Coronavirus updates: SLO County asks governor to relax shelter at home, adds 4 cases
San Luis Obispo County had 173 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday and at least 2,700 residents have been tested for COVID-19.
As the county looks toward a phased reopening plan that will be released May 1, residents are adjusting to social distancing measures and schools are finding ways to connect to students who don’t have internet accessibility.
Meanwhile, the county addressed concerns about tap water safety amid the pandemic.
Here are your local updates for Tuesday:
SLO County leaders urge governor to relax shelter-at-home order
San Luis Obispo County officials will send a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom asking him to relax statewide shelter-at-home orders on a county-by-county basis. This is the second letter from local county officials urging the governor to reconsider the current order.
County public health officer Penny Borenstein is developing a plan to slowly roll back the shelter-at-home order that’s been in place for more than a month to slow the spread of the coronavirus. That plan wouldn’t go into effect until the governor lifts his order.
SLO County adds 4 COVID-19 cases
San Luis Obispo County had 173 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, with four additional people testing positive for COVID-19, according to ReadySLO.org.
The county has determined that 59 cases are from community transmission, 65 cases are person-to-person contact, 49 are travel related.
SLO County residents adjust to life behind masks
On April 9, San Luis Obispo County began advising people to wear face coverings when out in public where it’s difficult to maintain social distance. Since then, residents have begun sporting a variety of masks.
An informal Tribune poll of readers showed San Luis Obispo County residents have a complicated relationship with masks, but most people said that the temporary inconvenience of covering half of one’s face is better than potentially spreading coronavirus.
SLO County: Tap water is safe from COVID-19
San Luis Obispo County’s Department of Public Works reassured residents Monday that tap water is still safe and reliable to drink.
According to the California State Water Board, the water treatment and distribution methods used by the county removes and kills bacteria and viruses, including coronavirus, a news release said.
The county has a multi-step filtration and disinfection treatment process to destroy viruses.
Classes move online, but some students lack internet access
While many San Luis Obispo County students have been attending classes online for more than a month, others are lacking critical connectivity that isn’t readily available in certain areas and that some parents can’t afford.
Tony Thurmond, the state’s superintendent of public instruction, estimated that nearly 200,000 students across the state do not have access to the internet based on an ongoing survey conducted by the California Department of Education.
Throughout San Luis Obispo County, especially in more rural areas, school districts have been trying to help bridge the gap between internet access.
This story was originally published April 28, 2020 at 9:24 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: SLO County asks governor to relax shelter at home, adds 4 cases."
