SLO County omicron surge seems to be waning — but new COVID deaths, hospitalizations continue
Five more residents have died from coronavirus, the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department announced Tuesday.
The deaths included one person in their 40s, one in the 50-64 age range, two in the 65-84 age range and another who was 85 or older, according to the department’s data.
In all, 429 SLO County residents died due to the virus since March 2020.
On Tuesday, Public Health announced 531 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in the county since Thursday.
Thirty three people are currently hospitalized for severe COVID-19, with five in the intensive care unit, according to the data released Tuesday.
This is a slight uptick from the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 last week, but ICU capacity is now at about 58%, according to Public Health data.
Despite the new deaths and uptick in hospitalizations, there are signs the omicron surge is starting to taper off.
Based on Public Health data, 1,096 people currently have the virus in San Luis Obispo County.
The last time the number of active cases was close to this number was Sept. 14, before the delta wave started to recede and omicron emerged as a dominant variant.
“We are glad to see cases trending gradually in the right direction, particularly after the extreme surge in cases we experienced only a few weeks ago,” County Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in a news release.
Similarly, the two-week case average dipped from 389 last week down to 202 on Tuesday. The last time the case average was at 202 was in early January, before the omicron surge came to full force.
To date, 50,947 San Luis Obispo County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since March 2020.
Here’s how local coronavirus case numbers from the past five days break down day by day:
As of Tuesday, unvaccinated residents make up 65% of new cases, about 77% of hospitalizations and roughly 70% of deaths in the county, according to the Public Health data.
The downturn in cases is a positive sign as the county hopes to once again go maskless indoors.
On Wednesday, vaccinated San Luis Obispo County residents are permitted to remove their masks in some indoor settings.
“While masks will no longer be universally required indoors tomorrow, it’s still a good idea to mask up in crowded indoor spaces, especially if you are at higher risk or are close to others who are,” Borenstein said.
New COVID-19 cases by city
Here is where new COVID-19 cases were added in San Luis Obispo County, according to the Public Health Department:
North County
Paso Robles: 78
Atascadero: 55
Atascadero State Hospital: 33
Templeton: 11
San Miguel: 7
Shandon: 4
Santa Margarita: 3
Creston: 2
South County
Nipomo: 55
Arroyo Grande: 48
Grover Beach: 27
Pismo Beach: 17
Avila Beach: 3
SLO and North Coast
San Luis Obispo: 86
Los Osos: 26
Morro Bay: 24
California Men’s Colony: 21
Cambria: 8
Cal Poly (campus residents): 2
Cayucos: 1
The locations of 45 cases were listed as “other.” A total of 448 cases remained under investigation.
Outbreaks at the California Men’s Colony state prison, Cal Poly and Atascadero State Hospital have been greater than indicated by county data, according to data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Cal Poly and the Department of State Hospitals.
CDCR had recorded 3,281 total coronavirus cases among CMC inmates as of Feb. 15, with 78 active cases in custody and 142 new cases in the past 14 days. A total of 13 inmates have died due to COVID-19.
DSH reported Feb. 14 that 341 patients have tested positive at Atascadero State Hospital since May 2020. The agency reports 47 of those patients have tested positive within the past 14 days.
ASH has reported at least one but fewer than 11 deaths among patients who tested positive for COVID-19. The facility had no hospitalized coronavirus patients as of Feb. 14 and has not said how many were hospitalized in the past.
Cal Poly’s documented total of coronavirus cases in the past seven days involving both on-campus and off-campus students was 19 as of Feb. 15.
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 slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19/COVID-19-Testing or call 888-634-1123 to register by phone.
Testing is administered at 801 Grand Ave in San Luis Obispo, 1336 Ramona Ave #A in Grover Beach, 209 Surf St. in Morro Bay and 800 Pine St. in Paso Robles.
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.
Vaccines are administered at the San Luis Obispo clinic, which 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 on clinic hours, visit slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19/Vaccines