Coronavirus updates: SLO County airport to stay open, number of cases rises
Just under a week since the first confirmed case of coronavirus in San Luis Obispo County, the Central Coast is grappling with the impacts of an international pandemic.
Locally, access to medical supplies have been a high priority for public health officials, as well as clarifying what exactly the county’s shelter at home order means for daily lives.
Coronavirus cases increase, first in central SLO area
San Luis Obispo County now has 16 confirmed local cases of COVID-19, Public Health officials announced on Friday.
The latest geographic distribution of those patients is seven in the North County, five in the South County, three on the coast and one in the San Luis Obispo central area, according to Borenstein.
California ordered to stay at home
California Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the entire state to shelter at home on Thursday, the same day that San Luis Obispo County’s order went into effect.
Newsom said he hopes not to have to enforce the order. Rather he hopes people will self-regulate and encourage others to do the same.
“I don’t believe the people of California need to be told through law enforcement to home isolate, protect themselves,” he said during a press conference Thursday.
Ventilators ordered for SLO County hospitals
San Luis Obispo County ordered 100 additional ventilators to get ahead of a potential shortage that some other counties are currently facing, according to the Public Health Department.
San Luis Obispo County spent almost $500,000 on additional ventilators and set aside a team to determine the needs of county hospitals. The hefty price tag may save hundreds of lives.
What does shelter at home mean?
Though the order to shelter at home sounds very severe, San Luis Obispo County public health officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said it’s not necessarily as strict as it sounds.
“What I don’t want people to think this is means is there is a chemical or radiological event that means you have to hunker down in your homes and never leave,” Borenstein said in a media briefing Thursday afternoon. “There’s a bit of misnomer with this notion of shelter at home. It largely means that we are asking the public to participate with us in the enhancement of social distancing.”
Some of the allowed activities include surfing, hiking, biking or walking.
Not encouraged? Brunch with friends or visits with your sickly grandma.
Downtown SLO abandoned during shelter-at-home order
A drive through downtown San Luis Obispo Thursday night revealed an apocalyptic scene: no crowds, no bars open, few restaurants with patrons and of course, no Farmers Market.
Here’s what San Luis Obispo looked like on the first night of the county’s stay-at-home order.
SLO non-profits need volunteers
Nonprofit organizations doing vital work in our communities are running out of volunteers.
If you’re healthy and under 65, you can help SLO County communities get through this. These are extraordinary times, and the need has literally never been greater. The Tribune has compiled a list of places that could use your help.
SLO County Regional Airport numbers ‘dramatically’ decreased
Air travel through San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport has dwindled to a trickle in recent days, and on Friday morning a normally bustling regional transportation hub was virtually empty.
Kevin Bumen, the county’s director of airports, said on Thursday that passenger numbers have “dramatically” declined with a “steady decrease in the last week.”
Despite that, the airport does plan to stay open, Bumen said.
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: SLO County airport to stay open, number of cases rises."
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