SLO County nears 800 active coronavirus cases, adds more than 200 cases in 3-day period
San Luis Obispo County added 204 coronavirus cases over the weekend and Monday.
The high weekend tally comes ahead of the county’s first update on state measurements since moving to the purple tier under California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
A total of 5,811 San Luis Obispo County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since March, according to the county Public Health Department.
A total of 93 coronavirus cases were added Saturday, while 36 were added Sunday and 75 were added Monday.
The cities of Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo each added more than 60 coronavirus cases since Friday.
The county once again broke the active case record Monday with 791 active cases.
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 Monday, coronavirus transmission in San Luis Obispo County was considered “widespread,” according to the California State Department of Public Health.
Nov. 16 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.
Updated data and tier assignments will be released Tuesday.
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:
Paso Robles: 64
San Luis Obispo: 63
Atascadero: 18
Nipomo: 10
Los Osos: 9
Arroyo Grande: 8
Grover Beach: 6
San Miguel: 5
Santa Margarita: 4
Templeton: 4
Oceano: 4
Pismo Beach: 4
Cayucos: 3
Morro Bay: 2
An additional nine cases were listed as under investigation Monday. The locations of four cases were listed as “other.”
A total of 39 patients and 75 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 San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department totals.
A total of 39 on-campus Cal Poly students were in isolation due to coronavirus as of Monday, with an additional 1,176 students in quarantine. The San Luis Obispo university has reported a total of 826 COVID-19 cases as of Monday, an increase of 49 from 777 reported Nov. 20.
Cal Poly’s total number of coronavirus-positive students living on campus differs from county data.
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: 791
- Recovered cases: 4,985
- People recovering at home: 779
- People receiving hospital care: 12
- People in intensive care units: 2
- 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:
- Grover Beach: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Ramona Garden Park Center, 993 Ramona Ave.
- 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 23, 2020 at 1:29 PM.
CORRECTION: Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the correct number of cases reported in Cal Poly students.
