SLO County passes 60,000 COVID cases in new pandemic milestone
San Luis Obispo County reached a new milestone this week as the number of residents who tested positive for COVID-19 since the coronavirus pandemic hit the Central Coast topped 60,000.
On Tuesday, the county announced an additional 422 new cases since last week, driving the county’s total case number since March 2020 to 60,304.
The milestone comes on opening day of the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, which runs Wednesday through July 31.
“With the current variants and current levels of COVID-19 transmission in the community, it is possible for COVID-19 to spread at any event,” Public Health spokesperson Tara Kennon wrote in an email to The Tribune on Tuesday. “With hundreds of thousands of people attending the Mid-State Fair, it is statistically likely that some attendees will have COVID-19 and may or may not realize it.”
Fair officials set up hand-washing stations throughout the fairgrounds and urged people to wear masks, get vaccinated and gather outdoors, Kennon said.
“If you decide to attend an event of any size, we encourage you to take precautions to protect yourself from COVID-19,” she said. “And if you are not feeling well, please stay home.”
How did local COVID case numbers change this week?
Here’s how new coronavirus case numbers from the past week break down, day by day:
Thursday: 97 Friday: 80 Saturday: 44 Sunday: 39 Monday: 54 Tuesday: 76 Wednesday: 32
The two-week coronavirus case average dipped slightly this week to 93, down from 98 at this time last week, according to county data.
The data shows the number of active COVID-19 cases now stands at 533, a dip from last week’s 685 active reported cases.
Hospitalizations have remained low locally despite the bump in new cases this summer driven by the latest omicron variant. Public Health reported six people receiving treatment in area hospitals on Wednesday, with one patient in a local intensive care unit.
No new deaths were reported this week, though 521 people have died locally from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
Staying up-to-date on vaccinations and boosters is one of the best ways to protect against hospitalization or death from severe COVID-19, according to Public Health.
On July 20, the agency released data showing that unvaccinated people account for about 62% of COVID-19 cases, 72% of hospitalizations and 65% of deaths since June 15, 2021.
In the past week, the top coronavirus cases by location are: 71 in San Luis Obispo, 56 in Paso Robles and 55 in Atascadero.
To see the full city-by-city breakdown, visit the Public Health dashboard at www.slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19/Data.aspx.
SLO County eyes wastewater surveillance to measure spread of COVID
Health officials know these and other local COVID-19 statistics are a sizable undercount because they do not include positive, at-home COVID-19 tests.
Other counties throughout California rely on wastewater surveillance to gauge the level of coronavirus transmission in an area, according to the California Department of Public Health.
San Luis Obispo County does not currently use wastewater surveillance to measure the spread of COVID-19, Kennon said, though a county epidemiologist is working with the state to try to improve local wastewater surveillance capacity.
There is currently no timeline for when this will be implemented, Kennon said.
Where to get a COVID-19 test and schedule a vaccine appointment
Free coronavirus testing is available at clinics in San Luis Obispo, Grover Beach and Paso Robles.
To make an appointment, visit slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19/COVID-19-Testing or call 888-634-1123 to register by phone.
Testing is administered at 801 Grand Ave. in San Luis Obispo, 1336 Ramona Ave. #A in Grover Beach and 800 Pine St. in Paso Robles.
To make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, call 805-781-5500 or the clinic site to schedule an appointment. The county Public Health Department is also administering vaccines and boosters on a walk-in basis at public health clinics in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Grover Beach. To find shots at pharmacies near you, visit Vaccines.gov.
Vaccines are administered at the San Luis Obispo clinic, located at 2191 Johnson Ave., the Grover Beach clinic at 286 South 16th St. and the Paso Robles clinic at 723 Walnut Drive.
For more information on clinic hours, visit slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19/Vaccines.
Do you have long COVID symptoms? The Tribune wants to speak with you
Public Health is asking anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 to participate in a survey to help them better understand how long COVID is impacting locals. Community members can take the survey by visiting slopublichealth.org/longcovid and clicking “Share your experience.”
The Tribune also wants to learn how living with the lingering side effects of COVID-19 may have impacted the lives of impacted community members.
Fill out the form below to share your story and help us shape our COVID-19 coverage moving forward. You can also fill out the form at bit.ly/slolongcovid.
