Coronavirus updates: SLO County pools closed for summer, Santa Maria is COVID-19 hotspot
San Luis Obispo County had 268 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Thursday, according to the county Public Health Department.
Barber shops and hair salons have started opening to customers clamoring for haircuts after months of at-home styling.
High schools throughout the county aren’t able to salute graduates in a traditional way due to restrictions prohibiting group gatherings. But they’re still finding creative ways to celebrate the class of 2020 with drive-through ceremonies and parades.
Seniors at Central Coast New Tech High School in Nipomo on Thursday were the first to experience a car-based celebration.
Here are your local updates for Friday:
SLO County Parks will keep pools closed through the summer
The San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation Department announced on Friday that pools will remain closed through the summer due to continued coronavirus concerns.
There’s no current timeline for when California public pools will be able to open again, prompting the county to extend the closure, according to a news release.
“This is not a decision we take lightly,” Nick Franco, County Parks director, said in a statement. “We realize the significant impact this has on a number of families throughout our county.”
The county maintains pools in San Miguel, Shandon, Templeton, Cayucos and Cambria, in addition to swimming facilities at Santa Margarita Lake and Coastal Dunes RV Park.
Pools must remain closed under the state’s current Stage 2 guidelines, and gradual opening will occur only with limited numbers of people to preserve social distancing.
Those guidelines are effective for lap pools and larger facilities, but the county’s smaller pools are primarily designed for community recreation, the release says.
“We had to consider our need to move forward with some degree of certainty this summer,” Franco said. “And we are making this decision now so staff can concentrate on the other COVID-19 response duties associated with camping, beach use, picnic areas and other operational restrictions that are in place and take considerable staff time. We certainly expect to be able to return to our normal pool operations next summer.”
Free testing coming to SLO, Los Osos and Cambria
Free state-run coronavirus testing will be moving from Paso Robles (operating until June 5) to San Luis Obispo (starting June 8), with services soon to be offered at the SLO Veteran’s Hall at 801 Grand Ave. in San Luis Obispo on weekdays between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
County pop-up testing will take place at the Veterans Memorial Building, 1000 Main St. in Cambria, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday.
The Red Barn, 2180 Palisades Avenue in Los Osos, will host free testing at 9 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.
For more information, including registration, go to https://www.emergencyslo.org/en/testing-locations.aspx.
SLO County libraries to offer curbside pickup
Starting Tuesday, three SLO County library branches will offer curbside pickup services — San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, and Arroyo Grande.
Cardholders may check out up to 10 items at a time, with pickup available Tuesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “with a three-week limit on keeping print items and one week for other media.”
Patrons may pick up materials from any one of the three regional library branches.
“Some of our online services continue as always including e-books, audiobooks, movies, zip-books, and our online summer reading program,” said County Libraries Director Christopher Barnickel in a statement. “Library cardholders can begin placing holds on items in the www.slolibrary.org catalog on Monday, June 1 for pickups starting on Tuesday, June 2. You can get text, email and phone notifications when your items are ready at your desired branch for pick up.”
Why is Santa Maria a hotbed for coronavirus?
The Santa Maria Valley is home to about 59% of Santa Barbara County’s 665 “community” COVID-19 cases — those that exclude infected inmates at the Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex.
Even so, county Public Health Department officials say they don’t know why Santa Maria seems to be the hotspot for the region’s COVID-19 cases.
Barbershops and salons reopen after coronavirus closures
Hair salons and barbershops throughout the county are opening up again after public health officials gave them the official go-ahead on Tuesday.
Customers who’ve spent the past few months receiving haircuts from family members and doing their own dye jobs are eager to get back to their stylists.
How SLO County schools are celebrating grads
High schools are finding ways to celebrate graduates in spite of prohibitions on mass gatherings that have made traditional graduation ceremonies impossible.
Although some schools are holding out hope for more normal ceremonies later in the summer, many are opting for drive-through and parade celebrations that are being broadcast on the radio and on social media.
Seniors at Central Coast New Tech High School in Nipomo celebrated their graduation on Thursday with a special drive-through ceremony meant to allow for social distancing.
The school was the first in the county to graduate seniors with a non-traditional celebration meant to curb COVID-19 transmission.
This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 10:36 AM.
