Coronavirus updates: 3 new cases, county considers plan to end shelter at home
San Luis Obispo County had 117 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Monday, with three new cases.
One of those local COVID-19 cases involves an inmate at the California Men’s Colony just north of San Luis Obispo.
While cases continue to rise slowly, some businesses are struggling to obtain stimulus loans while others are staying open through online sales.
Here are your local updates for Monday:
SLO County considers plan to phase out shelter at home
San Luis Obispo County is considering how it will go about phasing out the shelter at home order, as low numbers of new cases have continued.
The county said it does not have a set date for the plan to begin, but that they have created a committee.
CMC inmate tests positive for coronavirus
The California Men’s Colony reported its first case of an inmate testing positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Out of five inmates tested, one came back positive, the CDCR said.
SLO businesses hit roadblocks getting stimulus bank loans
Many local business owners, such as Morro Bay yoga instructor Valentina Petrova, have struggled to receive federal stimulus package loans to help make up for lost income during the coronavirus pandemic.
Business leaders said that banks have been inundated with loan requests.
Online orders, cookie dough keep coffee shop chain afloat
Businesses across California are being affected by the coronavirus shelter at home orders, and San Luis Obispo coffee shop chain Scout Coffee Co. is no different.
Instead of shuttering its doors, the company, which has two locations in San Luis Obispo, moved its ordering system online and is now offering a range of new food items, including frozen versions of bakery favorites.
SLO County workers face layoffs and income reductions
As San Luis Obispo County nears a month since shelter-at-home orders were put into place, more than 4,000 local residents, including Cal Poly student employees, have been laid off or gone through pay reductions.
While some landlords are forgiving rent, others are not. Some residents are not sure how they will make it through May.
Paso Robles distilleries donate hand sanitizer to emergency services
Krobar Craft Distillery and Willow Creek Distillery both pivoted from producing spirits to hand sanitizer once the coronavirus pandemic hit San Luis Obispo County.
The two Paso Robles distilleries partnered together after being inundated with requests for sanitizers and decided to produce a bulk supply to the county’s Emergency Services Department, according to a news release.
On Monday, the two distilleries planned to deliver 220 gallons of high-grade hand sanitizer — enough to fill about 5,000 six-ounce bottles — to the county. The county will then distribute the hand sanitizer as needed to healthcare providers in need, according to the release.
“This is a perfect example of the creativity and resiliency local businesses are exhibiting every day to help fight this disease,” county emergency services director and administrative officer Wade Horton said in the news release.
This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: 3 new cases, county considers plan to end shelter at home."