Coronavirus updates: Paso Robles warns of restrictions; Diablo Canyon employees test positive
San Luis Obispo County added 119 new coronavirus cases since Friday, bringing the total number of local cases to 1,902.
One more San Luis Obispo County resident died Friday, and another died Sunday.
In Santa Barbara County, 57 new cases of coronavirus were added Sunday.
Here are your local updates for Monday:
Paso Robles city manager warns of new COVD-19 restrictions
Paso Robles’ city manager on Monday warned leaders could take action if residents don’t make an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus as cases continue to rise in the North County city.
City manager Tom Frutchey released a letter addressed to the Paso Robles community in which he discusses the city’s status as a COVID-19 hotspot and pushes residents to take action to prevent the spread of the virus.
Frutchey pointed out that Paso Robles made up 26% of San Luis Obispo County’s cases in July.
As of Monday, the Paso Robles area had recorded 501 cases of COVID-19.
12 Diablo Canyon workers have tested positive for COVID-19
A dozen Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant workers have tested positive for coronavirus since the start of the global pandemic.
PG&E spokeswoman Suzanne Hosn told The Tribune on Friday that despite workers testing positive, the plant is running as normal
Hosn noted that PG&E has taken a number of steps since the start of the pandemic to slow the spread of coronavirus among its workers, especially given the sensitive nature of operating a nuclear power plant.
San Luis Obispo County adds 119 coronavirus cases over last three days
San Luis Obispo County added 119 new cases of coronavirus over the weekend and Monday, bringing the total number of people who have locally tested positive for COVID-19 since March to 1,902, according to ReadySLO.org.
A total of 57 cases were added Saturday, 20 cases on Sunday and 42 on Monday.
On Sunday, another San Luis Obispo County resident died due to coronavirus, bringing the local total to 16 deaths.
As of Monday, there were a total of 333 local active COVID-19 cases, a decrease of 66 cases since Friday.
California Mid-State Fair livestock auction goes virtual
The coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 California Mid-State Fair, but the junior livestock show and auction went on — virtually — raising more than $1 million for local FFA and 4-H members.
After the fair was canceled in late May, leaders opted to hold an online livestock show and auction from July 22 through 25. The fair announced the winners of the livestock show on Aug. 1.
Buyers used an online platform to view photos and videos of the 530 animals that were entered into the auction, according to Hailey Rose Switzer, California Mid-State Fair special programs coordinator.
16th SLO County resident dies due to COVID-19
Another resident in San Luis Obispo County has died due to coronavirus, according to the county’s Public Health Department.
The resident, who was in their 90s and had underlying health conditions, was living at Paradise Valley Care, an assisted living facility in Atascadero, according to a news release sent out by the agency Sunday.
The death brings the county’s coronavirus-related death toll to 16.
District attorney declares SLO ‘sanctuary county’ for worship
District Attorney Dan Dow declared San Luis Obispo County a “sanctuary county for worship and praise in church” at a Fourth of July event in Paso Robles, video shows, despite public health mandates restricting church gatherings.
In a video shared on YouTube, Dow said that he will not enforce state mandates restricting large indoor faith-based gatherings amid resurging cases of COVID-19 across the state.
Dow later clarified when questioned by The Tribune that he was speaking in the video specifically about the state’s ban on singing and chanting.
The video emerged after a video showed Sheriff Ian Parkinson, an elected San Luis Obispo County official, saying that he will not enforce some of California’s anti-coronavirus measures.
SLO Elks Lodge cancels dinners after crew member gets COVID-19 symptoms
A San Luis Obispo Elks Lodge 322 dinner was canceled after a volunteer crew member developed coronavirus symptoms, including a fever, according to a notice that was sent to Elks Lodge members and acquired by The Tribune.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have canceled the pork chop dinner for tonight and Cubanos for tomorrow,” read the notice, which was sent Saturday.
The crew member was tested for coronavirus and is awaiting results. Should they test positive, the lodge said they will notify lodge members and staff immediately.
Nearly two-thirds of SLO County’s coronavirus cases came in July
Nearly two-thirds of all COVID-19 cases and 13 coronavirus related deaths in San Luis Obispo County were confirmed in July.
Eighty local coronavirus cases were confirmed in March, 104 cases in April and 86 in May.
In June, daily case counts began to increase, resulting in 341 residents testing positive for COVID-19 over the course of the month.
Since March 14, 1,783 local residents as of Friday have tested positive for the virus — with 1,172 COVID-19 of those cases occurring in July.
A combination of reopening business sectors, congregate facility outbreaks and people gathering have all led to an increase in San Luis Obispo County coronavirus cases.
Santa Barbara County adds 57 new cases, 28 deaths
Santa Barbara County health officials reported 57 new positive cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, Noozhawk reported.
Santa Barbara County’s daily test-positivity rate was 12 percent on Sunday, according to the county Public Health Department.
There are 6,434 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county, with 6,094 people who recovered from the infectious disease.There were 86 coronavirus patients being treated at local hospitals Sunday, including 23 in intensive-care units.
County officials reported no new coronavirus-related deaths over the weekend. The total remained at 60 after the county announced Friday that they underreported the number of COVID-19 deaths by 28 deaths for the past month.
This story was originally published August 3, 2020 at 11:17 AM.
