Coronavirus updates: Morro Bay workers take pay cut, SLO City Council goes virtual
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in San Luis Obispo County remained at 95 on Monday, marking the second time in three days that the county failed to increase its count.
However, San Luis Obispo County reported its first COVID-19 death on Saturday.
While the county heads into its third week of sheltering at home, everyone from teachers and city government employees to newlyweds are adapting.
Here are your local coronavirus updates for Monday:
Morro Bay council, administrators take voluntary pay cut
Morro Bay announced Monday that its city manager and department heads will take voluntary 8% pay cuts to help manage anticipated budget shortfalls amid coronavirus impacts.
In addition, Morro Bay City Council members will forgo their stipends for the remainder of the year.
The city also has announced an immediate hiring freeze and non-essential travel freeze as part of it’s Rock Solid Together recovery plan.
Morro Bay’s staff, noting the city’s economy is heavily based on tourism, is preparing “a long-range fiscal strategy to weather this storm for City Council consideration” at a April 28 meeting, city manager Scott Collins said in a news release.
SLO City Council to hold virtual meetings
The San Luis Obispo City Council and city advisory bodies will hold remote meetings as the city urges social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The public can observe the meetings via Charter cable television on Channel 20 or a livestream at www.slocity.org/channel2. Webinars are available for registration on all published agendas at the City Council Agenda and Advisory Body Agendas sections of the city’s website.
Public comments may be emailed by 10 a.m. on the day of the meeting to emailcouncil@slocity.org or mailed to City Clerk at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Any other comments can be emailed to cityclerk@slocity.org.
Those comments will be read aloud during the public comment period.
Community members can also leave comments in the form of voice messages by calling 805-781-7164. State and spell your name, mention the agenda item number you are calling about and leave your comment; a 3-minute time limit applies. Verbal comments must be received by 10 a.m. on the day of the meeting.
For more information, contact the Office of the City Clerk at 805-781-7100 or cityclerk@slocity.org.
SLO County schools adjust to virtual classrooms
Many San Luis Obispo County school teachers already were using some online tools when campuses closed March 13 to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
But since then, they’ve embraced new learning platforms and encouraged parent support, while some underprivileged students have received new technology for instruction.
North County businesses make hand sanitizers
Two North County businesses — a distillery and an apothecary — have teamed up to produce hand sanitizer.
Central Coast Distillery is partnering with 805 Botanicals LLC to make sanitizer. The distillery is selling is offering 2-ounce bottles out of a takeout window on Traffic Way.
“Because you asked, we have partnered with our local apothecary to produce a pharmaceutical grade, FDA-approved product using Forager’s organic grade spirit as a base,” Central Coast Distillery said in a Facebook post.
Krobar Craft Distillery and Calwise Spirits Co., both, in Paso Robles are producing hand sanitizer at their facilities.
First SLO County resident dies of coronavirus
A North San Luis Obispo County resident died from coronavirus, the county Public Health Department reported Saturday, marking the first COVID-19 death.
The resident was in their 80s with underlying health conditions, according to the agency.
Local woman shares how she got through COVID-19
An Arroyo Grande woman tested positive for coronavirus March 24 — a day after her sister.
Kristin Alexander, 50, is one of the 65 residents in San Luis Obispo County who have since recovered from COVID-19 as of Sunday.
Alexander credits her healthy life style and listening to the public health department’s guidance with recovering from the virus quickly.
Coronavirus didn’t cancel this wedding, thanks to Zoom
An Arroyo Grande couple originally planned to wed in France on April 2. But, their plans had to drastically change because of coronavirus.
Despite a change in venue, Berenice and Ryan Buckley still kept their original wedding date. They were married in an intimate ceremony in their backyard, while family members and friends watched from home via the video conference app Zoom.
This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 9:58 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: Morro Bay workers take pay cut, SLO City Council goes virtual."