friday, according to the Riverside University Health System.

RUHS officials reported 1,648 COVID-positive hospitalizations countywide, compared to 1,611 on Thursday. That number includes 370 intensive care unit patients — 27 more than the day before.

Since Christmas Eve just two weeks ago, the total number of positive coronavirus cases in the county has risen by 49,731 infections; the COVID-19 death toll has increased by 389 people; and 321 more patients are now hospitalized due to the virus, including an additional 115 ICU patients.

Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are forecast to surge over the next several weeks.

County Emergency Management Director Bruce Barton said Friday that a team of U.S. military nurses, physicians assistants and respiratory therapists were dispatched to Riverside County to assist with patient care in the county. The team arrived Thursday at Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley. The hospital, which principally serves the indigent and uninsured, has been deluged with both COVID-19 cases, according to county officials.

"In the past week, our 439-bed hospital (Main Campus and Arlington Campus), which normally has an average daily census of 350 patients, has been running an average daily census of around 450 patients," said Jennifer Cruikshank, chief executive officer at RUHS - Medical Center and Clinics. "RUHS - Medical Center had opened an additional 121 beds to support the continuing surge of patients in our region. These additional Department of Defense staffing resources come at a very important time and are breathing in a renewed energy and hope into our team that will help us continue to provide our expanded services and support the acute healthcare needs of more people in our region during this critical time."

Read more about the active-duty medical personnel deployment to Riverside County here.

On Thursday it was announced that the state delivered oxygen generators to Riverside County to help meet another urgent need.

"Oxygen suppliers are having a difficult time meeting the high demand of area hospitals due to the COVID-19 pandemic," Barton explained Thursday. "This isn't limited to just one hospital. COVID patients need lots of oxygen and that's taxing the entire healthcare system. We've been working with representatives from California Emergency Medical Services Authority to address the growing needs and we're glad to report that today EMSA set up an oxygen depot, a state resource, that will supply Riverside County and surrounding counties with oxygen."

The "oxygen depot" is comprised of two large oxygen generators that fill large tanks used by hospitals and is augmenting the local oxygen supply, according to the county. Read more about the oxygen shortfall here.

—City News Service contributed to this report.