SLO County adds 43 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death

San Luis Obispo County added 43 new cases of coronavirus Friday, bringing the total number of people who have locally tested positive for COVID-19 since March to 1,783, according to ReadySLO.org.

As of Friday, there were a total of 399 local active COVID-19 cases, an increase of 21 cases from Thursday.

Another San Luis Obispo County resident has died due to COVID-19, the county said Friday, bringing the total to 15.

New COVID-19 cases by city and age

In the North County, Paso Robles added 16 coronavirus cases and Templeton added three and Santa Margarita added one case on Friday.

In the South County, Grover Beach added three COVID-19 cases and Nipomo added eight. Arroyo Grande and Oceano added one case each.

In the North Coast area, Los Osos added one COVID-19 case. San Luis Obispo city added four cases.

Four of the new COVID-19 cases were still under investigation and one is listed as other, the county said.

Of the most recent local cases, 12 involve people 50 and older, while 30 involve people under the age of 50.

Three of the most recent cases were transmitted person to person, the mode of transmission for 40 cases was still being investigated and listed as unknown.

SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers

A majority of San Luis Obispo County residents who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 — 1,369 — have completely recovered from the illness.

A total of 385 people are still recovering at home. Of the 14 patients receiving hospital treatment, four patients remain in intensive care units.

A total of 15 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 461.

San Luis Obispo has 241 cases and Nipomo has 247 cases. Atascadero has 204, and Arroyo Grande is at 139 cases.

Grover Beach has 85 cases, Templeton has 68, San Miguel has 47 and Oceano has 50 cases of COVID-19.

Pismo Beach has 44 cases, Los Osos has 36 and Morro Bay has 25 cases..

Cambria has 23 cases and Santa Margarita has 18. Cayucos has nine cases, Shandon has ten 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 39 cases altogether. And 20 cases are listed as under investigation.

In total, 327 cases involve people ages 50 to 64, while 181 cases involve people age 65 to 84, and 43 involve people over the age of 85 years old.

There are 560 residents aged 30 to 49 who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 494 residents aged 18 to 29 years old. The remaining 175 cases involve people age 17 and younger.

The ages of patients in three cases remain under investigation.

In total, 487 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 763 coronavirus cases are still under investigation by county contact tracers.

San Luis Obispo County public and private health labs have conducted at least 37, 936 tests locally. Between Thursday and Friday, 698 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 31, 2020 at 2:21 PM.