SLO County adds 21 new cases of coronavirus — and a 12th death

San Luis Obispo County added 21 new cases of coronavirus Wednesday, bringing the total number of people who have locally tested positive for COVID-19 since March to 1,710, according to ReadySLO.org.

As of Wednesday, there were a total of 394 local active COVID-19 cases, down 23 cases from Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a 12th San Luis Obispo County resident has died due to COVID-19, the county said Wednesday.

New COVID-19 cases by city and age

In the North County, Atascadero added four cases and Templeton added one. Paso Robles deducted one COVID-19 case from Tuesday’s count.

In the South County, Nipomo added four new cases, and Oceano, Pismo Beach and Grover Beach each added one case.

In the North Coast area, Cambria and Morro Bay each added one case of COVID-19. One case was deducted from Cayucos.

Seven COVID-19 cases were added to an area with fewer than five cases.

Of the most recent local cases, six involve people 50 and older, while 15 involve people under the age of 50.

Of the new COVID-19 cases, the county said, eight cases were transmitted person to person and three of the newest cases are under investigation. It’s unclear how the other cases were transmitted.

SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers

A majority of San Luis Obispo County residents who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 — 1,304 — have completely recovered from the illness.

A total of 381 people are still recovering at home. Of the 13 patients receiving hospital treatment, four patients remain in intensive care units.

Twelve local residents have died from COVID-19, including a person in their 80s. They lived at Vineyard Hills Health Center in Templeton, a skilled nursing facility that is currently experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak among staff and residents, according to the county.

The death comes a day after two Vineyard Hills residents in their 80s with underlying health conditions died from the virus.

At least seven residents and two employees at the Templeton nursing home tested positive July 22.

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 431.

San Luis Obispo has 235 cases and Nipomo has 239 cases. Atascadero has 199, and Arroyo Grande is at 138 cases.

Grover Beach has 80 cases, Templeton has 63, San Miguel has 47 and Oceano has 48 cases of COVID-19.

Pismo Beach has 45 cases, Los Osos has 34 and Morro Bay has 25 cases..

Cambria has 23 cases and Santa Margarita has 17. Cayucos has nine 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 38 cases altogether. And 13 cases are listed as under investigation.

In total, 315 cases involve people ages 50 to 64, while 176 cases involve people age 65 to 84, and 42 involve people over the age of 85 years old.

There are 531 residents aged 30 to 49 who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 476 residents aged 18 to 29 years old. The remaining 168 cases involve people age 17 and younger.

The ages of patients in two cases remain under investigation.

In total, 484 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 693 coronavirus cases are still under investigation by county contact tracers.

San Luis Obispo County public and private health labs have conducted at least 36,828 tests locally. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, 392 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 be available Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Morro Bay Veterans Memorial Building, 209 Surf St. in Morro Bay.

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 29, 2020 at 2:06 PM.