Riverside County reports 8,000 coronavirus cases in 24 hours; testing efforts ramping up across region

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Riverside County hit a new record after reporting 8,000 new COVID-19 infections in just 24 hours, with more than 1,000 residents hospitalized due to the virus. The continuing surge makes testing more urgent than ever.

"The more people that find out if they have COVID or not, if they are positive they isolate and they break that chain of exposure, and they're not infecting any additional people," said Capt. Brian Guzzetta with the City of Riverside Fire Department.

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Thursday afternoon at the University of California in Riverside, cars lined up in lot 26 for free COVID-19 tests. The campus is the third testing site in the city which already has two other drive-up locations, along with a kiosk downtown and a mobile testing van.

The city is working with Curative to offer less invasive self-administered oral swabs.
"We know that testing is the key to slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our community," said Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson.

To schedule a free test, visit www.curative.com.

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