County health reports six more deaths due to COVID-19
Local vaccine statistics updated to reflect larger newly-eligible population
– The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department today announced that six more community members—ranging in age from their 40s to 90s—have succumbed to COVID-19, bringing the total number of SLO County residents who have died from COVID-19 to 358.
“We mourn the loss of more members of our community to COVID-19, and we remain in an unstable period with this disease as we approach the winter holidays,” said County Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein. “Vaccines are without a doubt our single most effective tool to mitigate the threat of COVID-19. If you are due for a first dose, second dose or booster shot, you will benefit from the protection they provide as we head into the holiday season and winter.”
The department also updated SLO County’s vaccine statistics to reflect a larger population now eligible for vaccine. With the authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 5-11 years old, the eligible population in SLO County has grown by 18,174 people to 266,671. This means that while the total number of vaccinations in SLO County has gone up, the percent of the eligible population that has been vaccinated has gone down—with the percent of those partially vaccinated dropping from 73.4% to 69.0%, and those fully vaccinated dropping from 66.7% to 62.3%.
“We are heartened to see the vaccine become available to even more people in SLO County: our children,” said Dr. Borenstein. “This critical protection weeks before the holidays is the best gift we could have asked for. We now have the tools to protect even more in our community—at a time when it matters the most.”
San Luis Obispo County added 118 new cases of COVID-19, with 13 residents currently hospitalized for severe COVID-19 complications, since Friday. Three community members are in the intensive care unit. This brings the number of new COVID-19 cases over the last week to 198.
Vaccines are widely available at no cost at pharmacies, doctors’ offices, Public Health Department clinics, and mobile clinics countywide. To get your COVID-19 vaccine at a Public Health clinic in Grover Beach, Paso Robles, or San Luis Obispo, visit myturn.ca.gov or call (833) 422-4255 to choose your location, time, and vaccine type. See hours and pop-up clinics at www.RecoverSLO.org/Vaccine. To find other vaccine providers, visit myturn.ca.gov or VaccineFinder.org.
For updates on COVID-19 in SLO County, visit ReadySLO.org or call the recorded Public Health Information Line at (805) 788-2903. A staffed phone assistance center at (805) 543-2444 is available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to assist with questions related to COVID-19.
- Follow all Paso Robles COVID-19 coronavirus news updates
- San Luis Obispo County COVID-19 website – readyslo.org
