COVID-19 updates: SLO County reports three new cases Monday, makes plans for reopening
–As of Monday afternoon, the County of San Luis Obispo reported 169 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 coronavirus.
There are 126 recovered cases, while 38 are recovering at home. One person has died from the virus. Four people are hospitalized, none are in an ICU. The majority of regional cases, 98 of 168, were reported in North County.
Plans for phased re-opening to be announced later this week
Lynn Compton, Chairwoman of the SLO County Board of Supervisors announced at a press conference on Monday that plans to begin re-opening the county in phases will be released at the end of this week, but for now, the county remains under State order to continue the shelter-in-place.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo epidemiologist Dr. Aydin Nazmi is leading the county’s efforts to reopen. “We will have to open in the presence of COVID-19,” he said at Monday’s press conference. “As long as we open gradually and thoughtfully, we will be in a good position to recover economically.”
“A successful reopening will depend on everyone doing their part,” he said. “We know you can, because you have shown us you can. Our community is successfully bending the curve.”
Nazmi envisions three phases of reopening, pending approval from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Nazmi said that after restrictions are loosened, there is a possibility of re-instating them if a major outbreak occurs or is impending.
Click here to watch Monday’s county press conference.
2,592 people tested for COVID-19 in SLO County
For the first time, SLO County can report the total number of COVID-19 tests administered by county and private labs – 2,592. The county reports conducting 1,141 COVID-19 tests in its lab and 1,451 residents have been tested by private labs. The county detected 55 cases, and 114 cases were detected by private labs. Private labs doing testing include WestPac Labs, Quest Diagnostics, Pacific Diagnostic Laboratories, LabCorp, and VRDL.
Mid-State Fair confirms it plans to go on with fair
–California Mid-State Fair spokesman Tom Keffury, in a message to sponsors on Monday, confirms that the fair is still planned to go on. “As of today, we are planning on the 2020 Fair happening as scheduled, Jul 22–Aug 2,” he said.
The 12-day long Mid-State Fair annually attracts over 400,000 visitors and is a major economic engine for the Paso Robles area and the entire county, KEYT news recently reported.
Keffury told KEYT that past research shows it generates nearly $80 million into the local economy each year.
County officials reaffirm tap water is safe to drink and use
–The County of San Luis Obispo Department of Public Works wants its customers to know tap water will continue to be safe and reliable. According to a fact sheet published by the California State Water Board, the water treatment and distribution methods used by the County removes and kills bacteria and viruses, including Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“The County maintains protective measures to ensure our water systems and groundwater are protected from pathogens, including viruses,” says Utilities Division Manager, Mark Chiaramonte. The County’s multi-step filtration and disinfection treatment process destroys viruses.
Both the City of Paso Robles and the Templeton Community Services District issued similar statements earlier on in the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, visit the COVID-19 and Tap Water FAQs document on the Public Works Department webpage. For updates on COVID-19 in SLO County, visit ReadySLO.org or call the recorded Public Health Information Line at (805) 788-2903. The phone assistance center at (805) 543- 2444 is staffed to handle COVID-19 questions from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.
Distribution of COVID-19 cases in San Luis Obispo County
- Paso Robles reported COVID-19 cases: 54
- Atascadero reported COVID-19 cases: 28
- Arroyo Grande reported COVID-19 cases: 19
- Nipomo reported COVID-19 cases: 14
- City of San Luis Obispo reported COVID-19 cases: 14
- Templeton reported COVID-19 cases: 7
- San Miguel reported COVID-19: 7
- Pismo Beach reported COVID-19 cases: 7
- Morro Bay reported COVID-19 cases: 6
- Other San Luis Obispo County reported COVID-19 cases: 13
Ages of COVID-19 cases in San Luis Obispo County
- Age 0-17 years old – 11
- Age 18-49 years old – 64
- Age 50 – 64 years – 51
- Age 65 and older – 43
Cases of COVID-19 by status in San Luis Obispo County
- At home – 38
- Hospitalized – 4
- Recovered – 126
- Deaths – 1
Source of transmission of COVID-19 cases in San Luis Obispo County
- Travel related transmission – 50
- Known person-to-person transmission – 63
- Unknown community-acquired transmission – 55
- Unknown – 1
COVID-19 cases in California and the United States
By Monday afternoon, there were at least 44,966 cases and 1,779 deaths in the State of California and 987,022 cases and 56,144 deaths in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Recent local COVID-19 coronavirus updates
- County officials urge residents to avoid group gatherings
- COVID-19: Stand for Freedom rally planned in Paso Robles on May 1
- COVID-19 evaluations and testing now available at MedPost Urgent Care
- Employee at Templeton skilled nursing facility tests positive or COVID-19
- NBC Today Show incorrectly reports a reopening date for SLO County
- Tenet Health Central Coast furloughs staff, remains on front lines of COVID-19
- One small local business surviving coronavirus
- Casey Printing offering free COVID-19 signs for businesses
- Farmers are plowing down crops due to COVID-19 restaurant closures
- COVID-19: SLO County leaders ask governor to allow steps for re-opening local economy
- Profile: Dr. Penny Borenstein shows steady local health leadership in tough times
- Local mask making projects distribute hundreds of cloth protective masks
California Gov. Gavin Newsom at a recent press conference.
