County health authorities search for patients at Riverside Medical Clinic’s Day Street
Riverside County health officials are trying to locate patients at a Moreno Valley clinic after a doctor there tested positive for the coronavirus.
Officials are still not sure how many patients the doctor saw in the office. Riverside Medical Clinic’s Day Street while infected, but office personnel have been notified.
The doctor, who authorities are not identifying, is expected to make a full recovery, according to the Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the county public health officer located in southern California.
"This is an unfortunate situation and we are taking all necessary steps to protect patients and staff," Kaiser said in a statement.
The clinic has scheduled tests for any possibly exposed patient for Saturday, health officials said.
The clinic is still open and appointments can be made, according to its president, Judy Carpenter. "The safety of our patients remains our highest priority and we assure them that we have taken all measures to protect their health and that of their family," said Carpenter.
Earlier Friday, health officials issued a warning that coronavirus can be deadly even to healthy youngsters after a 25-year-old pharmacy technician died of COVID-19.
The man was found dead Wednesday at a residence in La Quinta, where he had been under quarantine since his exposure, according to Kaiser.
"This is a deeply sad reminder that COVID-19 also kills the young and healthy," Kaiser said in a statement. "Keep safe. Take travel and errands to the essentials, and watch the social distance no matter how young or well you are. ”
The man lived in San Diego County and was exposed to the virus outside of Riverside County, health officials said, without providing details. No identifying information was released about the patient.
Her death was the ninth coronavirus-related death in Riverside County. The other deaths were all from people over the age of 70, most of whom had underlying health conditions, Kaiser said.
Because the 25-year-old was not a local resident, his death is not included in the official Riverside County count, where there is 8 deaths and 195 confirmed cases across the county, after another 80 were announced on Friday.
A breakdown of cases in Riverside, city by city, is available on the county website.
Also on Friday, Kaiser ordered that all short-term accommodations in unincorporated areas of the county are dedicated to the response to COVID-19, which means that there will be no more rentals of houses, hotels or motels for tourists. The directive is intended to allow facilities to house homeless people, essential workers and people who must isolate themselves from a loved one.
"Now is not the time to visit Riverside County," Kaiser said. "Decrease the spread of COVID-19
it means that people need to stay in their own neighborhoods. Unless you have no other safe place, please wait to visit us later. "
