5 more SLO County residents die of COVID-19 as strain on hospitals grows
San Luis Obispo County has reported five new deaths due to COVID-19, according to data released Tuesday by the county Public Health Department, as the number of hospitalizations locally continues to rise.
Four of those deaths were reported on Tuesday alone, the largest single day of new deaths recorded since March, according to the data. The five new deaths involved people ranging in age from 50 to older than 85, with one in their 50s, two in their 60s, one in their 70s, and one in their 90s.
Locally, 279 people have died due to the virus.
“My heart goes out to the families who must grapple with this loss, and to those whose loved ones are severely ill in our hospitals,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, County Health officer. “I fear that we will lose more lives in our community, and I am concerned that increasing COVID-19 cases will affect our health care system’s capacity to provide other types of care we count on. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to get vaccinated so that you are protected from the worst outcomes of COVID-19 — to protect your own health and to protect the health care capacity we all rely on.”
The county Public Health Department is not providing information about how many newly reported cases, hospitalizations and deaths involve vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
The agency is reporting only the percentages of vaccinated and unvaccinated people who’ve tested positive for COVID-19, required hospital care or died from the virus since January 2021. Public Health is updating those percentages on a monthly basis.
The rise in deaths parallels an increase in pressure on local hospitals, which are now seeing a ramp-up of cases unlike anything since the worst of the pandemic in January.
A total of 55 people are now hospitalized due to COVID-19, the highest since 57 were were reported on Jan. 21.
Demand for intensive care unit beds is also increasing. As of Tuesday, 16 of the hospitalized patients are in the ICU, according to the data. That number is approaching the most ever locally, 19 on Jan. 31.
In addition, COVID-19 is responsible for nearly 85% of local ICU cases, 16 out of 19 patients. ICU bed capacity is currently at 50%, according to the Public Health Department.
Over the last four days, a total of 460 people tested positive for the virus, the public health department said.
Additionally, there are 1,538 active cases, the most reported in the county since 1,628 were reported on Jan. 31. The number of active cases has more than doubled in the past two weeks, according to the county’s data.
Cases among those in the youngest age group continue to increase at a rate well above the other categories. Cases in those aged 0-17 are up 18.4% this month, compared to the rest of the age groups, which range from 7.4 to 11.0 over that time period.
Here’s how local coronavirus case numbers from the past four down day by day:
The daily case count has been in triple digits for 9 straight days. In total, 24,622 San Luis Obispo County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since March 2020.
New COVID-19 cases by city
Here is where new COVID-19 cases were added this week in San Luis Obispo County, according to ReadySLO.org:
North County
Paso Robles: 96
Atascadero: 72
Templeton: 21
Atascadero State Hospital: 14
San Miguel: 7
Santa Margarita: 5
Creston: 3
Shandon: 1
South County
- Grover Beach: 32
Nipomo: 24
Arroyo Grande: 23
- Oceano: 9
Pismo Beach: 8
Avila Beach: 3
SLO and North Coast
San Luis Obispo: 86
Morro Bay: 16
Cambria: 10
Los Osos: 7
Cayucos: 2
San Simeon: 1
The locations of eight cases were listed as “other.” A total of 106 cases remained under investigation.
SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers
Here’s a look at San Luis Obispo County’s cases on Friday, according to the county Public Health Department.
- Active cases: 1,538
- Recovered cases: 22,803
- People at home recovering: 1,483
- People receiving hospital care: 55
- Total people with COVID-19 in intensive care units: 16
Deaths due to COVID-19: 279
For a detailed look at local coronavirus cases by age, occupation and more, visit ReadySLO.org.
Where to get a COVID-19 test and schedule a vaccine appointment
Free coronavirus testing is available at clinics in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles. To make an appointment, visit emergencySLO.org/testing or call 888-634-1123 to register by phone.
The county Public Health Department is currently administering coronavirus vaccines to everyone age 12 and up.
Those eligible to receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can register online or by phone for California’s My Turn appointment system. The county Public Health Department is also administering vaccines on a walk-in basis at clinics in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Grover Beach.
To find appointments, visit MyTurn.ca.gov and complete the registration process. Those who need assistance registering for a vaccine can call 833-422-4255 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Sunday.
To learn more about vaccines offered at the three clinics, or to find out about mobile and pop-up clinics near you, visit RecoverSLO.org/en/when-and-where-can-you-get-vaccinated.aspx. To sign up for email alerts, visit EmergencySLO.org/en/newsletter.aspx.
Residents can also find appointments for coronavirus vaccines through private health partners and some chain pharmacies, including CVS and Vons. To find shots at pharmacies near you, visit Vaccines.gov.
This story was originally published August 24, 2021 at 2:04 PM.
