Morro Bay declares local emergency following confirmed SLO County coronavirus case
The same day that San Luis Obispo County confirmed its first case of coronavirus, the city of Morro Bay declared a local emergency “out of an abundance of caution.”
Although San Luis Obispo County declared a medical emergency on March 12, Morro Bay is the first city in the county to declare its own.
The declaration, made Saturday, gives the city access to state and federal funds related to the pandemic, according to a Morro Bay news release. The funds can be used to create and enact emergency plans.
As a result of the declaration, all large public gatherings have been canceled through the end of March.
The city said it will provide an update on the status of April’s events on Monday. The city will also close the Morro Bay Community Center, but will continue to provide meals for seniors for pick-up and delivery, the release said.
On Friday, San Luis Coastal Unified School District announced that schools will be closed Monday through April 14 in response to concerns about COVID-19.
The district said it’s mindful that the school closures may affect access to food and resources for their students.
Free meals for anyone under the age of 18 will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at San Luis Coastal school during the closure, San Luis Coastal said. Sign-ups are not required.
Along with free food services for children, the city is working with community and volunteer groups to maintain essential services. And the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce is providing local businesses with support resources.
City resources such as police, fire and emergency medical response, water, and trash services will continue as usual, according to the news release. The city will have more details on Monday, the release said.
On Saturday, the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department announced that a North County resident had tested positive for novel coronavirus.
According to a news release, the individual is over the age of 65 with underlying health conditions, and exhibited a fever, cough and shortness of breath.
The person is recovering in isolation at home until cleared by county Public Health, the agency said.
This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 10:07 AM.
