SLO County adds 191 coronavirus cases — and 3 more deaths

San Luis Obispo County added 191 new coronavirus cases Friday.

A total of 8,460 San Luis Obispo County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since mid-March, the county said.

Of those cases, 1,686 were active as of Friday, the most active coronavirus cases the county has seen to date.

The county reported three more deaths due to COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total number of local deaths up to 59.

The most recent local coronavirus-related deaths involved a person in their 80s, one in their 90s and one over the age of 100, the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department said via Twitter. “They were vulnerable to severe illness bc of underlying conditions.”

A total of 35 coronavirus patients were in local hospitals on Friday. Of those, eight were being treated in intensive care units.

As of Friday, San Luis Obispo County remained in California’s most restrictive tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy and under the Southern California regional stay-at-home order.

The county returned to the purple tier on Nov. 16. The stay-at-home order went into effect Dec. 6.

What is ICU bed availability in Southern California and SLO County?

Under the order, 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.

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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:

• Paso Robles:47

• San Luis Obispo: 36

• Grover Beach: 20

• Atascadero: 19

• Nipomo: 11

• Arroyo Grande: 9
• Oceano: 9
• Templeton: 9
• Morro Bay: 8

• San Miguel:6

• Los Osos: 3

• Santa Margarita: 3

• Cambria: 2

• Cayucos: 2
• Pismo Beach: 2

• Shandon: 2

• Creston: 1

The locations of 10 cases were listed as “other.” A total of 25 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 589 total coronavirus cases among CMC inmates.

Similarly, the county’s data for ASH does not match that of the DSS.

According to the DSS, ASH had a total of 88 coronavirus-positive patients as of Thursday (the DSS website has not updated with daily numbers as of Friday afternoon).

Cal Poly’s documented total of coronavirus cases involving both on-campus and off-campus students was 754 as of Friday.

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 Friday, according to the county Public Health Department:

• Active cases: 1,686
• Recovered cases: 6,706
• People recovering at home: 1,651
  
  
• People receiving hospital care: 35
  
  
• People in intensive care 8
• Deaths due to COVID-19: 59

Total coronavirus cases by city are:

• Paso Robles: 1,983

• San Luis Obispo: 1,884

• Atascadero: 776
  
  

• Arroyo Grande: 589

• California Men’s Colony: 589

• Nipomo: 585

• Grover Beach: 325
  
  

• Oceano: 273

• Templeton: 267

• San Miguel: 259

• Cal Poly (on campus): 241

• Los Osos: 157

• Morro Bay: 148

• Pismo Beach: 128

• Atascadero State Hospital: 88

• Shandon: 78

• Santa Margarita: 68

• Cambria: 59
• Creston: 39
  
  
• Cayucos: 31
• Avila Beach: 13
• San Simeon: 7
  
  

Here is a look at the racial breakdown of local coronavirus cases:

• Hispanic and Latino: 3,295
  
  
• White: 3,246
• Other and under investigation: 1,520
  
  
• Black or African American: 184
  
  
• Multiracial: 100
• Asian and Pacific Islander: 97
  
  
• American Indian or Alaska Native: 15

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.

Kaytlyn Leslie

The Tribune

805-781-7928 (voicemails only)

Kaytlyn Leslie writes about business and development for The San Luis Obispo Tribune. Hailing from Nipomo, she also covers city governments and happenings in San Luis Obispo. She joined The Tribune in 2013 after graduating from Cal Poly with her journalism degree.