Coronavirus updates: Community Foundation donates more than $120,000 to nonprofits, new case
San Luis Obispo County had 202 cases as of Monday — passing the 200-case benchmark Sunday.
The county recently released their phased reopening plan, but it cannot go into effect until statewide shelter at home orders are lifted.
In the meantime, the county is expanding its testing efforts.
Here are your local Monday updates:
Community Foundation donates $120,000 to nonprofits
The Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo County has awarded more than $120,000 to five local nonprofit agencies through their Disaster Support Fund in the past month. In March, the foundation donated more than $30,000.
The disaster fund was created as a result of coronavirus through donations from community members.
According to the news release, the Community Foundation awarded $56,500 in rapid response grants to SLO Noor Foundation, The Link Family Resource Center, Wilshire Community Services, Atascadero Loaves & Fishes, Child Development Resource Center of the Central Coast, Peoples’ Self-Help Housing and Transitional Food and Shelter, in the past two weeks.
The Women’s Legacy Fund also awarded Stand Strong $10,000 to address domestic violence, according to the release.
The money was given to nonprofits providing support for vulnerable communities in San Luis Obispo County affected by COVID-19.
The Community Foundation is asking for donations to be able to continue granting funds to local nonprofits. May 5 is Giving Tuesday Now day, a global emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the release.
SLO County adds single coronavirus case Monday
San Luis Obispo County added a single coronavirus patient from Nipomo on Monday, bringing the total to 202 local COVID-19 cases.
Of the 202 patients, 156 have recovered and 40 are recovering at home. Five patients are receiving treatment in the hospital, three of whom are in the intensive care unit.
One local patient has died from COVID-19.
Santa Barbara County adds 6 cases in Santa Maria
Six new cases of COVID-19 — all in the city of Santa Maria — were reported Sunday by the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
The latest tally brings the total number of cases in the county to 514, of which 401 have fully recovered.
There were 42 patients being treated for COVID-19 in local hospitals, including 17 in intensive care units, and 51 people are recovering at home.
SLO County receives face shields donation
The San Luis Obispo County Health Department received 3,000 face shields from a Sunnyvale nonprofit organization.
Maker Nexus, a makerspace in the Bay Area, donated the personal protective equipment Sunday, according to the Health Department’s Instagram.
SLO County to expand free coronavirus testing
Free testing for COVID-19 will be available to grocery store clerks, workers at care facilities, public employees and others beginning next week at two new San Luis Obispo County clinics.
New testing clinics in Paso Robles and Grover Beach will begin taking appointments for testing in early May as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s goal to increase testing capacity statewide.
Together, they will be able to test more than 260 people each day.
SLO County releases plan to phase out shelter-at-home order
San Luis Obispo County emergency and public health officials released a proposed guide for a three-phased reopening Friday.
The county’s plan will start only once Gov. Gavin Newsom lifts a statewide shelter order. The plan also includes guidelines for what might cause officials to tighten restrictions again.
Retail shops, fitness centers and restaurants would be able to open in the first phase, but only if the businesses can meet certain criteria to reduce risk of community spread.
SLO County schools will not reopen this year
San Luis Obispo County health officials on May 1 said there’s no way local schools will be able to open again this year under newly-released coronavirus reopening guidelines — even though some districts haven’t thrown in the towel yet.
Once Newsom lifts California’s shelter-at-home order, the county is ready to begin a phased reopening.
But that doesn’t mean schools will be allowed to hold in-person classes again this year, said Dr. Penny Borenstein, county Public Health officer.
SLO County added 13 new cases over the weekend
San Luis Obispo County has a total of 201 confirmed coronavirus cases. On Sunday, the county added five cases, and on Saturday, eight new cases were reported.
The county passed the 200-case benchmark 50 days after the first coronavirus case was confirmed locally.
Of the reported cases, 149 patients have recovered and seven are in the hospital, with three in the intensive care unit as of Sunday, according to ReadySLO.org.
SLO man released from hospital after spending a month in the ICU
Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center staff celebrated the recovery of a San Luis Obispo man who was released Friday after he survived a battle with COVID-19.
The man, identified by Tenet Health Central Coast as John, was treated in the intensive care unit for about a month.
This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 11:03 AM.
