SLO County adds 86 coronavirus cases and another death
San Luis Obispo County added 86 cases of coronavirus Thursday and another person died due to COVID-19 amid a surge in local COVID-19 cases that’s lasted for several weeks.
The latest San Luis Obispo County resident to die due to COVID-19 was in their 80s and vulnerable to severe illness because of underlying conditions, the county Public Health Department said via Twitter.
A total of 5,486 county residents have tested positive for coronavirus since March, according to the county Public Health Department.
The new cases include 14 Cal Poly students living on campus, according to ReadySLO.org.
Although coronavirus spread among members of the Cal Poly community has contributed to the recent spike in cases, county Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein noted, that they’re not the only cause.
“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.”
San Luis Obispo County returned to the most restrictive tier under 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.
What tier is SLO County in?
As of Thursday, 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 Thursday in San Luis Obispo County, according to ReadySLO.org:
San Luis Obispo: 55
Cal Poly (on-campus students): 14
Paso Robles: 12
Arroyo Grande: 8
Atascadero: 7
Templeton: 7
Nipomo: 6
Grover Beach: 3
Pismo Beach: 3
Atascadero State Hospital: 2
Morro Bay: 2
Los Osos: 1
Oceano: 1
San Miguel: 1
An additional nine cases were listed as under investigation on Thursday. Thirty-six cases previously listed as under investigation on Wednesday were resolved. The locations of nine cases were listed as “other.”
A total of 37 patients and 68 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 at Atascadero State Hospital, according to the California Department of State Hospitals (DSH), which oversees ASH. The DSH case numbers differ from the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department totals.
A total of 64 on-campus Cal Poly students were in isolation due to coronavirus as of Thursday, with an additional 1,084 students in quarantine. The San Luis Obispo university has reported a total of 707 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday.
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 Thursday, according to the county Public Health Department:
- Active cases: 727
- Recovered cases: 4,724
- People recovering at home: 715
- People receiving hospital care: 12
- People in intensive care units: 1
- Deaths due to COVID-19: 35 (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.
Free testing appointments at county-ran sites were booked for several days or weeks in advance as of Thursday.
San Luis Obispo County public health officials urge people to use self-swab at-home tests if they are not experiencing coronavirus symptoms or have not been exposed to a person who has COVID-19.
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 19, 2020 at 1:59 PM.