SLO County adds 259 coronavirus cases over weekend — 9 months since first local case
San Luis Obispo County added 259 coronavirus cases over the weekend and Monday as the local pandemic hit the nine-month mark.
The county added 97 coronavirus cases on Saturday, 80 cases on Sunday and 82 on Monday.
Active cases and hospitalizations hit record highs for the third time since Dec. 10.
Monday’s hospitalization count was the highest that San Luis Obispo County has ever seen — with a total of 29 coronavirus patients in local hospitals. The number of local Intensive care unit patients also reached a new high, with eight patients in ICUs.
San Luis Obispo County reported its first local coronavirus case on March 14. A total of 7,711 San Luis Obispo County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since then, the county said.
Active cases increased from 1,191 cases on Friday to 1,332 on Monday.
The county Public Health Department said Dec. 9 that there have been COVID-19 outbreaks at 20 local facilities, including at skilled nursing facilities, fire departments and California Men’s Colony state prison in San Luis Obispo.
“(COVID-19) ... is having its way with us and we need to turn that around and all take it seriously,” Dr. Penny Borenstein, county public health officer, said at a Dec. 9 news conference.
As of Monday, San Luis Obispo County remained in California’s most restrictive tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy and under the new shelter-at-home order.
The county returned to the purple tier on Nov. 16. The shelter-at-home order went into effect Sunday at midnight.
What is ICU bed availability in Southern California and SLO County?
The state began reporting intensive care unit bed availability in each county on Dec. 8 following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new regulations tied to intensive care unit capacity. Regions in California with low ICU capacity will face more severe restrictions.
According to the state, 23 of San Luis Obispo County ICU beds were available Monday.
In San Luis Obispo County, there are 53 intensive care unit beds, according to the county Public Health Department. Of those, seven were occupied by COIVD-19 patients on Friday.
Even though San Luis Obispo County’s ICU availability isn’t below 15%, the ICU availability in the Southern California region means that the county falls under a new stay-at-home order.
San Luis Obispo County is considered to be part of the Southern California region — along with Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
As of Monday, ICU availability in the Southern California region was 2.7%, a sharp decline from Friday’s 6.2%.
The stay-at-home order, which went into effect just before midnight Dec. 6, will remain in place for at least three weeks.
Under it, local retail stores are limited to 20% capacity inside. Restaurants are closed to indoor and outdoor dining, and bars, wineries and hair salons are required to close. In addition, places of worship will only be allowed to have outdoor services.
In response, San Luis Obispo County is pushing for the state to separate it from the Southern California region.
San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties jointly petitioned the state to form a Central Coast region under California’s regional stay-at-home order.
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: 42
- San Luis Obispo: 42
- California Men’s Colony: 37
- Arroyo Grande: 23
- Atascadero: 22
- Oceano: 20
- Grover Beach: 16
- Templeton: 13
- Nipomo: 11
Los Osos: 8
- Morro Bay: 8
- San Miguel: 5
- Pismo Beach: 4
- Cambria: 2
- Cayucos: 2
- Creston: 1
Santa Margarita: 1
The locations of 10 cases were listed as “other.” A total of 19 cases were under investigation.
Outbreaks at the California Men’s Colony and Atascadero State Hospital have been greater than indicated by county data, according to data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of State Hospitals — which oversee coronavirus cases at the two facilities respectively.
The CDCR has recorded 487 total coronavirus cases among CMC inmates, an increase of 62 COVID-19 cases since Friday.
Similarly, the county’s data for ASH does not match that of the DSS.
According to the DSS, ASH has had a total of 67 coronavirus-positive patients, with an increase of three coronavirus cases since Friday.
Cal Poly’s documented total of coronavirus cases involving both on-campus and off-campus students was 881 as of Monday.
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: 1,332
- Recovered cases: 6,325
- People recovering at home: 1,303
- People receiving hospital care: 29
- People in intensive care units: 8
- Deaths due to COVID-19: 46 (including two California Men’s Colony inmates)
- Local ICU beds available: 23 (out of 53)
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.
Nipomo: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Senior Center 200 E. Dana St.
- Paso Robles: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through 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.
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.
