7 additional SLO County residents die of COVID while case rate drops
Seven more San Luis Obispo County residents have died from COVID-19, the county Public Health Department reported on Tuesday.
A total of 331 locals have now died from the virus since March.
The seven new deaths include two people aged 50 to 64, four individuals aged 65 to 84 and one person older than 85, according to Public Health.
“We share in the sorrow and grief with those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19 as this virus continues to take a painful and needless toll on our community,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, County Health officer. “The most simple and effective way to protect yourself, your family and your community is to get fully vaccinated, wear a mask indoors in public, and get tested if you feel sick.”
The recent deaths come as the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 continues to fall. A total of 21 SLO County residents are currently being treated with three in intensive care. The capacity of available ICU space is now at 47%.
Overall, San Luis Obispo County added 141 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, the Public Health Department’s data show.
The county’s 14-day average number of new coronavirus cases reported was 60 on Tuesday and 59 on Monday — the lowest since early August, according the county Public Health data.
“While our case counts seem to be moving slowly in the right direction, we are unfortunately seeing the terrible power of the Delta variant to spread quickly and cause severe illness and death, particularly among our many residents who are not yet fully vaccinated,” Borenstein said. “I commend everyone who is doing your part to help limit the spread of this virus, and encourage everyone in our community to protect yourself and your family with the vaccine.”
Although the daily numbers are falling, the number of active cases continues to rise, to 1,294 on Tuesday, up from a recent low of 822 on Sept. 15.
Here’s how local coronavirus case numbers from the past four break down day by day:
In total, 28,349 San Luis Obispo County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since March 2020.
The county Public Health Department is not providing information about how many newly reported individual cases, hospitalizations and deaths involve vaccinated and unvaccinated people due to resource limitations and privacy concerns.
Instead, Public Health is releasing monthly data showing the percentages of unvaccinated people who’ve contracted COVID-19, received hospital treatment for the virus or died from it since June 15.
The agency on Oct. 1 released data showing 76.9% COVID-19 cases, 83.9% of hospitalizations and 78.3% of deaths since June 15 have involved unvaccinated people.
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: 26
Atascadero: 14
San Miguel: 6
Shandon: 5
Templeton: 4
Santa Margarita: 3
South County
- Arroyo Grande: 18
Grover Beach: 10
Nipomo: 9
Oceano: 5
Pismo Beach: 5
Avila Beach: 1
SLO and North Coast
San Luis Obispo: 26
Cambria: 4
Los Osos: 2
San Simeon: 2
Morro Bay: 1
The locations of 13 cases were listed as “other.” A total of 159 cases remained under investigation.
Since the start of Cal Poly’s campus housing move in on Sept. 14, a total of 24 students have tested positive for the virus.
SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers
Here’s a look at San Luis Obispo County’s cases on Tuesday, according to the county Public Health Department.
- Active cases: 1,294
- Recovered cases: 26,719
- People recovering at home: 1,273
- People receiving hospital care: 21
- Total people in intensive care units: 3
People in intensive care units out of the county: 1
- Deaths due to COVID-19: 331
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, Grover Beach, Paso Robles and Morro Bay. To make an appointment, visit emergencySLO.org/testing or call 888-634-1123 to register by phone.
To make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine, visit MyTurn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255. 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 shots at pharmacies near you, visit Vaccines.gov.
For more information, visit RecoverSLO.org/en/when-and-where-can-you-get-vaccinated.aspx.
This story was originally published October 5, 2021 at 2:19 PM.
