Coronavirus updates: How SLO farmers market will reopen, high school graduations
San Luis Obispo County added one new coronavirus case on Monday, bringing the total number of residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 to 271, according to ReadySLO.org.
The county announced this week it would not release detailed information for new cases reported over the weekend until the following Monday. Details on the latest case had not been released as of 12:50 p.m. Monday.
As the county begins to reopen, the Downtown SLO Farmer’s Market in San Luis Obispo is planning on how to reopen safely.
And high schools are hosting creative graduation ceremonies to celebrate seniors while maintaining physical distance.
Here are your local Monday updates:
How and when the SLO farmers market will reopen
Plans to reopen the downtown San Luis Obispo farmers market in a limited form are in progress, though the market still must await approval from the state before any definite timeline is known.
While other farmers markets are operating in the county, the event has been indefinitely suspended because of its larger crowd size and street fair nature, Bettina Swigger, Downtown SLO’s CEO said.
Swigger said that planning includes spacing vendor booths farther apart and providing additional resources such as hand sanitizer and hand-washing stations.
Arroyo Grande High School celebrates Class of 2020
After an unprecedented senior year, Arroyo Grande High School’s Class of 2020 graduation ceremony celebrated seniors while following social distancing restrictions.
On Saturday, the South County high school celebrated the achievements of its 467 seniors with a drive-through graduation ceremony on its campus.
Students filed through in cars with their families, before arriving at the front parking lot, where the students left their cars and made their way down a banner-decorated walkway to a makeshift stage at the front of the school. There they received their diplomas as onlookers nearby honked horns and cheered for the students.
SLO protesters call for governor to lift coronavirus restrictions
More than 60 people gathered Friday in front of the San Luis Obispo County Courthouse to protest the coronavirus pandemic restrictions applied by the State of California and blamed Governor Newsom for not lifting them soon enough.
They said the shutdown has harmed business owners, workers and families more than the coronavirus does, and violates their basic freedoms and rights.
Most businesses are now allowed to reopen with restrictions in San Luis Obispo County, however protesters said the restrictions are harming business.
California Mid-State Fair faces potential closure following COVID-19
The Paso Robles Event Center is facing a precarious financial future after the coronavirus outbreak canceled the California Mid-State Fair — wiping out nearly all the facility’s revenue.
Following the cancellation of the fair — which accounts for 90% of the Event Center’s revenue — interim CEO Colleen Bojorquez said the facility needs $2 million from the state or it may be forced to close.
Although the coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted the fair’s revenue, even before the COVID-19 closures, Cal Expo was set to receive more than $2 million in taxpayer funds to stave off financial insolvency due in part to low fair attendance numbers, according to the Sacramento Bee.
SLO County parks will keep pools closed through the summer
The San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation Department announced on Friday that pools will remain closed through the summer due to continued coronavirus concerns.
There’s no current timeline for when California public pools will be able to open again, prompting the county to extend the closure, according to a news release.
“This is not a decision we take lightly,” Nick Franco, County Parks director, said in a statement. “We realize the significant impact this has on a number of families throughout our county.”
The county maintains pools in San Miguel, Shandon, Templeton, Cayucos and Cambria, in addition to swimming facilities at Santa Margarita Lake and Coastal Dunes RV Park.
Pools must remain closed under the state’s current Stage 2 guidelines, and gradual opening will occur only with limited numbers of people to preserve social distancing.
Those guidelines are effective for lap pools and larger facilities, but the county’s smaller pools are primarily designed for community recreation, the release says.
“We had to consider our need to move forward with some degree of certainty this summer,” Franco said. “And we are making this decision now so staff can concentrate on the other COVID-19 response duties associated with camping, beach use, picnic areas and other operational restrictions that are in place and take considerable staff time. We certainly expect to be able to return to our normal pool operations next summer.”
Free testing coming to SLO, Los Osos and Cambria
Free state-run coronavirus testing will be moving from Paso Robles (operating until June 5) to San Luis Obispo (starting June 8), with services soon to be offered at the SLO Veteran’s Hall at 801 Grand Ave. in San Luis Obispo on weekdays between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
County pop-up testing will take place at the Veterans Memorial Building, 1000 Main St. in Cambria, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday.
The Red Barn, 2180 Palisades Avenue in Los Osos, will host free testing at 9 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.
For more information, including registration, go to https://www.emergencyslo.org/en/testing-locations.aspx.
