SLO County nears 10,500 coronavirus case mark as 2020 comes to an end
San Luis Obispo County added 219 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, according to data from the county Public Health Department.
The figures don’t represent an accurate day-over-day increase because the county is processing backlogged COVID-19 testing data that may date back a week or so.
County officials cited a delay in reporting local coronavirus cases over the Christmas holiday weekend and a change in state criteria for reporting new cases.
The newly-reported cases mean 10,397 San Luis Obispo County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since mid-March. As of Thursday, 2,409 local COVID-19 cases were considered active.
San Luis Obispo County spokeswoman Michelle Shoresman told The Tribune on Monday that the state changed how it relays information about new cases to counties last week, and the county Public Health Department is adjusting to the new method.
She said that the local numbers will reflect the state’s numbers over the next days and weeks as the county confirms more of the state’s reported new cases.
This week, the number of local coronavirus deaths has continued to climb. A total of 82 county residents have died due to COVID-19 since March, the county said.
On Thursday, the county Public Health Department didn’t report any additional COVID-19 deaths.
Local hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have remained high after top health leaders warned of “dire consequences” due to limited capacity.
As of Thursday, San Luis Obispo County remains 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 state renewed the order for the region on Tuesday because intensive care unit capacity has not improved during the past three weeks, said Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Health and Human Services Secretary, at a news conference.
The county returned to the purple tier on Nov. 16.
What is ICU bed availability in Southern California and SLO County?
According to the state, 20 of San Luis Obispo County’s intensive care unit beds were available as of Wednesday.
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 the 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 Thursday, ICU availability in the Southern California region remained at 0%, health department data showed.
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: 43
Atascadero: 22
Arroyo Grande: 20
San Luis Obispo: 20
Atascadero: 22
Grover Beach: 17
Nipomo: 13
Los Osos: 8
Oceano: 6
Templeton: 6
- Morro Bay: 3
Pismo Beach: 3
San Miguel: 3
Cayucos: 1
Creston: 1
Santa Margarita: 1
Shandon: 1
The locations of 14 cases were listed as “other.” A total of 40 cases were under investigation.
On Thursday, the county subtracted a case from Avila Beach’s total of coronavirus cases, bringing the number to 15.
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.
The CDCR had recorded 984 total coronavirus cases among CMC inmates as of Thursday, an increase of 56 cases.
Similarly, the county’s data for ASH does not match that of the Department of State Hospitals.
According to the DHS, ASH had a total of 146 coronavirus-positive patients as of Wednesday.
Cal Poly’s documented total of coronavirus cases involving both on-campus and off-campus students was 888 as of Dec. 24. That figure had not been updated as of Thursday.
SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers
Here’s a look at San Luis Obispo County’s cases on Thursday, according to the county Public Health Department.
- Active cases: 2,409
- Recovered cases: 7,891
- People recovering at home: 2,349
- People receiving hospital care: 60
- People in intensive care units: 13
- Deaths due to COVID-19: 82
Here are the total numbers of coronavirus cases by community.
- Paso Robles: 2,307
- San Luis Obispo: 2,172
California Men’s Colony (inmates): 984
- Atascadero: 919
- Arroyo Grande: 753
- Nipomo: 708
- Grover Beach: 431
- Oceano: 359
- Templeton: 314
- San Miguel: 289
- Cal Poly: 256
- Los Osos: 216
- Morro Bay: 204
- Pismo Beach: 158
- ASH (patients): 146
- Shandon: 90
- Santa Margarita: 85
- Cambria: 72
- Creston: 44
- Cayucos: 44
- Avila: 15
- San Simeon: 8
- Under investigation: 40
- Other: 14
The county also breaks down local coronavirus cases by race and ethnicity.
- White: 3,951
- Hispanic and Latino: 3,838
- Other and under investigation: 2,141
- Asian and Pacific Islander: 223
- Black or African American: 114
- Multiracial: 111
- American Indian or Alaska Native: 19
For a detailed look at local coronavirus cases by age, occupation and more, visit ReadySLO.org.
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.
