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Department of Defense Medical Team Assisting With Pandemic Response In Riverside
FILE PHOTO: A mask used to help prevent transmission of the novel coronavirus. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
A team of approximately 20 federal military medical personnel are providing support treating COVID-19 patients in Riverside County.
The team arrived Thursday at the Riverside University Health System-Medical Center to support hospitals in the region that are strained by a crush of patients requiring hospitalization and intensive care treatment.
The DOD team consists of physician assistants, nurses, and respiratory care practitioners from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, all active duty military personnel. The team came as part of request from the state of California to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for federal support to medical facilities in the state.
“Riverside County hospitals have been stretched well-beyond their licensed capacities to treat a record numbers of patients,” said Bruce Barton, director of the County of Riverside Emergency Management Department, in a statement. “These resources are critical to help our region treat more of our residents and get through this hospital surge.”
On Friday, there were 3,514 new reported COVID-19 cases and 29 additional deaths in Riverside County; there have been 207,841 cases and 2,218 deaths to date in Riverside County due to the pandemic.
OVERALL LOOK AT RIVERSIDE COUNTY NUMBERS:
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Here's a look at longer-term trends in the county. To see more, visit our California COVID-19 Tracker and choose Riverside or any other California county that interests you. These numbers are current as of Friday, Jan. 8.
READ MORE:
For First Time, LA County Reports More Than 300 COVID Deaths On A Single Day
- Your No-Panic Guide To LA Life, And The New (And Changing) Coronavirus Rules
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