IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
San Bernardino County is making some progress in its battle against COVID-19.
The county, which experienced a spike in cases in September that officials attributed to Labor Day gatherings, has recently improved in two categories: new cases and testing.
“Our case rate has declined from 9.6 to 9.1 new cases out of every 100,000 residents,” said Corwin Porter, county health director, in the county’s most recent COVID-19 update. “While we still have a way to go … this is a notable improvement from prior weeks and we hope signals a favorable new trend.
“Moreover, we’ve seen a solid jump in our testing rate, from about 178 tests per 100,000 residents to just under 190.”
San Bernardino County needs to test an average of 216 people per 100,000 residents per day to meet the state’s requirements for reopening schools and additional businesses, to enter the “red tier” that Riverside County achieved recently.
“Getting tested is one of the few specific steps – beyond following basic guidelines such as wearing a mask, social distancing and avoiding gatherings – that residents can take to help us move into the state’s red tier,” Porter said. “And getting to the red tier will allow us to reopen more schools, churches and businesses.”
