COVID surges in SLO County with new deaths and rising hospitalizations
COVID-19 cases are suddenly surging in San Luis Obispo County as holiday gatherings and travel coincide with the arrival of the omicron variant.
The numbers are validating the fears of local health officials, who have openly worried about the likelihood of a new spike.
“I do think we will see a winter surge,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein in a video interview on Dec. 22, noting that the county saw an increase in COVID-19 numbers over Thanksgiving.
On Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department reported two new deaths due to the virus, bringing the pandemic total to 373. Both people were in the 65-84 age range.
More ominous for the days ahead, however, is that hospitalizations have more than tripled to 21 on Tuesday from six exactly one month ago. Also, of those patients, eight are in the intensive care unit.
Despite the rise, ICU capacity remains good with 55% of local beds open.
The number of active cases has skyrocketed in December and now stands at 688. That number has doubled in just one week and more than tripled in three weeks. It dropped to as low as 174 on Nov. 30, and active cases have not been this high since mid-October.
A total of 659 new cases have been reported over the last week, including three consecutive days over 100. The 145 cases reported on Christmas Day were the most in a single day since Sept. 9.
The new cases have also pushed up the 14-day average to 72, a level it’s not seen since the end of the summer delta variant surge and after several weeks in the 30s and 40s.
Here’s how local coronavirus case numbers from the past week break down day by day:
Based on available data, delta is still the dominant variant in San Luis Obispo County, although seven new omicron COVID-19 cases were detected as of Tuesday, according to county health data.
“Omicron is here in our community, and we know it spreads more quickly and easily than any strain of COVID-19 we have seen so far,” Borenstein said in a news release. “We have the tools and resources to slow its spread: vaccines, boosters, and masking up in indoor public spaces. If you feel sick, even a little bit, the best thing to do is to get tested and stay home.”
The 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 weekly 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 Dec. 10 released data showing that unvaccinated people account for about 77% of COVID-19 cases, 82% of hospitalizations and 73% of deaths since June 15.
In the Dec. 22 interview, Borenstein said that there have been at least two instances of otherwise healthy couples in their 60s who died from COVID-19 within hours to days of each other.
“These are the kinds of stories that come to us on a regular basis, and I don’t think people are hearing them or seeing them,” she said.
New COVID-19 cases by city
Here is where new COVID-19 cases were added in San Luis Obispo County, according to ReadySLO.org:
North County
Atascadero: 75
Paso Robles: 75
Templeton: 26
Santa Margarita: 8
Creston: 5
San Miguel: 5
Shandon: 2
South County
Arroyo Grande: 59
Nipomo: 57
Grover Beach: 37
Pismo Beach: 25
Oceano: 11
Avila Beach: 3
SLO and North Coast
San Luis Obispo: 176
Morro Bay: 23
Los Osos: 20
Cayucos: 5
Cambria: 3
The locations of 25 cases were listed as “other.” A total of 196 cases remained under investigation.
Where to get a COVID-19 test and schedule a vaccine appointment
The county public health department recommends that people test before and after traveling and gathering for the holidays.
Free coronavirus testing is available at clinics in San Luis Obispo, Grover Beach, Paso Robles and Morro Bay. To make an appointment, visit slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19/COVID-19-Testing or call 888-634-1123 to register by phone.
To make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, visit MyTurn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255. The county Public Health Department is also administering vaccines and boosters 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.
The clinics are open Monday and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed noon to 1 p.m. for lunch), and Saturdays for vaccines only from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The San Luis Obispo clinic is located at 2191 Johnson Ave., the Grover Beach clinic is located at 286 South 16th St. and the Paso Robles clinic is located at 800 Pine St.
For more information, visit slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19/Vaccines.