San Luis Obispo County will remain at the purple level according to updated reopening metrics released Tuesday.
Last week, Dr. Penny Borenstein, SLO County Public Health Officer, said it was possible that SLO County could turn red this week if county positivity rates remained low.
The state takes into account two figures when it comes to a county’s positivity rate: the overall positivity rate and the positivity rate in the lowest census tracts of the Healthy Places Index (HPI), the metric of state health equity.
Last week, both numbers were in orange levels and Dr. Borenstein said that even if the county’s rate of cases fell to the purple level, the county would be able to move to the red level if positivity rates remained orange for two weeks in a row.
This week, the county’s IPH positivity rate rose to 5.9%, lowering it to red level levels.
The county’s overall positivity rate remains orange at 4.3%, while the case rate improved to 15.6, from 19.3 last week. To get out of the purple level, the county’s adjusted case rate per 100,000 residents must be 7 or lower.
Department of Public Health of the County of San Luis Obispo
We continue to work hard to improve the positivity of testing across SLO County and among the most vulnerable communities here, but we need your help to further curb the spread of this disease so we can move to the red level and enjoy even more activities here in our county. . #TierToursday
– SLO Public Health (@SLOPublicHealth) February 16, 2021
Meanwhile, San Luis Obispo County reported for the first time on daily COVID-19 cases since last Thursday. Between Friday and Tuesday, a total of 311 new COVID-19 cases were reported, bringing the county’s total to 19,210 confirmed cases as of Feb. 16.
The county also added five new COVID-19-related deaths. To date, SLO County has recorded 210 deaths attributed to the virus.
Health officials say there are currently 26 people 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 ICU beds and county staff are currently occupied. Eight of them are taken by COVID-19 patients.
Breakdown of cases by location:
- Paso Robles – 3,792
- San Luis Obispo – 3,604
- California male colony (interns): 2,376
- Atascadero – 1,781
- Nipomo – 1,439
- Rierol Gran – 1,352
- Grover Beach – 784
- Ocean – 658
- Templeton – 568
- Sant Miquel – 465
- The Bears – 436
- Morro Bay – 390
- Cal Poly (campus residents): 338
- Pismo Beach – 307
- Atascadero State Hospital (patients) – 205
- Cambria – 172
- Shandon – 135
- Santa Margarida – 126
- Creston – 80
- Cayucos – 68
- Avila Beach – 26
- San Simeó – 21
- Bradley – 7
The locations of an additional 73 cases are being investigated, and another seven are found as “others,” which includes communities with fewer than five cases. The Department of Public Health does not identify these locations.
COVID-19 community test sites are currently open to the public in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Morro Bay, Grover Beach and Nipomo.
Appointment required at all locations. Click here to make an appointment.
San Luis Obispo County currently vaccinates health care workers and residents age 65 and older. For information on making an appointment, click here.
For more information on the county’s COVID-19 response, visit readyslo.org.