Summer COVID surge turns a corner in SLO County, but deaths, hospitalizations continue

Sara Kassabian
·3 min read
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The early summer COVID-19 surge reported in San Luis Obispo County seems to have crested its peak as new and active cases dropped this week.

Public Health reported 13 people receiving treatment in local hospitals on Wednesday, with no patients in local intensive care units.

The county reported an additional two deaths in people 85 and older, bringing the pandemic death toll to 511.

San Luis Obispo County added 445 new COVID infections in the past seven days ending Wednesday, according to data from the county Public Health Department.

Here is how the local COVID case numbers from the past seven days break down day-by-day:

  • Thursday: 137

  • Friday: 62

  • Saturday: 36

  • Sunday: 42

  • Monday: 67

  • Tuesday: 9

  • Wednesday: 92

Public Health does not include positive at-home test results in its new COVID case numbers, meaning this number is likely a sizable undercount to the actual incidence of coronavirus cases across the county.

The drop in reported COVID cases this week caused a dip in the 14-day case average on Wednesday. The two-week average was 109 on June 22 and 73 on June 29.

Based on reported cases, a total of 58,509 San Luis Obispo County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since March 2020.

The number of active cases now stands at 536 — a drop of 63 cases from last week, based on county data.

Public Health on June 29 released data showing that unvaccinated people account for about 63% of COVID-19 cases, 73% of hospitalizations and 66.5% of deaths since June 15.

Over the past week, these are the top coronavirus cases by city: 79 in Paso Robles, 67 in San Luis Obispo and 47 in Arroyo Grande. A notable surge occurred in Morro Bay as well with 45 reported cases.

To see the full city-by-city breakdown, visit the Public Health dashboard at www.slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19/Data.aspx

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 Street 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 is located at 2191 Johnson Ave., the Grover Beach clinic is located at 286 South 16th St. and the Paso Robles clinic is located at 723 Walnut Drive.

For more information on clinic hours, visit slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19/Vaccines