COVID-19 hospitalizations drop in Riverside County for fifth straight week

The slide continues – for the fifth straight week, federal data shows across-the-board declines in the numbers of coronavirus patients at Temecula Valley and North County hospitals.

Data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Feb. 28, showed the percentage of patients who were coronavirus positive dropped to 16% at Temecula Valley Hospital from 21% in data released the week before, Feb. 21; 13% at Southwest Healthcare System, which includes Inland Valley and Rancho Springs medical centers in Wildomar and Murrieta, respectively, from 17%; 14% at Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta from 25%; and 20% at Palomar Medical Center Escondido from 27%.

Between the Feb. 21 and Feb. 28 hospital data dumps, seven-day average counts of coronavirus patients dropped by double digits Palomar Medical Center Escondido, Southwest Healthcare System and Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta and a smaller amount at Temecula Valley Hospital – which by Feb. 21 did not have many coronavirus patients to begin with.

ICUs remain near capacity at all local hospitals, but capacity has been cut at all hospitals as numbers of coronavirus cases have dropped in the region, per the federal data.

Here is a more detailed look at some of the most recent HHS data on local hospitals:

Temecula Valley Hospital

Total beds (Seven-day average): 130.1 (134.3 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (Seven-day average): 120.4 (119.9 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (Seven-day average): 18.7 (25.1 last week)

ICU beds (Seven-day average): 20.6 (27.3 last week)

ICU beds used (Seven-day average): 20.0 (26.6 last week)

Southwest Healthcare System (Inland Valley and Rancho Springs medical centers)

Total beds (Seven-day average): 224 (203.1 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (Seven-day average): 211.4 (190.7 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (Seven-day average): 27.7 (32.4 last week)

ICU beds (Seven-day average): 24.9 (25.7 last week)

ICU beds used (Seven-day average): 23.3 (24.9 last week)

Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta

Total beds (Seven-day average): 132.6 (145. 9 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (Seven-day average): 121.1 (130.9 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (Seven-day average): 17.9 (32.9 last week)

ICU beds (Seven-day average): 21 (24.6 last week)

ICU beds used (Seven-day average): 17.7 (19.9 last week)

Palomar Medical Center Escondido

Total beds (Seven-day average): 400.9 (411 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (Seven-day average): 293.4 (307 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (Seven-day average): 59.3 (80.4 last week)

ICU beds (Seven-day average): 44.9 (55 last week)

ICU beds used (Seven-day average): 44.9 (55 last week)

Will Fritz can be reached by email at [email protected].