Coronavirus updates: SLO city shuts down bars, county orders ‘shelter at home’
Four days after San Luis Obispo County’s first confirmed coronavirus case, the county currently has six residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.
the virus continues to spread across the state, with Monterey County and parts of the Bay Area issuing “shelter in place” orders demanding residents stay home.
No such order has been made in San Luis Obispo County, though the county’s emergency prohibition on alcohol sales is set to expire at noon Wednesday. It is unclear how Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recommendation to close all bars, wineries and dine-in-only restaurants will impact the local community.
Meanwhile, increasingly more residents are concerned about their ability to get tested if they should contract the illness.
On Tuesday, San Luis Obispo County Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said her department was running low on the necessary materials to continue testing patients for coronavirus, and she urged outpatient care providers to send their samples to private laboratories across the country for testing.
At the same time, several San Luis Obispo County physicians have apparently been refusing to see patients who exhibit signs of having the virus
Here is your daily roundup of how the coronavirus outbreak is impacting San Luis Obispo County:
SLO County orders ‘shelter at home’
Several counties in California announced “shelter in place” orders this week, directing people to stay in their homes away from other people to limit the spread of coronavirus.
San Luis Obispo County issued a shelter at home order Wednesday.
The emergency order is effective as of Thursday at 5 p.m., and will stay in effect until further notice, county Administrative Officer Wade Horton said Wednesday.
Number of coronavirus cases grows
As of Wednesday, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in San Luis Obispo County has grown to seven.
The person lives in South County.
SLO County Public Health unable to test all patients
In a news conference Tuesday, Borenstein said her department is running out of extraction reagents needed to complete the test for coronavirus.
In response, her department said it will no longer be able to test patients who aren’t seriously ill or hospitalized.
San Luis Obispo County’s is one of 22 public labs running tests for COVID-19 across California.
County: Doctors need to see potential coronavirus patients
During a San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, Borenstein said some local doctors have been turning away patients showing signs of coronavirus.
“Our physicians cannot wash their hands of their obligation to take care of their patients,” she told the Board. She called for local health care providers to “step it up” and continue providing care to those in need.
Movie theaters close due to COVID-19 concerns
Days after the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival was canceled “in accordance with state health guidelines surrounding the impacts of coronavirus,” local movie theaters began closing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Closed movie theaters include Fair Oaks Theatre in Arroyo Grande, Regal Cinemas in Arroyo Grande and Downtown Centre Cinemas, Palm Theatre and Sunset Drive-In in San Luis Obispo.
SLO Country Club shuts down
A member of the San Luis Obipso Country Club tested positive for COVID-19, prompting a closure of the country club Wednesday, club management announced.
The club, located near the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, will evaluate re-opening after March 31.
School district extends coronavirus closure
Lucia Mar Unified School District, the largest district in San Luis Obispo County, will extend its school closure into late April, the district announced Wednesday.
It is the only large school district so far to announce an extended closure.
Some SLO County gyms close
Local gyms have been faced with a tough decision during a time of social distancing.
Some are responding by shutting down. Others are pivoting to new classes the emphasize appropriate health precautions.
San Luis Obispo County Public Health officials aren’t prohibiting people from going to their local gym or yoga classes , but they’re advising them to take precautions if they do.
Hospitals ask people to stop stealing hand sanitizers and masks
Dignity Health says people have been running into its SLO County and Santa Maria hospitalsfaced with a tough decisio
“Right now we are under the very unfortunate circumstance of seeing the ugly side of our community,” A Dignity Health representative said. “The panic —that’s kind of the ugly side of this.”
Airline stops service to SLO County Regional Airport
Contour Airlines, a county Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesdays, will stop service to the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport starting March. 30.
“We firmly believe in the San Luis Obispo market and fully intend to resume service when public health and economic conditions allow us to do so,” Contour Airlines CEO Matthew Chaifetz said in a release.
SLO city closes bars, restaurants to the public
San Luis Obispo has ordered all bars, breweries and wine-tasting facilities to close to the public in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Additionally, city restaurants must close indoor and outdoor seating and may only offer pick-up or delivery food.
This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 8:01 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: SLO city shuts down bars, county orders ‘shelter at home’."
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