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SLO County adds 2 more COVID deaths as ICU cases near pandemic's peak

Tribune - 8/27/2021

Aug. 27—San Luis Obispo County reported two new deaths due to COVID-19 on Friday, as the highly transmissible Delta variant continued to stress local hospitals and push case rates to levels not seen since the height of the pandemic, the Public Health Department reported.

The two latest deaths both involved people over 85, bringing the county's toll to 281.

Meanwhile, local intensive care units remain filled with COVID cases, accounting for 18 of 20 patients, or 90% of all occupied beds. The countywide hospital ICU capacity has now dipped to 47%.

The last time local ICUs were this full of COVID patients was on Jan. 31, when 19 people were receiving treatment, the most treated locally at one time throughout the pandemic.

A total of 54 people are currently hospitalized for the coronavirus.

"I send my deepest condolences to all those touched by these latest deaths," Dr. Penny Borenstein, County Health officer, said in a news release. "If we do not stop this surge, we unfortunately will likely see more deaths, more hospitalizations, and more people experiencing the painful effects of long COVID. If you have not yet gotten your vaccine, now is the time to protect yourself and your loved ones."

August becomes the third worst month of the pandemic

During the last three days, Public Health reported 515 new cases, including 220 on Thursday.

That's the highest single-day total in the recent spike and the most since 301 new cases were recorded on Jan. 23. The county's 14-day average also continues to rise and is now at 127, the. most since Feb. 7.

In addition, the latest rate of cases per 100,000 in SLO County on Aug. 24 is now at 45.4, just shy of all-time high of 46 on Jan. 11.

During August, 2,951 people have tested positive for COVID-19 — the third highest case count of any month during the pandemic. Only December and January saw more cases in a single month, with 4,086 and 7,437 cases, respectively.

The number of active cases now stands at 1,554, and it's been greater than 1,000 for 16 straight days.

Here's how local coronavirus case numbers from the past three days break down day-by-day:

— Wednesday: 163

— Thursday: 220

— Friday: 132

In total, 25,137 San Luis Obispo County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since March 2020.

The county Public Health Department is not providing information about how many newly reported cases, hospitalizations and deaths involve vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

The agency is reporting only the percentages of vaccinated and unvaccinated people who've tested positive for COVID-19, required hospital care or died from the virus since January 2021. Public Health is updating those percentages on a monthly basis.

New COVID-19 cases by community

Here is where new COVID-19 cases were added this week in San Luis Obispo County, according to ReadySLO.org:

North County

Paso Robles: 130

Atascadero: 56

Templeton: 26

San Miguel: 17

Santa Margarita: 4

Atascadero State Hospital: 2

Creston: 2

Shandon: 2

South County

Nipomo: 39

Arroyo Grande: 35

Grover Beach: 29

Oceano: 13

Pismo Beach: 11

Avila Beach: 3

SLO and North Coast

San Luis Obispo: 87

Los Osos: 18

Morro Bay: 14

Cambria: 6

San Simeon: 6

Cayucos: 4

Cal Poly (campus residents): 1

The locations of eight cases were listed as "other." A total of 116 cases remained under investigation.

SLO County coronavirus cases by the numbers

Here's a look at San Luis Obispo County's cases on Friday, according to the county Public Health Department.

— Active cases: 1,554

— Recovered cases: 23,296

— People recovering at home: 1,500

— People receiving hospital care: 54

— Total people in intensive care units: 18

People in intensive care units out of the county: 0

— Deaths due to COVID-19: 281

Here are the total number of COVID-19 cases in communities throughout San Luis Obispo County.

Paso Robles: 4,984

San Luis Obispo: 4,733

Atascadero: 2,619

California Men's Colony: 2,385

Nipomo: 1,842

Arroyo Grande: 1,841

Grover Beach: 1,073

Templeton: 861

Oceano: 772

Cal Poly (campus residents): 665

San Miguel: 614

Los Osos: 612

Morro Bay: 539

Pismo Beach: 431

Cambria: 224

Atascadero State Hospital: 210

Santa Margarita: 186

Shandon: 156

Creston: 100

Cayucos: 98

Avila Beach: 39

San Simeon: 29

For a detailed look at local coronavirus cases by age, occupation and more, visit ReadySLO.org.

Where to get a COVID-19 test and schedule a vaccine appointment

Free coronavirus testing is available at clinics in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles. To make an appointment, visit emergencySLO.org/testing or call 888-634-1123 to register by phone.

The county Public Health Department is currently administering coronavirus vaccines to everyone age 12 and up.

Those eligible to receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can register online or by phone for California's My Turn appointment system. The county Public Health Department is also administering vaccines on a walk-in basis at clinics in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Grover Beach.

To find appointments, visit MyTurn.ca.gov and complete the registration process. Those who need assistance registering for a vaccine can call 833-422-4255 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Sunday.

To learn more about vaccines offered at the three clinics, or to find out about mobile and pop-up clinics near you, visit RecoverSLO.org/en/when-and-where-can-you-get-vaccinated.aspx. To sign up for email alerts, visit EmergencySLO.org/en/newsletter.aspx.

Residents can also find appointments for coronavirus vaccines through private health partners and some chain pharmacies, including CVS and Vons. To find shots at pharmacies near you, visit Vaccines.gov.

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