City of Riverside Encourages Residents to Continue to Get Tested for COVID-19
Published: 3/4/2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 4, 2021
Contact:
Phil Pitchford
Public Information Officer
951-826-5975
City of Riverside Encourages Residents to Continue to Get Tested for COVID-19
Testing seen as key to continued re-opening of businesses, schools, economy
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The City of Riverside is encouraging residents to continue getting tested for COVID-19 to slow the spread of the virus and help businesses, schools and the overall economy continue to rebound.
The region has seen the number of active cases drop for several weeks, which is good news. That has allowed Riverside County to move from the worst category – widespread, or purple – to the next category – substantial, or red – in terms of the positivity rate.
But other categories remain in the widespread category, which inhibits a more complete re-opening, and those categories could remain in the worst shape without additional testing.
“Continued testing remains an important tool in the ongoing battle against COVID-19,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said. “I encourage everyone in our city to take advantage of our many sites that make testing quick, easy and at no cost.”
The City of Riverside has testing centers all over the city through a partnership with Curative, Inc. All tests are self-administered under the guidance of Curative staff, and appointments can be made at https://riversideca.gov/testing.
Getting tested, wearing a mask, observing physical distancing and washing your hands are steps that remain very important, even as vaccinations have progressed and begun to slow the virus. Testing allows people to make the best health decisions for themselves and their families by isolating and preventing further transmission.
Riverside County’s positivity rate is now down to 5.8 percent, which falls into the substantial, or red tier, which is an improvement. But the number of new cases per day per 100,000 people remains at 11, which is still in the widespread, or purple, range. Another factor, the adjusted new cases per day, is worse, at 11.3, in part because Riverside County is not testing as much as the statewide median.
If county residents test more than the state median, the existing 11 new cases per 100,000 people will be adjusted in the other direction, to less than the existing 11 per 100,000 people. That will help the region get completely into the substantial, or red, tier, which allows for additional reopenings.
“It is very heart-warming to see people getting vaccinated, but vaccinations alone will not help us completely emerge from this pandemic,” Mayor Pro Tem Jim Perry said. “We need a ‘one-two punch’ of testing and vaccinations to make a real difference in our community.”
For the latest information and resources regarding COVID-19 -- www.RiversideCA.gov/COVID-19
