San Luis Obispo County will remain purple based on the updated reopening values released on Tuesday.
Last week, SLO County Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said it was possible for SLO County to move to the red level this week if county positivity rates remain low.
The state takes into account two figures when it comes to the positivity rate of a county – the general positivity rate and the positivity rate in the lowest census indices with the healthy places index (HPI), the state health equity metric.
As of last week, both figures were orange, and Dr. Borenstein said that while the county’s case rate is purple, the county could rise to red if positivity rates remain orange for two weeks. row.
This week, the county’s HPI positivity rate rose to 5.9%, dropping it to red levels.
The general positivity rate of the county remains orange at 4.3%, while the case rate improved to 15.6 compared to 19.3 last week. To get out of the purple level, the county’s adjusted case rate per 100,000 population must be 7 or less.
San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Health
We continue to work hard to improve the positivity of testing in SLO County and among the more vulnerable communities here, but we need your help to slow the spread of this disease even further so that we can move to the red and we enjoy several activities here in our county. #TierTuesday
– Public Health SLO (@SLOPublicHealth) February 16, 2021
Meanwhile, San Luis Obispo County reported daily totals of COVID-19 cases for the first time on Thursday. In total, 311 new COVID-19 cases were registered between Friday and Tuesday, bringing the total number of the county to 19,210 confirmed cases starting with February 16.
The county has also added five new COVID-19 deaths. So far, SLO County has recorded 210 deaths attributed to the virus.
Health officials say 26 people are currently hospitalized. Another 795 people are recovering at home, and health officials say 18,150 people have recovered.
San Luis Obispo County reports that 15 of the 38 licensed and ICU beds in the county are currently occupied. Eight of these are taken by patients with COVID-19.
Breakdown of cases by location:
- Paso Robles – 3,792
- San Luis Obispo – 3,604
- California Men’s Colony (detainees) – 2,376
- Atascadero – 1,781
- Nipomo – 1,439
- Arroyo Grande – 1,352
- Grover Beach – 784
- Ocean – 658
- 568. Templeton
- San Miguel – 465
- Bears – 436
- Gulf of Morro – 390
- Cal Poly (campus residents) – 338
- Pismo Beach – 307
- Atascadero State Hospital (patients) – 205
- Cambria – 172
- Shandon – 135
- Saint Margaret – 126
- Creston – 80
- Cayucos – 68
- Avila Beach – 26
- San Simeon – 21
- Bradley – 7
The locations of an additional 73 cases are under investigation, and another seven are listed as “other”, which includes communities with less than five cases. The Department of Public Health does not identify these locations.
COVID-19 community testing sites are currently open to the public in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Morro Bay, Grover Beach and Nipomo.
Appointments are required in all locations. Click here to schedule an appointment.
San Luis Obispo County currently vaccinates health care workers and residents age 65 and older. For details on how to make an appointment, click here.
For more information on the county’s COVID-19 response, visit readyslo.org.