Eighth SLO County resident dies due to coronavirus as local cases soar
An eighth San Luis Obispo County resident has died due to coronavirus, according to county public health officials.
The person, who was in their 80s and had underlying health conditions, had been living in a care facility, the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department said in a news release Thursday.
The patient had been hospitalized for three days after being released from a long-term care facility that recently had a coronavirus outbreak, the county said.
The county didn’t reveal the name of the facility.
“Today, we mourn the loss of another vulnerable community member,” county public health officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in the release. “Together we can slow the spread of this disease and protect others from COVID-19. Please wear a face covering in public, maintain six feet of distance when leaving the house, and wash your hands frequently.”
News of the coronavirus-related death came on the same day that county public health officials announced the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in a single day.
As of Thursday, the county reported 74 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 since mid-March to 1,467.
Of those, 978 local patients have completely recovered from COVID-19 while 465 people are recovering at home, and 14 are currently hospitalized, including four in intensive care units. The status of two cases are still under investigation, county officials said.
In its release, the county noted that older adults with health conditions, and people living in congregate settings such as residential care facilities, are at higher risk of serious COVID-19 illness.
But the release emphasized that all people should take precautions “to limit the spread of COVID-19—in part because cases travel through the community and in some cases reach the most vulnerable residents.”
“Every individual’s actions can either limit or contribute to this spread,” the release said.
This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 3:45 PM.
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