San Luis Obispo County adds 71 coronavirus cases — more than half in SLO
San Luis Obispo County added 71 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, a day after San Luis Obispo County returned to the most restrictive tier in California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
Under the purple tier, many local businesses must revert to extremely limited indoor capacity or close their indoor services altogether.
Since March, a total of 5,321 county residents have tested positive for coronavirus, according to the county Public Health Department, and 34 people have died due to the virus.
On Tuesday, the county had 731 active cases of COVID-19, a record high.
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 Tuesday, coronavirus transmission in San Luis Obispo County was considered “widespread,” according to the California State Department of Public Health.
Within the past seven-day period, a total of 475 people have tested positive locally for COVID-19.
Monday marked 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 Tuesday in San Luis Obispo County, according to ReadySLO.org:
San Luis Obispo: 39
- Paso Robles: 21
- Atascadero: 4
Templeton: 2
- Arroyo Grande: 2
Grover Beach: 2
Los Osos: 2
San Miguel: 2
Nipomo: 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 68 on-campus Cal Poly students were in isolation due to coronavirus as of Tuesday, with an additional 1,151 students in quarantine in place. The San Luis Obispo university has reported a total of 626 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday.
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 Tuesday, according to the county Public Health Department:
- Active cases: 731
- Recovered cases: 5,321
- People recovering at home: 724
- People receiving hospital care: 7
- 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.