Colorado and Nevada join California, Oregon, and Washington in Western States Pact
SACRAMENTO – Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak today announced their respective states are joining California, Oregon and Washington in the Western States Pact – a working group of Western state governors with a shared vision for modifying stay at home orders and fighting COVID-19.
“I want to thank Colorado and Nevada for joining the Western States Pact,” said Governor Newsom. “COVID-19 doesn’t follow state or national boundaries, and it will take every level of government, working together to get the upper hand on this virus.”
“Coloradans are working together to slow the spread of COVID-19 and have important information to share with and to gain from other states. I’m thrilled Colorado is joining the Western States Pact,” said Governor Jared Polis. “There’s no silver bullet that will solve this pandemic until there is a cure so we must have a multifaceted and bold approach in order to slow the spread of the virus, to keep our people safe and help our economy rebound.”
“I’m honored to have the State of Nevada join the Western States Pact and believe the sharing of critical information and best practices on how to mitigate the spread, protect the health and safety of our residents, and reopen responsibly will be invaluable as we chart our paths forward,” said Governor Steve Sisolak. “Millions of visitors from our fellow Western states travel to Nevada every year as a premier tourism destination, and this partnership will be vital to our immediate recovery and long-term economic comeback.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom, Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Washington Governor Jay Inslee recently announced they would be working together under a shared vision for gradually modifying their states’ stay at home orders and fighting COVID-19. They listed three shared principles as foundational to the agreement:
Our residents’ health comes first. As home to nearly one in five Americans and gateway to the rest of the world, the West Coast has an outsized stake in controlling and ultimately defeating COVID-19.
Health outcomes and science – not politics – will guide these decisions. Modifications to our states’ stay at home orders must be made based off our understanding of the total health impacts of COVID-19, including: the direct impact of the disease on our communities; the health impact of measures introduced to control the spread in communities —particularly felt by those already experiencing social disadvantage prior to COVID-19; and our health care systems’ ability to ensure care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions. This effort will be guided by data. We need to see a decline in the rate of spread of the virus before large-scale reopening, and we will be working in coordination to identify the best metrics to guide this.
Our states will only be effective by working together. Each state will work with its local leaders and communities within its borders to understand what’s happening on the ground and adhere to our agreed upon approach.
As part of the Western States Pact, the Governors commit to working together toward the following four goals:
- Protecting vulnerable populations at risk for severe disease if infected. This includes a concerted effort to prevent and fight outbreaks in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
- Ensuring an ability to care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions. This will require adequate hospital surge capacity and supplies of personal protective equipment.
- Mitigating the non-direct COVID-19 health impacts, particularly on disadvantaged communities.
- Protecting the general public by ensuring any successful lifting of interventions includes the development of a system for testing, tracking and isolating. The states will work together to share best practices.
State reminds residents to avoid gatherings at beaches and parks
–With temperatures warming up across the state, California State Parks is reminding all Californians to ‘Stay Home, Save Lives’ as California continues to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
“With the warm weather, it’s only natural people want to make use of parks and beaches, but we are encouraging them to stay home. We want to make sure people know that many of our parks and beaches are closed or have very limited access to make sure we’re all abiding and practicing physical distancing,” said Lisa Mangat, Director of California State Parks. “As the Governor said, our goal is to make sure people are safe, and that we’re mitigating the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible.”
Below is a breakdown of the current closures implemented by State Parks and what they mean to the public.
Some State Parks and Beaches Temporarily Closed to the Public — Meaning there is no public access at these public outdoor spaces. All beaches, trails and restrooms within these parks are closed. Additionally, there are no parking facilities for visitors, including for off-highway vehicles and recreational boats.
Vehicular Access at all 280 State Parks and Beaches is Temporarily Closed – Meaning there are no parking facilities and parking on roadways is prohibited. Although some parks and beaches are open to local residents – provided that they actively walk, jog, or bike into and at these public outdoor spaces, and maintain proper physical distance from others – congregating is not allowed. Additionally, if there are too many people at the park, beach or trail that does not allow for the required physical distancing, visitors are being asked to leave.
The list with park unit names is available online at parks.ca.gov/FlattenTheCurve. This list is dynamic and is updated with new information as it becomes available. The public is urged to check with their local and county authorities on their park closures.
Though State Park Peace Officers and allied law enforcement entities have the authority to issue citations, the expectation is that the public will adhere to the advice of the public health officials and the closures.
State Parks will continue to monitor visitation and social distancing at all state park units and if the safety measures implemented to date are not sufficient to protect public health and slow down the spread of COVID-19, additional measures may be taken to fully close parks including trails, bathrooms, and other amenities.
As the state continues to prepare and protect Californians from COVID-19, State Parks continues to monitor the situation and is following guidance provided by the Governor’s Office via the California Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
- Follow all local COVID-19 coronavirus news updates
- San Luis Obispo County COVID-19 website – readyslo.org
