County reports lowest new case total in months Friday

Jeff Pack
Staff Writer

Riverside University Health System reported only 126 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, Aug. 28, and 10 new deaths throughout the county. In all, 51,860 have tested positive for the virus and 1,007 people have died since the county began recording data back in early March. 

The county reported there were three fewer people hospitalized overnight — a total of 223. There are currently 82 people being treated in ICUs for the virus, one more than the day before.

The county reported that 41,213 people have recovered from the virus, but that number is 110 less than what was reported on Thursday. 

The county reported that there were 380 confirmed cases in county jails and another 1,658 cases recorded in state prisons within the county. Prisons have seen a spike in recent days in new positive cases. 

The county reported that 506,716 have been tested so far, 4,903 more than the day before. 

Locally, Temecula reported no new cases (928), Murrieta added 11 (1,044), Wildomar added eight (510), Lake Elsinore added nine (1,093), Canyon Lake added none (84), Menifee added three (1,219), Hemet inexplicably reported no new cases  (1,518), and San Jacinto added nine (1,019).

In local communities, Anza added no new cases (12), East Hemet added seven (296), French Valley added one (281), Lakeland Village added none (198), Valle Vista added five (202), and Winchester added none (19).

Nine people have died from Temecula, 21 from Murrieta, 14 from Wildomar, 18 from Lake Elsinore, one from Canyon Lake, 17 from Menifee, 49 from Hemet, 21 from San Jacinto, none from Anza, four from East Hemet, one from French Valley, one from Lakeland Village, four from Valle Vista and none from Winchester. 

As the death toll crossed into quadruple-digit territory, officials sought to remind residents on Friday that wearing face coverings, keeping physical distance and consistently washing hands will continue to help slow the spread of the virus.

“Every death due to COVID-19 is a tragedy,” county Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said. “One way we can honor their memory is to do what we can to prevent COVID-19, so that other families won’t suffer the same loss these families have.

“Even though most people with COVID-19 will survive, these people are indisputably casualties. We have to take this virus seriously.”

The number of known active cases countywide is 9,640, up 226 compared to Thursday, a day after officials acknowledged that the number of patient recoveries had been under-reported previously due to a lack of contact with some patients more than month after they were diagnosed.

The active count is derived by subtracting deaths and recoveries from the current total — 51,860 — according to the County Executive Office.

City News Service contributed to this report. 

Jeff Pack can be reached by email at jpack@reedermedia.com.