Coronavirus updates: SLO County discourages tourists, businesses allowed to reopen
San Luis Obispo County added five local cases Wednesday, bringing the local total of COVID-19 cases to 232.
Thursday marks two months since the first coronavirus case in San Luis Obispo County was confirmed.
As the state begins to reopen, the county is asking tourists to stay away and allowing certain businesses to reopen.
The county has also increased testing availability to meet state requirements of progressing through California’s reopening plan.
Here are your local updates for Thursday:
Childcare, car washes can reopen in SLO County
People who work in offices but can’t easily telecommute can go back to their buildings, as the statewide restriction on that social distancing measure has been lifted in California.
But San Luis Obispo County’s top health official said that telecommuting is still preferred whenever possible.
Other reopenings include childcare for non-essential workers, museums, galleries, landscaping and gardening shops and car washes, Borenstein said.
SLO County buys ads telling Valley tourists: ‘Now is not the time’
San Luis Obispo County plans to spend up to $9,000 running online ads telling potential visitors that “while we love having you visit, now is not the time,” and other messages meant to discourage tourism during shelter-at-home orders.
The campaign primarily targets travelers in the San Joaquin Valley, the county’s strongest tourism market.
Although tourism is a large part of San Luis Obispo County, the county is worried that visitors could spread the virus and prolong shelter restrictions on the Central Coast.
Coronavirus testing in SLO County available for all
San Luis Obispo County has expanded free COVID-19 testing to all county residents, with or without coronavirus symptoms.
Testing is available with appointments at sites in Paso Robles and Grover Beach. The testing sites will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, the county said.
If a resident is insured, the county will bill their insurance company, but there will be no co-pay. If a resident is uninsured, the testing will still be provided at no cost.
To make an appointment at the testing sites — located at the Paso Robles Veterans Center, 240 Scott St., and Ramona Garden Park Center, 993 Ramona Ave. in Grover Beach — call 888-634-1123 or go to emergencySLO.org/en/state-sponsored-testing-sites.
Cal Poly hopes for in-person classes, students on campus in fall
Cal Poly is still planning for some students to live and study on campus in the fall — even after the CSU encouraged schools to prioritize virtual learning amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.
CSU Chancellor Tim White said on Tuesday that the 23 schools he oversees should plan for a primarily virtual term with “limited exceptions.”
The polytechnic university announced plans Wednesday to hold at least 15% of its classes in-person in San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly also hopes to be able to house 5,200 to 7,000 students on campus in the fall by “de-densifying” its residence halls.
SLO County couple builds 12-foot sign to thank farmworkers
While many San Luis Obispo County residents have focused on thanking healthcare workers toiling away throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Ann and Tim Hou noticed that farmworkers seemed to be left out.
Hou said her husband constructed a 12-foot tarp sign and painted “Gracias” across them in large letters and situates it at the edge of the Nipomo Mesa.
“We need to be thanking the doctors, but we need to be thanking the field workers too,” she said. “So we did.”
Santa Barbara County adds six new COVID-19 cases
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported six new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, all of them from the North County.
Four of the cases are from Santa Maria, one from Lompoc and one from Orcutt.
In total the county has had 1,376; 894 are from the Lompoc Federal Prison Complex and 482 from throughout the county.
Central Coast theater conservatory cancels summer shows
PCPA-Pacific Conservatory Theatre has canceled its summer season.
The conservatory had planned productions of “The Sound of Music,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Something Rotten” and “A Doll’s House, Part 2” at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria and Solvang Festival Theater as part of its 56th summer season, a news release said.
Ticket holders will be contacted by the Box Office with ticket return options, according to the release.
Visit www.pcpa.org for more details, contact information, and a list of frequently asked questions.\
This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 10:41 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: SLO County discourages tourists, businesses allowed to reopen."
