SLO County adds 3 coronavirus cases — and only 2 patients are in the hospital
San Luis Obispo County added three coronavirus cases on Friday — 240 residents have now tested positive for COVID-19 since March, according to ReadySLO.org.
Friday marks the first time in three days the county has added fewer than five cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.
It’s now been two months since the county Public Health Department announced the first local coronavirus case.
Under state guidelines, a county can’t move to the next phase of reopening from stay-at-home orders if there has been more than one new case of coronavirus per 10,000 people in the last two weeks. That would be 28 cases in San Luis Obispo County.
There have been 52 new confirmed cases in the county in the last two weeks as of May 15.
Paso Robles added three cases between Thursday and Friday, and Atascadero added one case. One case was also subtracted from Nipomo’s count.
SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers
Of the 240 residents who’ve tested positive for COVID-19, 191 have completely recovered from the illness.
Forty-six people are still recovering at home and two patients are receiving hospital treatment. Both hospitalized patients are in the intensive care unit.
One local resident has died from COVID-19.
Paso Robles continues to have the most COVID-19 cases in the county with 93. Atascadero has 37 cases, Arroyo Grande has 21 cases, Nipomo has 18 cases, San Luis Obispo has 17 cases and California Men’s Colony has 11 cases.
Pismo Beach has nine cases, San Miguel and Templeton both have eight cases and Morro Bay has six cases. Other areas — defined as cities or communities with fewer than five cases — have 12 cases altogether.
Most residents who’ve tested postive for COVID-19 are age 50 or older. Sixty-three cases are 50 to 64 and 48 cases are 65 and older.
There are 106 residents age 18 to 49 who’ve tested positive for COVID-19. The remaining 23 cases are age 17 and younger.
COVID-19 testing in SLO County and California
Public Health and private labs conducted 424 COVID-19 tests in San Luis Obispo County between Thursday and Friday.
The county’s Public Health lab has conducted 2,327 tests with 80 positive results. Private labs have conducted at least 3,935 tests with 160 positive results.
Private labs have reported negative results to the county since April 13.
As of Wednesday, 1,104,651 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in California, according to the state Department of Public Health. Statewide, 73,164 residents have tested positive for COVID-19, and 3,032 people have died.
Santa Barbara County added 14 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the total to 1,387 — including 893 inmates at the federal prison in Lompoc, according to the local Public Health Department.
Santa Maria added six cases on Thursday, bringing the city’s total to 196.
When and where to get a COVID-19 test
Anyone who wants a COVID-19 test in San Luis Obispo County should now be able to get one, according to Public Health officials.
Symptoms of the virus that causes COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Mild symptoms also include chills, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose and diarrhea.
Older adults and people with underlying medical conditions are particularly vulnerable.
Health officials urge those who exhibit symptoms to stay home, avoid contact with others and call their health care provider or urgent-care clinic before seeking medical care to receive safe arrival instructions, if directed to do so.
Coronavirus test clinics
Two new coronavirus testing clinics have opened in Grover Beach and Paso Robles that will be able to administer a combined 260 tests a day. If insured, the county will bill the resident’s insurance company, however if the resident does not have insurance, they may still be tested for free.
Who can get tested at the clinics?
The county announced Wednesday that they are now offering testing to any San Luis Obispo County resident, regardless if they have symptoms.
The test will only tell people if they currently have the virus, not if they have had it in the past.
When and where? Testing will be available by appointment only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Paso Robles Veterans Hall, 240 Scott St. in Paso Robles, and Ramona Garden Community Center, 993 Ramona Ave. in Grover Beach.
How do I schedule an appointment? Registration for appointments began May 2. The online registration link can be found at emergencySLO.org/en/state-sponsored-testing-sites or you can register by phone at 888-634-1123.
Testing will also continue through private health care providers, urgent care centers and the County Public Health Lab.
Visit ReadySLO.org for the latest public health updates and recommendations.
This story was originally published May 15, 2020 at 12:08 PM.
