SLO County adds 30 new COVID-19 cases and 2 deaths

San Luis Obispo County added 30 new cases of coronavirus Thursday, bringing the total number of people who have locally tested positive for COVID-19 since March to 1,740, according to ReadySLO.org.

As of Thursday, there were a total of 378 local active COVID-19 cases.

Two more San Luis Obispo County residents have died due to COVID-19, the county said Thursday.

New COVID-19 cases by city and age

In the North County, Atascadero added five coronavirus cases and Templeton added two. Shandon added one. Paso Robles added 14 cases Thursday.

In the South County, Grover Beach and Oceano added one case each. Pismo Beach deducted one case for its count.

In the North Coast area, Los Osos added one COVID-19 case.

San Luis Obispo city added two cases.

Three new COVID-19 cases were still under investigation

Of the most recent local cases, six involve people 50 and older, while 24 involve people under the age of 50.

Of the new COVID-19 cases, 30 of the newest cases are under investigation, the county said. 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 — 1,348 — have completely recovered from the illness.

A total of 360 people are still recovering at home. Of the 17 patients receiving hospital treatment, three patients remain in intensive care units.

A total of 14 San Luis Obispo County residents have died due to COVID-19, according to ReadySLO.org.

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 445.

San Luis Obispo has 237 cases and Nipomo has 239 cases. Atascadero has 204, and Arroyo Grande is at 138 cases.

Grover Beach has 82 cases, Templeton has 65, San Miguel has 47 and Oceano has 49 cases of COVID-19.

Pismo Beach has 44 cases, Los Osos has 35 and Morro Bay has 25 cases..

Cambria has 23 cases and Santa Margarita has 17. Cayucos has nine cases, Shandon has 10 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 16 cases are listed as under investigation.

In total, 320 cases involve people ages 50 to 64, while 177 cases involve people age 65 to 84, and 42 involve people over the age of 85 years old.

There are 542 residents aged 30 to 49 who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 485 residents aged 18 to 29 years old. The remaining 172 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 723 coronavirus cases are still under investigation by county contact tracers.

San Luis Obispo County public and private health labs have conducted at least 37,238 tests locally. Between Wednesday and Thursday, 410 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.

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 30, 2020 at 2:01 PM.