Riverside County:

17 coronavirus deaths reported; it’s highest for a single day in a month

Riverside County on Wednesday reported 17 new deaths caused by the coronavirus — the highest single-day total in a month.

The report comes amid a dramatic surge in new infections and hospitalizations in the county as the omicron variant continues to strengthen its hold on the region. The increase raises to 5,572 the number of Riverside County residents who have lost their lives to COVID-19, county data show.

The county reported 24 deaths on Nov.

29.

Los Angeles County recorded 25 new deaths Wednesday; San Bernardino County reported one.

As for the 17 Riverside County deaths, they did not occur in the previous 24 hours.

Jose Arballo Jr., spokesperson for Riverside University Health System, said three of the fatalities were in September, two in October and the rest between Dec. 10 and

18. Those totals are updated when death reports attributed to COVID-19 are finalized and verified by the county, Arballo said.

“Deaths have always been a lagging indicator of how things are,” he said.

Arballo said it was not known whether the deaths resulted from the omicron variant.

Meanwhile, the number of patients with confirmed COVID-19 cases in Riv

erside County hospitals has passed 400 for the first time in three months, likely the result of the omicron wave that is sweeping the nation and canceling numerous airline flights during the holiday season.

Hospitalizations reached 431 Tuesday, the most recent date for which information was available, according to state data. The last time more than 400 people were being treated in area hospitals was Sept. 24, during a surge driven by the delta variant.

Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are expected to continue to rise into the new year, Arballo said. He said hospitals across the county are better prepared to handle anticipated patients than they were one year ago and the current surge isn’t expected to approach the one that struck then.

“We are nowhere near the levels we were at last year at this time,” he said.

Hospitalizations peaked at 1,671 in early January.

Dr. Troy Pennington, emergency room doctor and emergency medical services physician at the San Bernardino County-run Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, said hospitalizations in San Bernardino County have jumped 35% in five days.

“It seems like COVID is plotting against us, especially during the holidays,” he said.

San Bernardino County’s death toll from the pandemic passed 6,000 earlier this week, the county reported. According to state data, the number of confirmed coronavirus patients in hospitals there stood at 524 Tuesday — the first time the total has exceeded 500 since early September.

Los Angeles County on Wednesday reported more than 16,000 new coronavirus infections — one of the highest daily totals case of the pandemic.

During the last week, cases increased 91% from 8,633 to 16,510, test positivity rates doubled from 8.7% to 17.6% and hospitalizations rose 38% from 770 to 1,069, the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a news release.