San Luis Obispo County adds 44 new coronavirus cases

San Luis Obispo County added 44 new cases of coronavirus Wednesday, bringing the total number of people who have locally tested positive for COVID-19 since March to 1,970, according to ReadySLO.org.

As of Wednesday, there were a total of 336 local active COVID-19 cases, a decrease of 16 since Tuesday.

The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department issued a disclaimer Wednesday on its ReadySLO.org website regarding COVID-19 case numbers.

“We have been alerted by the state that issues with the electronic system for lab records is causing a statewide delay in case reporting,” the county said.

New COVID-19 cases by city and age

In the North County, Paso Robles added eight coronavirus cases, Templeton added one case and San Miguel added six cases.

In the South County, Grover Beach added one, Arroyo Grande added five cases and Oceano added two.

In the North Coast area, Morro Bay added one case of COVID-19,



The city of San Luis Obispo added 16 cases.

Of the most recent local cases, five involve people 50 and older, while 31 involve people under the age of 50.

Eight of the most recent cases were transmitted person to person, 14 were acquired through community spread and three cases were related to travel. A total of 19 new cases are still being investigated and listed as unknown, the county said.

SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers

A majority of San Luis Obispo County residents who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 — 1,598 — have completely recovered from the illness.

A total of 309 people are still recovering at home. Of the 17 patients receiving hospital treatment, seven patients remain in intensive care units.

A total of 16 San Luis Obispo County residents have died due to COVID-19, including a person in their 90s with underlying health conditions.

The person was living at Paradise Valley Care, an assisted living facility in Atascadero that is experiencing a coronavirus outbreak.

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 518.

Nipomo has 266 cases and San Luis Obispo has 272 cases. Atascadero has 219, and Arroyo Grande has 151 cases.

Grover Beach has 98 cases, Templeton has 80, and San Miguel has 63, Oceano has 59 cases of COVID-19.

Pismo Beach has 44 cases, Los Osos has 40 and Morro Bay and Cambria have 27 cases each.

Santa Margarita has 19, Shandon has 13, Cayucos has 10, Avila Beach has seven, San Simeon has five COVID-19 cases.

The California Men’s Colony reported Thursday that nine more inmates and two additional employees have tested positive for coronavirus.

In the last two weeks, 86 inmates and nine employees at CMC have tested positive for COVID-19.

Eleven CMC inmates who tested positive for the virus in May have since recovered.

Other areas — defined as cities or communities with fewer than five cases — have 49 cases altogether. And three cases are listed as under investigation.

In total, 362 cases involve people ages 50 to 64, while 187 cases involve people age 65 to 84, and 46 involve people over the age of 85 years old.

There are 619 residents aged 30 to 49 who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 557 residents aged 18 to 29 years old. The remaining 197 cases involve people age 17 and younger.

The age of two case remains under investigation.

In total, 528 cases were acquired by person-to-person contact, meaning the patient came into contact with a confirmed coronavirus case. A total of 132 cases are travel related, according to ReadySLO.org.

Another 441 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 869 coronavirus cases are still under investigation by county contact tracers.

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.

In July, 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.

A pop-up testing location will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, through Thursday, Aug. 20, at Pavilion On the Lake, 9315 Pismo Ave. in Atascadero.

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 August 5, 2020 at 2:45 PM.