SLO County adds 181 COVID-19 cases over Thanksgiving weekend — and 2 deaths
San Luis Obispo County added 181 coronavirus cases during the weekend, according to ReadySLO.org
The county also reported two additional coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the total number of people who have died locally due to COVID-19 death to 38.
“One was in (their) 60s and one was in (their) 80s. Both were vulnerable to severe illness because of underlying conditions,” the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department said via Twitter.
A total of 6,310 county residents have tested positive for coronavirus since March, the county said.
San Luis Obispo County returned to the most restrictive tier under California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy on Nov. 16. 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 state public health department.
Nov. 24 marked the third 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 decreased from 12.5 to 10.2 new cases per day per 100,000 people. Even with the improvement in adjusted case rate, however, the metric remained higher than red tier requirements and the unadjusted case rate continued to spike.
The unadjusted case rate came in at 20.7, three points higher than data released the week prior.
The reason for the rise in unadjusted case rate and the decrease in adjusted case rate is a spike in coronavirus testing.
According to state data, San Luis Obispo County has conducted an average of 651.5 tests per day per 100,000 people — a drastic increase from the 430.5 tests per 100,000 people that the county reported Nov. 11.
San Luis Obispo County’s positivity rate was at 4.4% as of the latest data, representing a .7-point improvement from the week prior.
The latest health equity metric released Nov. 16 calculated that the positivity 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 was 4.8%. New data on the health equity metric was not released Tuesday.
New COVID-19 cases by city
Here is where new COVID-19 cases were added between Friday and Monday in San Luis Obispo County, according to ReadySLO.org:
Paso Robles: 49
San Luis Obispo: 19
Arroyo Grande: 40
Atascadero: 10
Grover Beach: 10
Nipomo: 10
Los Osos: 9
Oceano: 9
Morro Bay: 4
Pismo Beach: 4
- San Miguel: 1
Templeton: 4
Cal Poly (on campus): 2
Santa Margarita: 2
California Men’s Colony: 1
Cal Poly: 2
Cambria: 1
Shandon: 1
The locations of seven cases were listed as “other.”
Cal Poly’s documented total of coronavirus cases involving both on-campus and off-campus students is 848.
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: 889
- Recovered cases: 5,381
- People recovering at home: 882
- People receiving hospital care: 8
- People in intensive care units: 1
- Deaths due to COVID-19: 38 (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. The testing site will remain open for an additional two hours starting on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
- San Luis Obispo: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Veterans Memorial Hall, 801 Grand Ave.
- Nipomo: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Saturday. Senior Center 200 E. Dana St. This testing site will open on Thursday, Dec. 3.
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.
