SLO County reports highest daily coronavirus tally, adding 343 new cases over weekend
San Luis Obispo County added 343 new coronavirus cases over the weekend and Monday, breaking the record for highest daily tally on Saturday with more than 200 new cases.
The county added 229 coronavirus cases on Saturday, 60 cases on Sunday and 54 on Monday.
On Monday, the county reported an additional death due to COVID-19 — this one involving a person in their 80s who was vulnerable due to underlying health conditions, the county said. That brings the total number of local coronavirus-related deaths to 60.
Meanwhile, local hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have shot up after top health leaders warned of “dire consequences” due to limited capacity.
A total of 41 people were in local hospitals with coronavirus on Monday — nine of them were in intensive care units.
A total of 8,803 San Luis Obispo County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since mid-March, the county said.
Of those COVID-19 cases, 1,823 were active Monday.
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 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?
According to the state, 25 out of 53 of San Luis Obispo County ICU beds were available as of Sunday.
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. The stay-at-home order will remain in place for at least three weeks.
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 remained at 0%, health department data showed.
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 over the weekend and Monday in San Luis Obispo County, according to ReadySLO.org:
- California Men’s Colony: 100
- Paso Robles: 54
- Atascadero State Hospital: 43
- San Luis Obispo: 40
- Arroyo Grande: 21
- Oceano: 16
- Grover Beach: 15
- Nipomo: 14
- Los Osos: 11
- Templeton: 11
- Morro Bay: 7
- Santa Margarita: 5
- San Miguel: 4
- Pismo Beach: 4
- Cambria: 2
- Cayucos: 1
- Creston: 1
- Shandon: 1
A total of 11 cases were removed from Atascadero’s case count since Friday.
The locations of 11 cases were listed as “other.” A total of 28 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 625 total coronavirus cases among CMC inmates, with an increase of 36 since Friday.
Similarly, the county’s data for ASH does not match that of the DSS.
According to the DSS, ASH had a total of 90 coronavirus-positive patients as of Monday, with an increase of three since Friday.
Cal Poly’s documented total of coronavirus cases involving both on-campus and off-campus students was 887 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: 1,823
- Recovered cases: 6,909
- People recovering at home: 1,782
- People receiving hospital care: 41
- People in intensive care units: 9
- Deaths due to COVID-19: 60
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.
This story was originally published December 21, 2020 at 2:06 PM.
