Health & Fitness
Riverside County Coronavirus Cases Surpass 7,000; 290 Deaths
Reporting three days' worth of data, health officials confirmed 540 new coronavirus cases in Riverside County Monday, and two new deaths.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County Monday reported its highest one-day increase of COVID-19 cases on the heels of a major easing of public health orders this weekend that allowed in-person dining and shopping.
Health officials reported three days worth of data, showing 88 new cases on Saturday, 180 on Sunday and 272 Monday, the highest single-day figure since the county began keeping track. The countywide total stands at 7,004 cases. Two new deaths were also reported Monday, increasing the total to 290.
Hospitalizations remained unchanged at 194.
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Brooke Federico, a spokeswoman for the Riverside University Health System, said Mondays typically see larger bumps in cases because labs are reporting a backlog of positive tests.
She also said it was important to pay attention to the hospitalization rate, which remained stable.
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"It means there's still available capacity in our hospital system," she said.
Also Monday, the Westfield Mall in Palm Desert announced that it will reopen Friday with modified hours while following all state and county safety guidelines, including modifying and limiting the number of people entering the mall and crowded spaces within.
Last Friday, the county was given approval by the California Department of Public Health, with the governor's blessing, for an "accelerated" move into reopening economic sectors impacted by the coronavirus emergency.
The move paved the way for restrictions on in-person dining and shopping to be lifted in time for the Memorial Day Weekend.
The California Department of Public Health rescinded its ban on in- person shopping at retail stores for all counties in state on Monday.
Mall officials also said they will abide by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleaning measures, with a focus on high-touch areas.
According to RUHS researcher Dr. Geoffrey Leung, the countywide hospitalization rate for COVID-19 cases has been flat for the past few weeks, remaining below 200, while the "positivity rate" from coronavirus screenings generally has been 2% to 4%, figures that did not raise red flags.
—City News Service
Full coronavirus coverage: Coronavirus In California: What To Know
