SLO County has 46 confirmed cases of coronavirus, 4 more cases than yesterday
Four new patients have tested positive for coronavirus in San Luis Obispo County, bringing the total number of local cases to 46, the Public Health Department confirmed Wednesday.
The lower number came one day after the county saw its single largest daily increase, when nine new cases were confirmed.
Public Health Officer Penny Borenstein said she estimates it could be weeks before the number of local patients hits its peak.
There have been no reported deaths in San Luis Obispo County due to COVID-19. However two patients are currently in the hospital and one is in the ICU, according to ReadySLO.org.
The rest of the patients are at home, and seven have reportedly recovered.
SLO County’s total is well above its neighbors, with more confirmed cases than any other county between San Jose and Los Angeles. Santa Barbara County now has 26 confirmed cases.
How SLO County coronavirus numbers break down
The latest geographic distribution of confirmed cases shows there are now 20 in the North County, 13 in the South County, nine on the coast and four in the central San Luis Obispo area.
A Cal Poly student tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday.
Of the 46 cases, 13 are in the 65-years-and-older age group, 11 are in the 50-to-64 age range, 19 are in the 18-to-39 range, and 3 are under 18.
On Sunday, the county Public Health Department confirmed two Arroyo Grande High School students — a 10th-grade student and a 12th-grade student — had tested positive for COVID-19.
A Cal Poly student tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday.
As of Wednesday, the Public Health Department has tested 315 people, and 23 cases were confirmed by their lab. Private labs reported the other 23 confirmed cases.
Twenty cases were travel-related, nine received the virus from person-to-person contact, seven cases were community-acquired and 10 have unknown routes of transmission, according to the ReadySLO.org website.
San Luis Obispo County announced its first coronavirus case on March 14. Since then, the number of cases has grown rapidly.
Last Thursday, Borenstein said cases may reach the triple digits in several weeks’ time.
Look out for these symptoms of COVID-19
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Older adults and individuals with underlying medical conditions are particularly vulnerable to the virus.
Health officials urge those who exhibit these symptoms to stay home, avoid contact with others, and call their health care provider or urgent care clinic before seeking medical care to receive safe arrival instructions, if directed to do so.
Go to the emergency room only if you are experiencing a medical emergency.
Visit ReadySLO.org for the latest public health updates and recommendations or call the Public Health information line at 805-788-2903.
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 1:45 PM.