SLO County adds 79 coronavirus cases, breaks active case count record once more
San Luis Obispo County added 79 coronavirus cases Wednesday, maintaining a trend of high case counts that’s been seen locally for several weeks.
A total of 5,400 county residents have tested positive for coronavirus since March, according to the county Public Health Department.
On Wednesday, the county set a new record for the highest number of active COVID-19 cases — with 757 active cases.
San Luis Obispo County returned to the most restrictive tier in California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy on Monday. That means that many local businesses must revert to extremely limited indoor capacity or close their indoor services altogether.
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. However, they are not the only cause for the surge.
“I hear a lot of people blame Cal Poly for this and I want to be perfectly clear: No single group in our community is to blame,” Borenstein said in a news release Monday. “Even if we removed cases among Cal Poly students, our case rate would still likely put us back in the purple tier, according to our local data.”
What tier is SLO County in?
As of Wednesday, coronavirus transmission in San Luis Obispo County was considered “widespread,” according to the California State Department of Public Health.
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 5.1% as of the latest data, representing a 2.1-point increase from the week prior.
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 Wednesday in San Luis Obispo County, according to ReadySLO.org:
San Luis Obispo: 29
Paso Robles: 19
Atascadero: 7
Nipomo: 5
Cal Poly (on-campus students): 4
Arroyo Grande: 2
Avila Beach: 1
Grover Beach: 1
Los Osos: 1
Pismo Beach: 1
San Miguel: 1
Santa Margarita: 1
Templeton: 1
An additional 45 cases were under investigation on Wednesday. The locations of four cases were listed as “other.”
A total of 35 patients and 65 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 at Atascadero State Hospital, according to the California Department of State Hospitals, which oversees ASH.
A total of 64 on-campus Cal Poly students were in isolation due to coronavirus as of Wednesday, with an additional 1,084 students in quarantine. The San Luis Obispo university has reported a total of 707 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday.
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 Wednesday, according to the county Public Health Department:
- Active cases: 757
- Recovered cases: 4,608
- People recovering at home: 748
- People receiving hospital care: 9
- People in intensive care units: 1
- 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:
- Arroyo Grande: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. South County Regional Center, 800 W Branch St.
- 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 18, 2020 at 1:35 PM.
