SLO County added more than 7,000 COVID cases in January. Here’s who was hit hardest
What began as a coronavirus surge in November 2020 led to a lasting upward trend in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in San Luis Obispo County that peaked in January.
Only toward the end of the month did the average local case count begin to drop. Still, the lowest 14-day coronavirus case average in January was higher than the highest 14-day average in December.
The month of January accounted for 7,437 coronavirus cases — roughly 41% of all coronavirus cases reported in San Luis Obispo County.
A total of 95 people died due to COVID-19 in January, more than half of the total of 177 who had died throughout the pandemic.
However, as testing and vaccinations ramped up, the daily coronavirus case rate in the county began to drop.
Here’s a look at who tested positive locally for coronavirus, how COVID-19 spread and how the virus impacted different age groups, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department.
Coronavirus cases peaked, then dropped in January
The 7,437 coronavirus cases in January were the highest monthly tally since the onset of the pandemic.
As the county emerged from the holiday season, the first week of 2021 saw 2,200 cases, more than any week before or after.
On Jan. 5, San Luis Obispo County reported its highest daily case tally with 611 new coronavirus cases in a single day.
And on Jan. 11, the CDPH reported that San Luis Obispo County’s adjusted case rate hit its peak at 46 new cases per 100,000 people. That same day, the county’s number of active cases hit an all-time high of 3,193.
The next day, on Jan. 12, the 14-day coronavirus case average hit an all-time high at 331 new cases per day. The testing positivity rate topped out at 11.1%, as the county reported its highest adjusted case rate, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Then, the numbers started to ease, and by the middle of January, daily case counts began to drop. Simultaneously, coronavirus testing reportedly saw an increase.
In mid-January, the county stepped up its vaccination efforts, offering vaccines to county residents ages 75 and older for the first time. The county began administering second doses of coronavirus vaccines as well.
By Jan. 29, more than 15,500 people in San Luis Obispo County had been vaccinated by the county Public Health Department.
Health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities were vaccinated through chain pharmacies such as CVS and local hospitals.
Who contracted coronavirus in SLO County in January?
California Men’s Colony state prison in San Luis Obispo saw a COVID-19 outbreak among incarcerated people, reporting the most active cases among any California state prison for several consecutive days.
The outbreak pushed incarcerated people from the population in San Luis Obispo County with the third most coronavirus cases to the population with the most cases, according to county data.
Cases among incarcerated people increased 186% from Dec. 31 to Jan. 29, according to the county.
Due to the outbreak at CMC, which coincided with outbreaks in long-term care facilities and Atascadero State Hospital, the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department created a category for cases acquired from institutions.
Cases reported at institutions were previously categorized among those transmitted by “person-to-person” spread.
As of Jan. 29, nearly 21% of all coronavirus cases in San Luis Obispo County were institution-related. Around 17% were caused by person-to-person spread and about 12% were a result of community transmission.
However, transmission of about 48% of cases remained under investigation by the end of January.
When local coronavirus cases were broken down by race, people who identified as Native American or Alaskan Native saw a 100% increase in cases in January, with that category rising from 19 to 38 total coronavirus cases.
Meanwhile, those people who identified as white and Asian or Pacific Islander saw an increase in cases of about 57%.
Those who identified as Hispanic or Latino and Black or African American saw about a 50% increase in COVID-19 cases in January.
Racial and ethnic data was not available for 4,908 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 locally as of Jan. 29.
In terms of age, coronavirus cases rose the most in the age group involving people 65 to 84.
How was each age group affected by COVID-19 in January?
In January, coronavirus affected the 50-to-64 and 65-to-84 age groups the most, with COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations in those groups increasing drastically.
Cases among people ages 30 to 49, 50 to 64 and 65 to 84 rose more than 80% each.
However, older residents faced hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 at a much higher rate.
Both the 50-to-64 and 65-to-84 age groups experienced a more than 100% increase in deaths due to COVID-19.
According to county data, people age 85 and over saw a roughly 64% increase in cases, but a 93% increase in deaths due to COVID-19.
