Coronavirus updates: 3 new confirmed cases in SLO County, state parks access blocked
San Luis Obispo County now has 83 coronavirus cases, but it’s preparing for a massive surge in local COVID-19 patients.
Agencies across California are taking measures to prevent the spread of the virus — such as blocking vehicle access to all 280 state parks, including popular spots in San Luis Obispo County.
Here are your San Luis Obispo County coronavirus updates for Wednesday:
SLO County now has 83 confirmed cases of coronavirus
Three more cases of coronavirus were confirmed in San Luis Obispo County on Wednesday, bringing the local total to 83, according to the county Public Health Department.
Of the total cases, 37 have completely recovered, the department said. Ten people are hospitalized, including two people who are in the intensive care unit. Both patients in the ICU are on ventilators. The other 36 county residents who tested positive for coronavirus are weathering the illness at home, according to ReadySLO.org.
None of the county’s patients have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
State Parks blocks vehicle access due to coronavirus
The California Department of Parks and Recreation announced Sunday that it was shutting down vehicle access and traffic to all 280 state parks, while keeping trails, bathrooms and other amenities open at some locations, including those in San Luis Obispo County.
The temporary rules are part of the state’s effort to encourage people to stay closer to home and practice social distancing. In San Luis Obispo County, some parking lots are completely cordoned off and others still open for use.
To deter visitors, State Parks has installed physical barriers at several North Coast parks between Morro Bay and San Simeon, even as trails and beaches remain open. But at Montaña de Oro State Park near Los Osos, lines of cars can still be seen parked side-by-side at popular trailheads along Pecho Valley Road.
SLO County ventilator order delayed
Soon after San Luis Obispo County placed a $500,000 order for 100 ventilators to One Beat CPR, the Florida-based vendor because the federal government requested the same medical equipment.
That leaves the county in the lurch as it tries to get ahead of the local coronavirus outbreak.
The county expects One Beat CPR to send 25 to 50 ventilators by the end of April, but meanwhile the county is working to find other sources to purchase the necessary equipment.
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 10:31 AM.