The first cases of novel coronavirus confirmed in western Riverside County are a man over 70 years old from Corona and a man under 50 years of age from Eastvale, officials said Wednesday, March 18.

Also Wednesday, officials said that while the county is ramping up its COVID-19 testing capabilities, tests are currently only available by appointment and with a doctor’s referral. More than 800 tests have been conducted countywide so far, officials said at a news conference at Riverside University Health System – Medical Center in Moreno Valley.

The Eastvale resident with coronavirus is quarantined at home, Eastvale Mayor Brandon Plott said during a separate news conference Wednesday.

Dr. Michael Mesisca, medical director for the emergency medicine department at Riverside University Health System-Medical Center, speaks about the coronavirus Wednesday, March 18, 2020, at the Moreno Valley hospital. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Kim Saruwatari, director of Riverside University Health System-Public Health, speaks during a Wednesday, March 18, 2020, news conference as Dr. Michael Mesisca listens. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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Dr. Michael Mesisca, medical director for the emergency medicine department at Riverside University Health System-Medical Center, speaks at a Wednesday, March 18, 2020, news conference about the novel coronavirus. Other speakers practice social distancing at the event. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)



Sixteen coronavirus cases had been confirmed in the county as of early Wednesday afternoon. Two are cruise ship passengers who were treated in Northern California and before Tuesday; the rest are in the Coachella Valley.

The western Riverside County cases were confirmed Tuesday. Both patients are expected to recover. As of midday Wednesday, the virus had killed three people in the county, all in the Coachella Valley.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted life in the county and worldwide. In Riverside County alone, schools from elementary to college are closed through April 30, government buildings and popular attractions are closed, bars and wineries are shuttered and restaurants have been forced to offer delivery or take-out only.

Dr. Michael Mesisca, medical director for the Moreno Valley hospital’s emergency medicine department, said county access to coronavirus tests is “expanding rapidly.” Hospitals and clinics have sent in more than 800 tests, with that number expected to double by the end of this week and triple by next week, he said.

That said, the county doesn’t have an unlimited supply of tests, he said. Testing right now is by appointment only, with a network of doctors referring test subjects to testing sites, Mesisca said. A drive-thru, appointment-only, testing site is in Indian Wells, in the Coachella Valley.

Ninety-four residents at a Rancho Mirage skilled nurse facility where a former patient tested positive for the coronavirus were tested within six hours, while more than 120 employees at the facility were tested within 24 hours, Mesisca said. Results are pending.

The county has set up a nursing home task force to handle coronavirus treatment and prevention, Mesisca said, and almost every emergency room in the county has a system to shield those with suspected COVID-19 from other patients.

Also at Wednesday’s briefing, Emergency Management Director Bruce Barton said the county has secured a couple of hotels, and plans to find a couple more, for patients who have become ill but don’t require hospitalization. The county has an inventory of COVID-19 supplies and equipment used by hospitals and first providers as is tracking how quickly first responders are exhausting their supplies, Barton said.

The county is maintaining essential mental health and substance abuse services during the outbreak, said Dr. Matthew Chang, director of Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health. The hotline to get help with mental health or substance abuse is 800-706-7500.

Officials urged the public to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously and help prevent the virus’s spread by washing their hands, avoiding large gatherings – those with more than 10 or more people are currently banned – and practicing social distancing by standing at least 6 feet apart from each other.

“As a society, we cannot act as if nothing has changed,” Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said. “We need everyone to make changes in their daily lives … all of us, doing our part, we will overcome this.”

Staff Writer Ryan Hagen contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the name of Eastvale Mayor Brandon Plott.