San Bernardino County set a new one-day record, 2,020, for new coronavirus cases as COVID-19 hospitalizations continued to soar in data posted Thursday (Nov. 19). Also, the number of new cases in the past week, 8,471, also set a record and is 412% higher than the seven-day total from a month ago. As of Wednesday (Nov. 18), 439 confirmed COVID-19 patients were in county hospitals, the most since Aug. 15, with 119 of those patients in intensive care. The number of hospitalizations is up 142% from a month ago, when just 181 coronavirus patients were hospitalized. The 76,252 test results returned in the past week also marks a new record, but the increase in testing is not solely responsible for the rise in cases, since the percentage of tests coming back positive continues to rise.
Here in the Morongo Basin we have had 653 confirmed cases and 32 deaths: Yucca Valley with 317 cases and 24 deaths; Twentynine Palms with 158 cases and two deaths; Joshua Tree 107 cases and four deaths; Morongo Valley 54 cases and one death; Landers with 15 cases and one death; and Pioneertown with two cases.
Here are the latest numbers for San Bernardino County
Confirmed cases: 80,318 total, up 2,020 from Wednesday, averaging 1,210 reported per day in the past week
Deaths: 1,124 total, up six from Wednesday, averaging 4.0 reported per day in the past week
Hospital survey: 439 confirmed and 57 suspected patients hospitalized Wednesday, including 119 confirmed and 8 suspected patients in the ICU, with 25 of 25 facilities reporting. The number of confirmed patients is up 45.4% from a week earlier.
People tested: 973,948 total, up 12,537 from Wednesday, averaging 10,893 reported per day in the past week
Resolved cases (estimate): 71,319 total, up 721 from Wednesday, averaging 706 per day in the past week
Reopening plan tier: Purple (widespread risk level, many non-essential indoor business operations are closed) based on these metrics as of Monday:
New cases per day per 100,000 residents: 27.6
Case rate adjusted for testing volume: 27.0
Test positivity rate: 10.5% (9.3% in socioeconomically challenged neighborhoods)
What’s next: San Bernardino County is not meeting the criteria to move to a less-restrictive tier. When it has met them for two consecutive weeks, it can advance.
