SLO County adds 42 coronavirus cases as pandemic hits 5-month mark locally
Five months ago, San Luis Obispo County confirmed its first coronavirus case.
As of Friday, 2,471 people have had the virus, with 42 new cases added since Thursday, according to data from ReadySLO.org and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Based on the county’s data alone, San Luis Obispo County added 115 cases Friday. However, the large jump in numbers is due to the county’s delay in reporting cases among inmates at the California Men’s Colony.
Since Thursday, the state prison in San Luis Obispo added only one new coronavirus case, according to the CDCR. Yet the county’s ReadySLO.org website shows a jump in 74 cases at the prison.
Even so, the county’s total, which shows 2,439 coronavirus cases, is still 32 inmate cases off, according to CDCR data.
As of Friday, 18 local residents have died due to COVID-19. However, one additional death is currently under investigation.
New COVID-19 cases by city and age
In the North County, Atascadero added 12 coronavrius cases, Paso Robles added six, San Miguel added two and Templeton added three.
In the South County, Arroyo Grande and Oceano both added four cases. Grover Beach and Nipomo each added three.
In the North Coast region, Morro Bay added three coronavirus cases and Cayucos added one.
The CMC added one coronavirus case Friday amid an ongoing outbreak.
SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers
A majority of San Luis Obispo County residents who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 — 1,980 — have completely recovered from the illness.
According to county data, 417 people are still recovering at home. Of the 22 patients receiving hospital treatment, five patients remain in intensive care units.
There have been 18 local deaths related to coronavirus, with an additional death under investigation.
County data shows that 440 cases in the county remain active.
According to the CDCR, 208 inmate cases remain active and an additional two inmates were released from the state prison with active COVID-19 cases.
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 649, while Nipomo has 288 cases.
The city of San Luis Obispo has 283 coronavirus cases. The Cal Poly community has had 32 coronavirus cases, with 26 of those cases in San Luis Obispo County, according to the university.
Atascadero has 267 case, and Arroyo Grande has 169.
Grover Beach has 111 coronavirus cases, Templeton has 93, San Miguel has 88 and Oceano has 71.
Pismo Beach has 48 cases of coronavirus, Los Osos has 44, Morro Bay has 33 and Cambria has 28 cases.
Santa Margarita has 23 cases, Shandon has 16 and Cayucos has 14. Avila Beach has seven and San Simeon has six COVID-19 cases.
A total of 221 inmates and 15 employees at the California Men’s Colony have tested positive for COVID-19 since March, according to the CDCR.
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. One case is 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.
According to the county, 452 cases involve people ages 50 to 64, while 209 cases involve people age 65 to 84, and 48 involve people over the age of 85 years old.
There are 838 residents aged 30 to 49 who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 659 residents aged 18 to 29 years old, according to county data. The remaining 232 cases involve people age 17 and younger.
The age of one case remains under investigation.
County data shows 1,054 cases were acquired by person-to-person contact, meaning the patient came into contact with a confirmed coronavirus case. A total of 178 cases are travel-related, according to ReadySLO.org.
Another 658 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 549 coronavirus cases are still under investigation by county contact tracers.
San Luis Obispo County public and private health labs have conducted at least 45,984 tests locally as of Thursday.
Between Thursday and Friday, 699 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.
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. Friday 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 14, 2020 at 1:48 PM.
