‘1 out of 100’ SLO County residents has coronavirus as county adds 369 cases
San Luis Obispo County added 369 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, following a slight dip in cases Wednesday when less than 200 cases were added, according to data from the county Public Health Department.
According to data, more coronavirus cases were confirmed in San Luis Obispo County in the past 14 days — 4,381 new cases — than in the entire month of December, which previously had the highest monthly tally of local coronavirus cases.
County Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said Wednesday that 20% of coronavirus deaths in the county occurred in the past seven days.
She said that one out of every 100 San Luis Obispo County residents now has coronavirus.
As of Thursday, the county had a total of 2,708 active cases of COVID-19.
“If you think about that number that’s roughly 1% of our population, one out of 100 that is currently infected with COVID,” Borenstein said.
On Thursday, Cal Poly’s documented total of coronavirus cases involving both on-campus and off-campus students surpassed the 1,000-case mark.
On Thursday, the county reported an additional six deaths due to coronavirus, ranging in age from 60 to 100. Locally, 125 people have died due to the virus.
Borenstein said Wednesday that the county was waiting for death certificates for 29 additional deaths.
In total, 14,778 San Luis Obispo County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since mid-March.
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 Southen California regional stay-at-home order.
What is ICU bed availability in Southern California and SLO County?
According to the county, 23 of San Luis Obispo County’s intensive care unit beds were available as of Thursday.
A total of 52 patients were in hospital due to COVID-19. Of those, nine were in intensive care units — including one in an ICU out of the county, according to ReadySLO.org.
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:
San Luis Obispo: 75
Paso Robles: 49
Atascadero: 40
California Men’s Colony: 39
Nipomo: 34
Arroyo Grande: 27
Grover Beach: 23
Oceano: 16
Templeton: 15
Los Osos: 10
San Miguel: 7
Morro Bay: 6
Pismo Beach: 6
Atascadero State Hospital: 5
Shandon: 2
Santa Margarita: 2
Cambria: 1
Three coronavirus cases were removed from Shell Beach’s count and one case was removed from San Simeon’s tally.
The locations of eight cases were listed as “other.” A total of 80 cases remained under investigation.
Outbreaks at California Men’s Colony state prison in San Luis Obispo 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 2,174 total coronavirus cases among CMC inmates as of Thursday, with 1,108 active cases in custody — the most of any California prison facility — and 1,070 of those testing positive in the last 14 days.
Two inmates have died due to COVID-19.
DHS reported Thursday that 177 patients have tested positive at Atascadero State Hospital since mid-May. The agency reports 30 of those patients have tested positive within the last 14 days. The facility has not reported any coronavirus-related deaths and has reported fewer than 11 hospitalizations due to COVID-19.
Cal Poly’s documented total of coronavirus cases involving both on-campus and off-campus students was 1,020 cases 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: 2,708
- Recovered cases: 11,919
- People recovering at home: 2,656
- People receiving hospital care: 52
- Total people in intensive care units: 9
People in intensive care units out of the county: 1
- Deaths due to COVID-19: 125
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 14, 2021 at 2:13 PM.
