More than 60 Imperial County coronavirus patients are being treated at Riverside County hospitals

Riverside County hospitals are receiving coronavirus patients from Imperial County because its two hospitals have reached capacity, according to officials.

As of Wednesday, 63 patients from Imperial County were being treated at Riverside County hospitals, said Brooke Federico, the county’s public information officer.

Of the new patients, 51 were transferred from Imperial County hospitals and the others were walk-ins, said Bruce Barton, Riverside County’s emergency management director.

Imperial County had 1,443 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths as of Thursday afternoon, records show. Riverside County had 7,341 cases and 313 deaths, which is seven more fatalities than on the previous day.

A total of 199 people, including 66 in intensive care, are hospitalized in Riverside County, Federico said.

Barton said the recent increase of hospitalizations is still within the capacity of Riverside County’s health system, but officials are monitoring the situation.

“The goal of the state’s regional distribution plan is to assure these patients receive needed care and are appropriately distributed across Southern California hospitals so that no single county is disproportionately impacted,” Barton said.

Other neighboring counties have also received patients, officials said.

“It is fortunate that we have the hospital space to assist our neighbors in Imperial County. It shows how important these hospital beds are and how we need to keep our hospital space available for surges that could come,” said Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez.