SLO County adds 24 coronavirus cases, and another death
San Luis Obispo County added 24 new cases of coronavirus and one coronavirus-related death on Thursday, bringing the total number of people who have locally tested positive for COVID-19 since March to 2,324, according to ReadySLO.org.
The 18th local resident to die due to COVID-19 was in their 90s and “vulnerable to serious illness” because of their age and chronic health conditions, according to a tweet by the San Luis Obispo County Health Department.
There are currently 356 active cases of coronavirus in the county, excluding the 183 active cases among inmates at the California Men’s Colony.
New COVID-19 cases by city and age
The city of San Luis Obispo added two coronavirus cases on Thursday.
In the North County, Paso Robles added 18 coronavirus cases, San Miguel added three and Templeton added two. Two cases were removed from Atascadero’s case count.
In the South County, Arroyo Grande added two cases. Oceano and Grover Beach each had one case removed from its count.
No cases were added in the North Coast area.
Of the most recent local cases three involve people 50 and older, while 21 involve people under the age of 50.
SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers
A majority of San Luis Obispo County residents who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 — 1,950 — have completely recovered from the illness.
A total of 336 people are still recovering at home. Of the 20 patients receiving hospital treatment, four patients remain in intensive care units.
There have been 18 local deaths related to coronavirus.
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 643, while Nipomo has 285 cases.
The city of San Luis Obispo has 283 coronavirus cases.
Atascadero has 255 case, and Arroyo Grande has 165.
Grover Beach has 108 coronavirus cases, Templeton has 92, San Miguel has 86 and Oceano has 67.
Pismo Beach has 48 cases of coronavirus, Los Osos has 44, Morro Bay has 30 and Cambria has 28 cases.
Santa Margarita has 23 cases, Shandon has 16 and Cayucos has 13. Avila Beach has seven and San Simeon has six COVID-19 cases.
A total of 194 inmates and 15 employees at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo have tested positive for COVID-19 since March, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The county’s website does not reflect the accurate total of inmates who have had COVID-19.
Other areas — defined as cities or communities with fewer than five cases — have 11 cases altogether. Four cases are listed as under investigation which is one less than Tuesday.
Cal Poly has 31 cases of coronavirus total, adding two since Wednesday. As of Thursday, 25 students and six employees at the San Luis Obispo university have tested positive for coronavirus, according to university spokesperson Matt Lazier.
In total, 426 cases involve people ages 50 to 64, while 201 cases involve people age 65 to 84, and 48 involve people over the age of 85 years old.
There are 777 residents aged 30 to 49 who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 639 residents aged 18 to 29 years old. The remaining 232 cases involve people age 17 and younger.
The age of one case remains under investigation.
In total, 895 cases were acquired by person-to-person contact, meaning the patient came into contact with a confirmed coronavirus case. A total of 170 cases are travel-related, according to ReadySLO.org.
Another 622 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 637 coronavirus cases are still under investigation by county contact tracers.
San Luis Obispo County public and private health labs have conducted at least 45,285 tests locally as of Thursday.
Between Tuesday and Thursday, 805 tests were conducted. The county did not update the number of tests conducted Wednesday.
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. Thursday through 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 13, 2020 at 8:20 AM.
