SLO County adds 144 new coronavirus cases over weekend
San Luis Obispo County added 144 new cases of coronavirus over a three-day period from Saturday to Monday, bringing the total number of people who have locally tested positive for COVID-19 since March to 1,644, according to ReadySLO.org.
As of Monday, there were a total of 426 local active COVID-19 cases.
Fifty-four new cases were reported Saturday, 27 were reported Sunday and the remaining 53 new cases were reported Monday.
On Saturday and Sunday, the highest number of hospitalized patients, 16 patients, were reported. The number of hospitalized patients is now 15.
A ninth San Luis Obispo County resident died from COVID-19 on Sunday, according to a county news release. The person was in their 70s with underlying health conditions and developed coronavirus after returning from a trip out of state.
New COVID-19 cases by city and age
In the North County, Paso Robles added 37 COVID-19 cases, Atascadero added 22, Templeton and Santa Margarita added four and San Miguel added 2.
In the South County, Nipomo added 21 new cases, Oceano had 11, Grover Beach added six, Arroyo Grande added five, and Pismo Beach added three.
In the North Coast area, Los Osos added one new case, Morro Bay added six, and Cambria and Cayucos added seven each.
San Luis Obispo added eight new cases.
Five of the most recent cases are under investigation and one is in an area with fewer than five cases.
Of the most recent local cases, 39 involve people 50 and older, while 103 involve people under the age of 50.
The 30- to 49-year-old age group added the most cases over the weekend with 55. Sixteen of the newest cases are minors.
Of the new COVID-19 cases, the county said, 20 new cases appeared to be transmitted by community spread, 22 cases were person to person, and five cases by travel. Most, 97, of the newwest cases are under investigation.
Four patients are in intensive care
A majority of San Luis Obispo County residents who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 — 1,209 — have completely recovered from the illness., 179 who recovered since Friday.
A total of 411 people are still recovering at home. Of the 15 patients receiving hospital treatment, four patients remain in intensive care units.
Nine local residents have died from COVID-19, including a person in their 70s who had underlying health conditions and had recently traveled.
According to the county Public Health Department, cases are categorized by zip code rather than city or town limits.
The Paso Robles area continues to have the most COVID-19 cases in the county with 411.
That city is followed by San Luis Obispo, which has 234 cases, and Nipomo with 230. Atascadero has 187, and Arroyo Grande is at 136.
Grover Beach has 78 cases, Templeton has 61, San Miguel has 47, Oceano has 45.
Pismo Beach has 43 cases, Los Osos has 34 and Morro Bay has 24.
Cambria has 20 cases and Santa Margarita has 17. Cayucos has 10 cases, Shandon has nine and Avila Beach has six.
The California Men’s Colony reported 11 inmates with positive coronavirus results.
Other areas — defined as cities or communities with fewer than five cases — have 30 cases altogether. And 11 cases are listed as under investigation.
In total, 301 cases involve people ages 50 to 64, 173 cases involve people age 65 to 84, and 40 are people over the age of 85 years old.
There are 506 residents aged 30 to 49 who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 and 460 residents aged 18 to 29 years old. The remaining 162 cases involve people age 17 and younger. The ages of two cases remain under investigation.
In total, 474 cases were acquired by person-to-person contact, meaning the patient came into contact with a confirmed coronavirus case. A total of 127 cases are travel-related, according to ReadySLO.org.
Another 406 cases were acquired by community spread, which means patients do not know if they came into direct contact with a confirmed case and they did not acquire COVID-19 by travel.
And 637 coronavirus cases are still under investigation by county contact tracers.
San Luis Obispo County public and private health labs have conducted at least 35,935 tests locally. Between Friday and Monday, 1,331 tests were conducted.
Where to get a COVID-19 test
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, San Luis Obispo County says it can no longer keep up with an increased demand in testing.
On July 8, county Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein asked that only community members with COVID-19 symptoms and those who work in high-risk settings, such as essential workers and congregate living facility workers, get tested.
Testing will also be available Monday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Tuesday and Wednesday, July 28 and 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Morro Bay Veterans Memorial Building, 209 Surf St.
Free COVID-19 testing is available at ongoing sites in Grover Beach and San Luis Obispo.
▪ Grover Beach: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Ramona Garden Park, 993 Ramona Ave.
▪ San Luis Obispo: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Veterans Memorial Hall, 801 Grand Ave.
Testing is available through private healthcare providers, urgent care centers and the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Lab.
Visit ReadySLO.org for the latest public health updates and recommendations.
To make an appointment, visit emergencySLO.org/testing; you can register by phone at 888-634-1123.
The county continues to ask that people limit large social gatherings and wear face coverings in public spaces when physical distancing can’t be maintained, in accordance with a state mandate issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 1:25 PM.
