SLO County adds 45 coronavirus cases — and 2 deaths
San Luis Obispo County added 45 new cases of coronavirus Tuesday, bringing the total number of people who have locally tested positive for COVID-19 since March to 1,689, according to ReadySLO.org.
As of Tuesday, there were a total of 417 local active COVID-19 cases.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in San Luis Obispo County has risen to 11.
New COVID-19 cases by city and age
In the North County, Paso Robles added 21 COVID-19 cases, Atascadero added eight, Templeton added one.
In the South County, Nipomo added five new cases, Oceano and Arroyo Grande had two, Grover Beach and Pismo Beach added one.
In the North Coast area, Cambria added two cases of COVID-19.
San Luis Obispo added one new case, and one case is in an area with fewer than five cases.
Of the most recent local cases, 13 involve people 50 and older, while 32 involve people under the age of 50.
Of the new COVID-19 cases, the county said, two cases were person to person and 43 of the newest cases are under investigation.
SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers
A majority of San Luis Obispo County residents who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 — 1,261 — have completely recovered from the illness.
A total of 404 people are still recovering at home. Of the 13 patients receiving hospital treatment, four patients remain in intensive care units.
Eleven local residents have died from COVID-19, including two people who were vulnerable to serious COVID-19 illness because they were in their 80s with underlying health conditions.
Both people lived at Vineyard Hills Health Center, a skilled nursing facility in Templeton that has been experiencing a coronavirus outbreak, the release said.
Three residents and one former resident of the facility have died due to COVID-19 since the outbreak began.
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 432.
San Luis Obispo and Nipomo both have 235 cases now. Atascadero has 195, and Arroyo Grande is at 138 cases.
Grover Beach has 79 cases, Templeton has 62, San Miguel and Oceano each have 47.
Pismo Beach has 44 cases, Los Osos has 34 and Morro Bay has 24.
Cambria has 22 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 31 cases altogether. And 11 cases are listed as under investigation.
In total, 313 cases involve people ages 50 to 64, while 174 cases involve people age 65 to 84, and 40 involve people over the age of 85 years old.
There are 524 residents aged 30 to 49 who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 471 residents aged 18 to 29 years old. The remaining 165 cases involve people age 17 and younger.
The ages of patients in two cases remain under investigation.
In total, 476 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 680 coronavirus cases are still under investigation by county contact tracers.
San Luis Obispo County public and private health labs have conducted at least 36,436 tests locally.
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 be available Tuesday and Wednesday 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.