Coronavirus updates: SLO airport gets $20 million, Cal Poly plant sale moves online
San Luis Obispo County was up to 125 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Thursday, with 104 recovered COVD-19 patients and four in the hospital.
As social distancing guidelines continue, more events have been canceled and local students’ return to in-person classrooms has been postponed.
More hiking trail closures have been put into place as well.
The coronavirus pandemic has also changed the way locals shop for groceries, especially those who are most at risk.
Here are your local Thursday updates:
SLO County airport receives $20 million grant as travel plummets
The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport has seen a 90% drop in passengers since state and county shelter-at-home orders were put in place in mid-March.
To help it recover from lost revenues, the airport has received a $20 million stimulus grant as part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (C.A.R.E.S.) Act Airport Grant Program.
Cal Poly tomato plant sale goes online
The annual Cal Poly Tomato Spectacular sale was originally planned for the first week of April, but it was postponed and moved online because of coronavirus concerns, the San Luis Obispo university said.
The virtual tomato plant sale will start Friday and last until all plants — more than 3,000 in all — are sold out, according to a news release.
SLO district cancels in-person classes for rest of school year
The San Luis Coastal Unified School District announced Tuesday that its board of trustees voted to close campuses through June 4, the last day of the school year, Superintendent Eric Prater said.
While most California schools have already made the decision to shutter campuses until summer, most San Luis Obispo County school districts have not yet announced plans to close for the remainder of the school year.
Highway 1 trails close to encourage social distancing
Several popular trails and roads along Highway 1 have been closed after rangers determined visitors were not practicing social distancing.
The Los Padres National Forest ordered the closures of trails through June 1, including Salmon Creek and Jade Cove trails in Big Sur.
SLO Triathalon canceled for first time in 40 years
The SLO Triathlon has been canceled due to concerns about coronavirus. It was scheduled to take place in July in San Luis Obispo.
The city of San Luis Obispo has hosted the annual sporting event for 40 consecutive years, according to a news release.
SLO County volunteers help seniors amid coronavirus isolation
SLO Village, a community-based membership organization that started in 2016, is helping seniors in isolation amid the coronavirus.
Services have traditionally included assistance with transportation, technology and handyman duties, but now they have increased their services to include grocery delivery and finding new ways to interact socially online.
Produce box subscriptions on the rise
Since the beginning of San Luis Obispo’s shelter-at-home order, demand for grocery boxes has been on the rise. Talley Farms in Arroyo Grande has tripled subscriptions for its community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, while The Larder Meat Co. in San Luis Obispo is seeing a 400% rise in business.
That surge has continued as more and more people are turning to local farmers and producers for hard-to-find fresh grocery items.
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: SLO airport gets $20 million, Cal Poly plant sale moves online."
