SLO County reports more than 20 COVID outbreaks. These facilities have been hit the hardest
San Luis Obispo County coronavirus cases are trending upward at an alarming rate — resulting in an increase of outbreaks at local congregate living facilities, according to Dr. Penny Borenstein, county public health officer.
As of Monday, a total 7,771 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in San Luis Obispo County since March.
“Everybody, myself very much included, are tired of this pandemic,” Borenstein said Dec. 9 at a news conference. “We would like very much to be done with the virus, but it is not done with us.”
As of Dec. 9, the county was experiencing more than 20 COVID-19 outbreaks — with new cases reported at skilled nursing facilities, California Men’s Colony state prison in San Luis Obispo, Atascadero State Hospital, four fire stations and other locations.
Darren Smith is the CEO of Compass Health, which owns all six skilled nursing, or long-term care, facilities in San Luis Obispo County. He said that each of those facilities has seen an outbreak in the past several months among residents, staff or both.
Even with precautions in order, Smith said skilled nursing facility residents are put at risk of COVID-19 transmission because their staff live in the community and residents sometimes need to interact with doctors or go to the hospital.
“All of these things pose a potential risk of escorting COVID into our bubble,” Smith wrote in a Dec. 11 email to The Tribune. “It is unfortunate that so many members of our community have disregarded the requests to exercise caution, their actions absolutely increase the risk to all seniors. The record COVID numbers do not lie.”
As of Monday, between 108 and 126 residents in San Luis Obispo County skilled nursing facilities have tested positive for coronavirus, according to the California Department of Public Health .
Another 79 to 97 skilled nursing staff workers have tested positive. The variability in numbers is a result of the state not specifying the exact number of staff or residents who have tested positive at a facility if that number is under 11.
“Each one of these outbreaks gets a lot of attention from our medical health unit and we work with these entities to try to gain control but some of the long-term care facilities are seeing just incredible impacts,” Borenstein said Dec. 9.
Smith said the coronavirus outbreaks are reflective of the community as a whole.
“All San Luis Obispo senior facilities will go in whatever direction our county population trends, right now, that is alarming,” Smith wrote.
Those numbers don’t account for residential living facilities for the elderly, also known as assisted living facilities, which are licensed differently from skilled nursing facilities.
Other congregate living facilities, such as California Men’s Colony, Atascadero State Hospital and San Luis Obispo County Jail, have seen increases in COVID-19 cases as cases throughout the county surge.
Breakdown of SLO County coronavirus outbreaks
California Men’s Colony has seen the highest number of coronavirus cases in a congregate living facility in San Luis Obispo County, with a total of 487 cases since mid-March, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. An additional 127 employees have tested positive.
Within the past 14 days, the state prison added 180 new coronavirus cases among inmates, all of which are active, according to the CDCR. A total of 27 staff members actively have the virus.
Atascadero State Hospital accounts for the second-largest case count among local congregate care facilities. At least 67 patients and 98 staff members have tested positive since May and March respectively, when the Department of State Hospitals began tracking outbreaks.
Within the past two weeks, 27 patients and 20 employees tested positive.
The county Public Health Department have reported lower case counts for both CMC and ASH. Michelle Shoresman, county spokesperson, was unable to clarify the discrepancies.
“As we have stated since the beginning of the pandemic, the county counts (are) cases based on positive test results and their location of residence,” Shoresman wrote. “We do not know all the criteria used by other entities for case counts in their dashboards. That makes it difficult to explain discrepancies.”
In terms of skilled nursing facilities, Arroyo Grande Care Center has had the most cases. A total of 64 residents tested positive at the South County facility.
Smith said the outbreak began around six weeks ago, adding that there have been no new cases in the past week.
While the state maintains that there are currently 61 active residents at Arroyo Grande Care Center, Smith said Monday that number is closer to 30.
Borenstein said Dec. 9 that now more than ever people should take precaution, especially those who work directly with vulnerable populations.
“If you work personally at a long-term care facility, at a corrections facility, your local jail, ASH, CMC, all the places that I’ve mentioned that are higher risk, please don’t become a lethal weapon,” Borenstein said Dec. 9.
