COVID Hospitalizations Countywide Remain Under 100

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The overall number of patients hospitalized with a coronavirus infection in Riverside County remained below 100 this week, as the state- and county-level states of emergency stemming from the COVID-19 public health crisis formally came to an end. The number of COVID-positive patients in county hospitals was 93, according to the latest state data released Friday. Sixteen of those patients were in intensive care. That compared with 91 COVID-positive patients and 14 in the ICU at the end of last week. Some of the patients were initially hospitalized for other reasons and learned they had COVID after a mandated test. One month ago, 113 people were hospitalized throughout the county with a COVID infection, 19 of whom were ICU patients. According to the Riverside University Health System, the total number of deaths from likely virus-related complications over the last 36 months stands at 6,842. Last week’s figure was 6,837. On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation officially terminating California’s statewide COVID-19 State of Emergency, which took effect in March 2020. The formal rescission had been announced in October. The process of downgrading or sun-setting emergency orders actually began a year ago. In May 2020, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted to align all of the county’s coronavirus emergency orders with the state, and county Executive Office spokeswoman Brooke Federico confirmed to City News Service on Thursday that "the county’s COVID emergency ended when the state’s ended." For the foreseeable future, the county’s COVID information portal will remain active at http://www.ruhealth.org/public-health/coronavirus. RUHS figures showed that, among those who died while hospitalized with a COVID diagnosis in January, 37% had received the full SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic. In December, 38% of those who died while hospitalized with a diagnosis had received the complete injection regimen, while in November, it was 37%. The total number of fatalities in January was 27, and in December, 66. In November, the figure was 41, according to the RUHS. The deaths, which are subject to revision, weren’t classified as stemming directly from an infection, co-morbidities, or possible adverse reactions to the shots. A majority of people who die with COVID-19 are elderly or have an underlying health condition such as diabetes, heart disease or hypertension. Local health officials said the aggregate number of COVID cases recorded in the county since the public health documentation period began in March 2020 is 734,008. Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.