SLO County adds no new coronavirus cases for first time in nearly a month
San Luis Obispo County didn’t add any new coronavirus cases Sunday — 243 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since March, according to ReadySLO.org.
Today is the first day since April 20 with no new cases. Four more patients have recovered from the virus since Saturday, according to the county.
It’s now been more than two months since the county Public Health Department announced the first local coronavirus case.
Under state guidelines, a county can’t move to the next phase of reopening from stay-at-home orders if there has been more than one new case of coronavirus per 10,000 people in the last two weeks. That would be 28 cases in San Luis Obispo County.
There have been 47 new confirmed cases in the county in the last two weeks as of May 17.
SLO County’s COVID-19 cases by the numbers
Of the 243 residents who’ve tested positive for COVID-19, 201 have completely recovered from the illness, leaving 41 active patients.
Thirty-nine people are still recovering at home, and two patients are receiving hospital treatment, both of whom are in the intensive care unit.
One local resident has died from COVID-19.
Paso Robles continues to have the most COVID-19 cases in the county with 95. Atascadero has 37 cases, Arroyo Grande has 22, Nipomo has 17, San Luis Obispo has 18, and California Men’s Colony has 11.
Pismo Beach has nine cases, San Miguel and Templeton both have eight cases and Morro Bay has six. Other areas — defined as cities or communities with fewer than five cases — have 12 cases altogether.
Most residents who’ve tested postive for COVID-19 are age 50 or older. Sixty-three cases are 50 to 64, and 48 cases are 65 and older.
There are 109 residents age 18 to 49 who’ve tested positive for COVID-19. The remaining 23 cases are age 17 and younger.
The county has determined that 49 cases were travel related, 112 patients contracted the virus from person-to-person contact and 81 of the cases were acquired through community spread.
Only one case has an unknown route of transmission, according to the county.
COVID-19 testing in SLO County and California
Public Health and private labs conducted 627 COVID-19 tests in San Luis Obispo County between Saturday and Sunday.
The county’s Public Health lab has conducted 2.375 tests with 80 positive results. Private labs have conducted at least 4,559 tests with 163 positive results.
Private labs have reported negative results to the county since April 13.
As of Sunday, 1,235,243 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in California, according to the state Department of Public Health. Statewide, 78,839 residents have tested positive for COVID-19, and 3,261 people have died.
Santa Barbara County added 17 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the total to 1,418 — including 903 inmates at the federal prison in Lompoc, according to the local Public Health Department.
Santa Maria added seven Saturday, bringing the city’s total to 208.
When and where to get a COVID-19 test
Symptoms of the virus that causes COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Mild symptoms also include chills, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose and diarrhea.
Older adults and people with underlying medical conditions are particularly vulnerable.
Health officials urge those who exhibit symptoms to stay home, avoid contact with others and call their health care provider or urgent-care clinic before seeking medical care to receive safe arrival instructions, if directed to do so.
Free coronavirus test clinics
Two new free coronavirus testing clinics have opened in Grover Beach and Paso Robles that will be able to administer a combined 260 tests a day.
Who can get tested at the clinics?
- Healthcare workers and first responders
- 65 and older, or any age with chronic medical conditions
- Residents or employees of congregate care living facilities
- Workers in essential jobs, which includes utilities, grocery, food supply, and public employees
- Anyone exhibiting one or more symptoms of COVID-19
When and where? Testing will be available by appointment only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Paso Robles Veterans Hall, 240 Scott St. in Paso Robles, and Ramona Garden Community Center, 993 Ramona Ave. in Grover Beach.
How do I schedule an appointment? Registration for appointments will begin May 2. The online registration link can be found at emergencySLO.org/en/state-sponsored-testing-sites or you can register by phone at 888-634-1123.
Testing will also continue through private healthcare providers, urgent care centers and the County Public Health Lab.
Visit ReadySLO.org for the latest public health updates and recommendations.
This story was originally published May 17, 2020 at 12:39 PM.
