SLO County now has 67 coronavirus patients, and 9 of them are in the hospital

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in San Luis Obispo County jumped again on Saturday, rising to 67 with 8 new patients.

The number of people hospitalized here has also risen to 9, including 2 people who are in the ICU.

Additionally, 45 people are weathering the illness at home, and 13 have completely recovered, according to ReadySLO.org.

None of the county’s COVID-19 patients has died from the virus.

Geographically, the North County remains home to the most local patients, with more than half of the county’s confirmed cases.

Broken down by city, Paso Robles has 19 cases, Arroyo Grande has 11, Atascadero has 10, Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo have 6, Templeto and Nipomo have 5, and another 5 are listed as other.

The age range with the highest number of cases is 18-47 with 27 cases, followed by 65-plus with 20, 50-64 with 17 and under-17 with 3.

The Public Health Department has conducted 378 COVID-19 tests, 30 of which have been positive. In addition, 37 cases have been detected at private labs.

The county is currently preparing for a surge in cases and has asked qualified volunteers to apply for the Medical Reserve Corps. The corps would be activated in event that hospitals reach capacity and Cal Poly is used as an alternative care site.

To volunteer for the medical corps auxiliary, sign up at HealthcareVolunteers.ca.gov and then email the San Luis Obispo Medical Corps coordinator at slomrc@gmail.com.

COVID-19 symptoms to watch

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.

This story was originally published March 28, 2020 at 1:56 PM.