COVID is ‘No. 1 cause of death in SLO County.’ We need your help to tell victims’ stories
San Luis Obispo County is fast approaching a grim milestone.
As of Wednesday, 95 people had officially died due to coronavirus in San Luis Obispo County, but more deaths are currently under investigation.
Once those investigations conclude, county Public Health Officer Penny Borenstein said, more than 100 people will have died due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March 2020.
“That is a milestone we had never hoped to reach,” Borenstein said in an emotional plea to the public during a Wednesday news briefing.
This makes COVID-19 the “No. 1 cause of death in our county today,” she added.
“If this doesn’t take your breath away and help you understand the severity of this illness, I’m not sure that there is anything else I can say,” Borenstein said.
According to Borenstein, the numbers of coronavirus-related deaths skyrocketed in December 2020 and has continued to grow drastically in January. Many of those dying due to the virus are “not even getting to the hospital,” she said.
“This is what we as a community can and should prevent, and I just ask of everyone one more time to please do their part,” Borenstein said. “These are mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, in some cases children, who are dying from this disease in our community and elsewhere.”
“We have not yet seen the worst of this disease,” she added somberly.
Help The Tribune tell the stories of coronavirus victims
As San Luis Obispo County approaches the 100-death mark, The Tribune is hoping to tell more of the stories of those who have died from the deadly virus.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March, The Tribune has written about three San Luis Obispo County residents who succumbed to the coronavirus — including a long-time Realtor who was “a real feel-good story,” and a father and well-known Atascadero volunteer. The third was a beloved grandmother who never missed a school event.
There are so many more stories still to be told.
The Tribune is looking to connect with the families and friends of people who have died due to COVID-19 since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in San Luis Obispo County. We want to tell the stories of those who have died, and the stories of those who are left behind to grieve in this strange time.
We’ve created the form below for you to easily share some of their stories. If you would rather reach out to a Tribune reporter directly to talk, or you want to remain anonymous, please call 805-781-7928 or email kleslie@thetribunenews.com.
You can access the form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjcL3MrLqnooJmNAy7IZNi48cT_Ex-R_EJaKhXNR80OzYRzQ/viewform?usp=sf_link.
Together, we can put faces to those we have lost due to coronavirus. Thank you for your help.
This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 6:01 PM.
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