SLO County adds 412 coronavirus cases, passes 3,000-active case mark
San Luis Obispo County added 412 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, according to data from the county Public Health Department.
The county passed the 3,000-active case mark Thursday for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began locally.
The figures don’t represent an accurate day-over-day increase from Wednesday because the county is continuing to process backlogged COVID-19 testing data that may date back a week or so.
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, and the county Public Health Department is adjusting to the new method.
On Monday, the department issued a news release saying that it had finished processing backlogged cases over the holiday weekend, but due to outages of CalREDIE, the state’s database, some local numbers would not be reported.
Shoresman previously said that the local numbers will reflect the state’s numbers over the coming days and weeks as the county confirms more of the state’s reported new cases.
In total, 12,597 San Luis Obispo County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since mid-March.
On Thursday, the county did not report any additional deaths due to coronavirus. However, Dr. Penny Borenstein, county public health officer, said Wednesday that COVID-19 is now the No. 1 cause of death in San Luis Obispo County.
A total of 95 people had officially died due to coronavirus in San Luis Obispo County, but more deaths were under investigation, Borenstein said Wednesday.
“If this doesn’t take your breath away and help you understand the severity of this illness, I’m not sure that there is anything else I can say,” Borenstein said.
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 Dec. 29, 2020, because intensive care unit capacity had not improved during the three weeks prior, said Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Health and Human Services Secretary, at a news conference.
What is ICU bed availability in Southern California and SLO County?
According to the state, 13 of San Luis Obispo County’s intensive care unit beds were available as of Wednesday, the most recent update.
A total of 53 patients were in local hospitals due to COVID-19, 14 of them in intensive care units, according to the county.
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.
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 on Thursday in San Luis Obispo County, according to ReadySLO.org:
Paso Robles: 64
San Luis Obispo: 57
California Men’s Colony: 50
Arroyo Grande: 47
Atascadero: 46
Nipomo: 34
Grover Beach: 23
San Miguel: 18
Morro Bay: 12
Templeton: 11
Los Osos: 10
Oceano: 10
Pismo Beach: 9
Shandon: 5
Cambria: 4
Creston: 3
Atascadero State Hospital: 2
Avila Beach: 2
Santa Margarita: 2
Cayucos: 1
The locations of nine cases were listed as “other.” A total of 55 cases remained 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.
CDCR had recorded 1,567 total coronavirus cases among CMC inmates as of Thursday, with 758 active cases in custody, 746 of those testing positive in the last 14 days.
Two inmates have died due to COVID-19.
The prison currently has the highest number of active cases among CDCR facilities.
DHS reported Thursday that 160 patients have tested positive at Atascadero State Hospital since mid-May. Of those, 26 patients have tested positive within the past 14 days, the agency said.
Cal Poly’s documented total of coronavirus cases involving both on-campus and off-campus students was 913 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: 3,041
- Recovered cases: 9,432
- People recovering at home: 2,988
- People receiving hospital care: 53
- People in intensive care units: 14
- Deaths due to COVID-19: 95
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. To make an appointment, visit emergencySLO.org/testing; you can register by phone at 888-634-1123.
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 1:45 PM.
