Coronavirus: Riverside County Opens Testing Up To All Residents, Reports 10 New Deaths
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — Riverside County public health officials announced Friday that all residents can now get tested for the novel coronavirus, a shift from previous protocols that required patients to be experiencing symptoms.
"We're testing people already when they're sick, but we need to understand how COVID-19 is affecting people who may generally feel well, including kids,"' Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the county's public health officer, said. "That's going to be a key indicator for understanding how it spreads and knowing where our areas of concern are when we think about if and how much to open things again."
Health officials also announced Friday that a fifth county-run coronavirus testing location would open up at the Blythe Fairgrounds, 591 N. Olive Lake Blvd., on Wednesday.
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The county currently operates four testing centers:
- Perris Fairgrounds
- Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indio
- The Diamond in Lake Elsinore
- Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside
Appointments must be made in advance to visit any of the testing sites by calling 800-945-6171.
As of Friday, 32,779 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Riverside County, bringing the daily average to 2,200 tests.
The county has reported 2,475 confirmed cases and 69 deaths, adding 211 new cases and 10 deaths Friday. Of those cases, 544 patients have recovered and 216 were hospitalized, 72 in intensive care.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
