Eight Months After Pandemic Started, Riverside County Still Urging Residents To Get Tested; County On Track To Get All Residents Tested By November 13th 2021

Public health officials in Riverside County are urging people to get tested for Covid-19 to keep the county in the State’s ‘Red Tier’ which allows for limited business openings in the county.

 

The Red Tier in Governor Gavin Newsom’s 4 color tiered ranking system, puts Riverside County’s spread of Covid-19 in the ‘Substantial’ category.

 

The Purple Tier is worse and means more closures, while the Orange and Green Tiers are better and mean more openings.

 

The County Public Health Department says coronavirus tests for active infections slow the spread of the disease by identifying infected individuals who can then be isolated, along with the people they have come in close contact with, thereby disrupting the spread of the virus and preserving space in hospitals throughout the county.

 

Kim Saruwatari, Riverside County’s Director of Public Health says “Riverside County residents have sacrificed so much, and the improved data has reflected that sacrifice. But it is critical that the community continue its wide-spread testing,” “The testing tells us where the virus is spreading, and it also helps us continue our movement forward.”

 

 

Riverside County has the capacity to test 4,000 people a day, but less than half that number are getting tested at county and state testing sites in recent weeks. 

 

Saruwatari said those with and without symptoms are encouraged to get tested, as well as younger people who traditionally have not gotten screened at the same rate as other groups.

 

Testing is free. There are 12 testing sites spread throughout Riverside County, both walk-in and drive-up services. To find locations and make an appointment, go online to gettested.ruhealth.org. For a list of COVID-19 test sites throughout California, click https://covid19.ca.gov/get-tested/

 

 

Photo : (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

@ap.images