SLO County adds 25 cases of coronavirus, passing 3,000-case milestone

San Luis Obispo County added 25 coronavirus cases Tuesday, according to ReadySLO.org.

The increase comes after Cal Poly reported five new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing its total to 63 since March.

A total of 3,006 people have tested positive for coronavirus in San Luis Obispo County since March, the county reported.

That number does not include six of the 271 California Men’s Colony inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19.

New COVID-19 cases by city

The city of San Luis Obispo added 10 new coronavirus cases.

In the North County, Paso Robles added four cases of COVID-19, while Atascadero added two cases, and Templeton added three.

In the South County, Nipomo added two cases, Pismo Beach added three, while Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande added one each.

On the North Coast, Morro Bay and Cambria added one case each of COVID-19.

For a detailed look at local coronavirus cases by age, ethnicity, occupation and more, visit ReadySLO.org.

SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers

A majority of San Luis Obispo County residents who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 — 2,557 — have completely recovered from the illness.

A total of 417 people are still recovering at home. Of the 11 patients receiving hospital treatment, four patients remain in intensive care units.

In total, 166 patients have been admitted to hospitals due to COVID-19.

A total of 20 county residents have died due to coronavirus, the county Public Health Department has said.

“After county coroner review, we have dropped one case from the county’s total COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total back down to 20,” the agency said in a tweet Monday. “We have adjusted our case statistics accordingly.”

According to the county Public Health Department, cases are categorized by zip code rather than city or town limits.

A total of 57 Cal Poly students and six faculty and staff members have tested positive for coronavirus since March, according to the San Luis Obispo university. Of those cases, 57 were in San Luis Obispo County.

The university has tested 558 students through Campus Health & Wellbeing.

At the California Men’s Colony, a total of 271 inmates and 40 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since mid-March, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Six of the inmates were released while active and 117 inmates have recovered, the CDCR said. (The case numbers reported on the CDCR website vary slightly from those reported on ReadySLO.org, due to “delays in the state’s reporting system.”)

San Luis Obispo County public and private health labs had conducted at least 55,708 tests locally as of Monday, according to their website.

Where to get a COVID-19 test

The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department is urging anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, or those who have come into contact with someone with the virus, to get tested.

“If you think you have been exposed, stay home and make an appointment online to get tested at least five days after exposure,” county Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in a news release. “Please also stay home until you receive your test results. We don’t want anyone unknowingly spreading COVID-19.”

A pop-up testing clinic will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, at Nipomo Senior Center at 200 E. Dana St. This location will close on Sept. 3.

Two new San Luis Obispo County locations open for coronavirus testing on Sept. 8 at South County Regional Center, 800 W. Branch St. in Arroyo Grande, Veteran’s Memorial Building, 209 Surf St. in Morro Bay.

Testing will be available at the Morro Bay location 7 a.m. to 7.p.m., Tuesday through Friday, from Sept. 8 to Sept. 18.



The Arroyo Grande location testing hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Tuesday through Saturday Sept. 8 to Sept 12., and Sept. 15 through Sept 18. Beginning Sept. 21, testing will be Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Free COVID-19 testing is also available at these sites:

• Grover Beach: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Ramona Garden Park, 993 Ramona Ave. Location closes Sept. 4.
• San Luis Obispo: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Veterans Memorial Hall, 801 Grand Ave. For the week of Sept. 6, testing will be available Tuesday, Sept. 8 through Saturday, Sept. 12.

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 September 1, 2020 at 2:08 PM.