40% of San Luis Obispo County coronavirus cases were reported in December. Here’s a breakdown
San Luis Obispo County experienced an eruption of coronavirus cases in December 2020 unlike any local surge seen before.
A total of 4,086 people contracted COVID-19 locally in December alone, and 44 more people lost their lives due to the virus.
By Dec. 31, 10,397 county residents had contracted the coronavirus since mid-March and a total of 82 people had died.
Hospital capacity remains dangerously low both regionally and countywide.
Here’s a look at the coronavirus pandemic in San Luis Obispo County by the numbers in December.
December’s COVID number accounted for 40% of total cases
December’s monthly tally of 4,086 new coronavirus cases was more than double the case count of November — which itself was a record-breaking month.
Nearly 40% of all coronavirus cases in San Luis Obispo County were confirmed in December.
San Luis Obispo County frequently added more than 100 new cases per day in December. The monthly average was 112 new coronavirus cases per day, according to county data.
On Dec. 30, San Luis Obispo County reported a record high number of new cases — 576. However, county officials said the alarming spike was the result of the county processing backlogged COVID-19 testing data.
San Luis Obispo County spokeswoman Michelle Shoresman told The Tribune on Dec. 28 that the state changed how it relays information about new cases to counties as of Dec. 28, and the county Public Health Department took about a week to adjust.
Still, the county broke records, as the active case count rose to 2,409 active cases by Dec. 31.
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 also hit record highs in December with a total of 60 people hospitalized on Dec. 31, 13 of them in intensive care units.
The death toll also more than doubled from Nov. 30 to Dec. 31.
One highlight amid the dismal month was the arrival of the coronavirus vaccine.
A total of 10,775 coronavirus vaccines, from both Moderna and Pfizer, were provided to San Luis Obispo County the week of Dec. 28, according to the CDPH.
Cases more than double in many SLO County areas
In December, Paso Robles continued to have the most coronavirus cases out of any San Luis Obispo County city, followed by San Luis Obispo.
However, five other locations doubled or more than doubled their COVID-19 case counts in December. And two other areas came close to doubling their case counts.
Atascadero State Hospital experienced a coronavirus outbreak that resulted in a 441% increase in coronavirus cases, according to ReadySLO.org.
Another coronavirus outbreak led to a significant rise in cases at the California Men’s Colony. The state prison near San Luis Obispo saw a 160% increase in cases, according to ReadySLO.org. The facility now has the worst current outbreak of any California prison by far, with 769 active cases as of Thursday. That’s 326 cases higher than the next worst facility.
Outside of congregated living situations, the community of Oceano saw the highest rise in cases with a 107% increase, going from 173 coronavirus cases on Nov. 30 to 359 on Dec. 31.
Los Osos and Arroyo Grande also increased their case counts by more than 100%, while Morro Bay exactly doubled its total.
Coronavirus cases rise among older populations
Following Halloween, November’s surge in coronavirus cases was marked by spread among younger community members. San Luis Obispo County residents under the age of 50 accounted for nearly 80% of new local cases in November.
In December, coronavirus spread among older community members began to rise. People over the age of 50 accounted for nearly 40% of local coronavirus cases in December.
Cases more than doubled among those in the 65-to-84 and 85-and-older age groups. In contrast, cases in the 18-to-29 age group increased only 34%.
The shift in who was contracting coronavirus was, in part, a result of more than 20 outbreaks at congregate care facilities. Many of those were at residential care facilities or senior centers.
The increase in cases among San Luis Obispo County’s older population resulted in a rise in coronavirus-related hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19.
On Dec. 17, a group of local medical leaders called for people to heed county and state health guidance and stay home — warning that San Luis Obispo County would face “dire consequences” as a result of the surge.
Until December, there had never been more than seven people in local ICUs, or more than 22 people in total in hospitals for coronavirus at any time.
On Dec. 31, 47 people were in hospitals and an additional 13 people were in ICUs due to COVID-19 in San Luis Obispo County.
The county’s coronavirus death toll also took a tragic turn in December.
A total of 44 people died due to COVID-19 during that month. Of those, 43 involved people over the age of 50.
Black, Hispanic and white communities see jump in cases
December also saw a 57% increase in cases among Black or African American residents, increasing from 142 coronavirus cases on Dec. 4 to 223 cases on Dec. 31.
Coronavirus cases also rose nearly 50% among Hispanic or Latino and white residents, according to county data.
Coronavirus cases involving Hispanic residents rose from 2,643 coronavirus cases on Dec. 4 to 3,951 coronavirus cases on Dec. 31.
Cases among white residents rose from 2,590 coronavirus cases on Dec. 4 to 3,838 cases by the end of the month.
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
