A fourth location where Riverside County residents can receive tests for coronavirus will open Tuesday in Perris, broadening the county's capacity to screen potentially infectious people.
The testing site at the Perris Fairgrounds will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays and provide the same services already in place at the Southwest Church in Indian Wells, The Diamond in Lake Elsinore and Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside.
"As this pandemic progresses, knowledge is power. The more testing and data we have, the quicker we can get control of this virus and get back to business," county Supervisor Jeff Hewitt said. "The (Perris Fairgrounds) gives us a crucial mid-county location, and I am very happy to see it open up."
The drive-thru clinic, at 18700 Lake Perris Drive, will be available only to visitors who make appointments in advance, according to the Riverside University Health System. The same requirement is in place at the other sites.
Appointments can be made by contacting the county at 800-945-6171.
According to RUHS officials, more than 18,000 people have been tested countywide. As of this morning, the agency reported 1,619 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 41 deaths and just under 200 patient recoveries.
On Friday, county Public Health Department Director Kim Saruwatari acknowledged that more people have likely been tested for the virus than has been recorded by the county because private doctors and clinicians are providing tests without always notifying the government unless there's a problem.
More information is available at https://www.rivcoph.org/coronavirus.
