SLO County adds 212 coronavirus cases, 1 death as it moves back to California’s purple tier
San Luis Obispo County returned to the most restrictive tier in California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy amid an ongoing surge in cases Monday.
Under the purple tier, many local businesses will have to revert to extremely limited indoor capacity or close their indoor services altogether.
Since Friday, San Luis Obispo County added 212 coronavirus cases and one more resident died due to COVID-19, according to the county Public Health Department.
That brings the total number of county residents who have tested positive for the virus since March to 5,250 and the total number of coronavirus deaths up to 34.
The San Luis Obispo County resident who died of COVID-19 on Monday was in their 70s and had underlying health conditions, according to the county.
On Saturday, 118 coronavirus cases were added in San Luis Obispo County. The triple-digit increase neared the county’s daily case count record, which was set the week prior on Nov. 7 at 128 new cases.
An additional 54 coronavirus cases were added Sunday and 40 were added Monday.
The county saw a record-high of active cases Monday with 712 active cases.
Dr. Penny Borenstein, county public health officer, has said that coronavirus spread among members of the Cal Poly community has contributed significantly to the recent spike in local COVID-19 cases.
What tier is SLO County in?
As of Monday, San Luis Obispo County has “widespread” coronavirus spread, according to the California State Department of Public Health.
Within the last seven-day period, a total of 456 people have tested positive locally for COVID-19.
Monday marks the second consecutive week with an adjusted case rate above the threshold of the red tier — seven new cases per day per 100,000 people. Case rate is adjusted by the number of tests conducted within the county per day.
The county’s adjusted average skyrocketed to 12.5 new cases per 100,000 people per day, which is 5.5 points above the level needed to qualify for the red tier, according to state data. The unadjusted case rate came in at 17.7, more than 7 points higher than data released the week prior.
San Luis Obispo County’s positivity rate was at 4.7% as of the latest data, representing a 1.7-point increase from the week prior.
Monday’s data showed the second consecutive week of a 1.7-point positivity rate increase. ReadySLO.org, however, shows that San Luis Obispo County has an even higher positivity rate than the state data reflects, at 5.1%.
The health equity metric remained at a 4.8% rate for people who live in the 12 census tracts in San Luis Obispo County ranked in the lowest quarter of California’s Health Place Index.
New COVID-19 cases by city
Here is where new COVID-19 cases were added since Friday in San Luis Obispo County, according to ReadySLO.org:
San Luis Obispo: 53
- Paso Robles: 45
- Atascadero: 22
Cal Poly (on campus): 26
Templeton: 13
- Arroyo Grande: 10
Nipomo: 7
Los Osos: 6
- Grover Beach: 5
San Miguel: 4
- Morro Bay: 4
Shandon: 2
Cambria: 1
Cayucos: 1
Pismo Beach: 1
Oceano: 1
- Santa Margarita: 1
At Atascadero State Hospital, 21 patients and 21 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 14 days, according to the California Department of State Hospitals, which oversees ASH.
A total of 107 on-campus Cal Poly students were in isolation due to coronavirus as of Friday, with an additional 1,085 students in quarantine in place. The San Luis Obispo university has reported a total of 578 COVID-19 cases as of Friday.
Details on new cases had not been reported as of 1: 30 p.m. Monday.
For a detailed look at local coronavirus cases by age, occupation and more, visit ReadySLO.org.
SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers
Here’s a look at San Luis Obispo County’s cases on Monday, according to the county Public Health Department:
- Active cases: 712
- Recovered cases: 4,503
- People recovering at home: 706
- People receiving hospital care: 6
- People in intensive care units: 2
- Deaths due to COVID-19: 34 (including two California Men’s Colony inmates)
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:
- Morro Bay: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Veterans Memorial Building, 209 Surf St.
- Paso Robles: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Frontier Pavilion, Paso Robles Event Center, 2198 Riverside Ave.
- 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 more than 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.
How to report a COVID-19 code violation
To report violations of coronavirus-related orders meant to limit the spread of COVID-19, call the San Luis Obispo County COVID Enforcement hotline at 805-788-2222 or email covid-compliance@co.slo.ca.us.
This story was originally published November 16, 2020 at 1:48 PM.
