SLO County adds 15 new COVID-19 cases — and 2 deaths
San Luis Obispo County added 15 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, according to ReadySLO.org.
On Tuesday, the county also reported two additional deaths due to COVID-19.
“Sadly, two more of our neighbors have succumbed to COVID-19, bringing our number of COVID-19 deaths to 31,” the county Public Health Department wrote via Twitter. “One was in their 60s and one was in (their) 90s. Both had underlying medical conditions.”
A total number of 3,612 people have tested positive for COVID-19 locally since March.
San Luis Obispo County will remain in the red tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy for a second week despite an uptick in both case rate and positivity rate, according to the California Department of Public Health.
That means that coronavirus spread is considered “substantial,” as opposed to widespread, and more business sectors may reopen.
All tier assignments are updated every Tuesday, and this week’s classification is based on data from the week of Sept. 13 to Sept. 19, the CDPH said on their website.
The county had a positivity rate of 2% as of Tuesday, up from the 1.5% positivity rate recorded the previous week.
The week of Sept. 13, the county had an adjusted average of 5.9 new cases per 100,000 people per day — 2.4 higher than the previous week.
The average was adjusted based on the county’s number of tests conducted per day. Without the adjustment, the county would be in the purple tier with an average of 8.6 new cases per day per 100,000, which is above the red tier threshold of no more than seven new cases per day per 100,000 residents.
On Tuesday, Santa Barbara County also moved into a lower COVID-19 tier.
COVID-19 cases by city
Here are the locations of new COVID-19 cases that were added Tuesday in San Luis Obispo County:
- Paso Robles: 7
Morro Bay: 2
- San Luis Obispo: 2
- Atascadero: 1
- Nipomo: 1
The locations of two new coronavirus cases were listed as under investigation Tuesday.
San Luis Obispo County’s total does not include eight of the 300 inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 at California Men’s Colony state prison in San Luis Obispo, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. (The case numbers reported on the CDCR website vary from those reported on ReadySLO.org due to “delays in the state’s reporting system.”)
According to Cal Poly, at least 113 students and six employees at the San Luis Obispo university had tested positive for the virus as of Tuesday. Twelve on-campus students were in isolation Friday, with an additional 150 students in quarantine.
For a detailed look at local coronavirus cases by age, ethnicity, occupation and more, visit ReadySLO.org.
SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers
Here’s a look at San Luis Obispo County’s cases, according to the county Public Health Department:
- Active cases as of Tuesday: 221
- Recovered cases: 3,360
- People recovering at home: 214
- People receiving hospital care: 7
- People in an intensive care unit: 2
- Deaths due to COVID-19: 31
San Luis Obispo County public and private health labs conduct an average of 386.6 tests per 100,000 per day, according to the county. The state average is 217.9.
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.
Free coronavirus testing is available at clinics throughout San Luis Obispo County:
Arroyo Grande: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. South County Regional Center, 800 W. Branch St.
- Atascadero: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Pavilion on the Lake, 9315 Pismo Ave.
Heritage Ranch: 1 to 6 p.m. Sept. 30. 2130 Heritage Loop Road.
San Luis Obispo: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Veterans Memorial Hall, 801 Grand Ave.
In addition, COVID-19 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. ReadySLO.org lists over a dozen urgent care centers that offer COVID-19 testing.
To make an appointment, visit emergencySLO.org/testing; you can register by phone at 888-634-1123.