In San Luis Obispo County, 17,511 people have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, with 1,908 people actively sick as of Thursday. These numbers mean that more than 6% of all county residents have at least tested positive since the pandemic began, with the majority of cases contracted over the holiday season.
“Our case counts remain high but there is good news on the horizon. We are starting to see that the high number of cases are starting to slow down. … We are hopeful this is the beginning of a trend,” Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said at a Jan. 27 press conference.
With this start of a trend and projections for statewide ICU capacity (currently at 89%) to decrease, the state lifted the stay-at-home order on Monday, Jan. 25. This change officially opened outdoor activities such as dining, but maintained the shutdown of bars and other indoor gatherings, according to the County Public Health Department.
In San Luis Obispo County, ICU bed capacity is at 53% with 49 residents hospitalized. So far there have been 164 deaths with Borenstein stating “dozens more we believe will be added to that all-too-high count.”
Total Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in SLO County
On Wednesday, an email from the Office of the President revealed that Cal Poly Avelino Labs misdiagnosed 41 students with COVID-19. Thirteen of these students have to stay in isolation because they were exposed to students who had COVID-19 while in quarantine.
In addition, Cal Poly’s dashboard has reported inconsistent COVID-19 case counts for students and faculty since the start of the quarter, so they will not be included in this update.
Total COVID-19 Case Breakdown
The CMC now has 2,346 total cases, still less than Paso Robles (3,378) or San Luis Obispo (3,176) but higher than any other cities in the county.
COVID-19 Cases by City
San Luis Obispo County is currently vaccinating individuals 75-years-old and older, with 10,539 receiving the first dose and 2,281 completing the second. For more details about vaccine distribution, see the county’s vaccine webpage.