SLO County headed for California coronavirus watch list after spike in cases, officials say
San Luis Obispo County is expected to be added to a state “watch list” after failing to meet all of California’s criteria to remain open amid the coronavirus pandemic, county public health officials said.
According to the county health department, San Luis Obispo County exceeded the state’s COVID-19 case rate criteria over the weekend.
Over the last 14 days, the county’s case rate was about 114 COVID-19 patients per 100,000 people, according to a Tuesday news release. To meet Califonia’s criteria, no more than 100 per 100,000 people can test positive in a 14-day period.
“Our transmission rate doesn’t tell the whole story, but it is potentially a leading indicator,” county public health officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in the release.
San Luis Obispo County added 68 coronavirus cases over the weekend, topping a total of 700 cases on Saturday. It added another 43 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, passing the 800-case mark.
As of Tuesday, 808 county residents have tested positive for coronavirus since mid-March, including 220 active patients. There are 13 local patients receiving treatment in hospitals, including five in intensive care units.
About 41% of cases in San Luis Obispo County — 330, as of Tuesday — were acquired by person to person contact, according to ReadySLO.org. Another 270 cases were a result of community transmission, the county said, while 91 cases were travel related.
As of Tuesday, 117 cases were still under investigation.
“These numbers are a strong reminder that we are bringing COVID-19 home — from travel, from work, from outings — and we need take all the necessary precautions to ensure that SLO County can remain open and our health care system can continue to care for the sick,” Borenstein said in the release.
California’s “watch list” for potential re-closure includes more than 20 counties which have not met the state’s metrics for remaining open.
If a county is on the state’s watch list for three consecutive days, the state will close indoor operations of various sectors, as well as bars and beach parking, according to a county news release.
The state has also launched multi-agency enforcement strike teams in those counties, the release said.
Borenstein said San Luis Obispo County residents can avoid the watch list and “turn this around” by wearing face coverings in public, staying home when sick, maintaining distance from people outside of their home and practice good hygiene.
“These simple things can help SLO County stay healthy and open,” Borenstein said in the release.
