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San Luis Obispo County surpasses 100 confirmed coronavirus cases

April 9, 2020

San Luis Obispo County’s coronavirus case total has surpassed 100, health officials announced Wednesday.

The county announced three new cases, raising its total from 99 to 102.

“We passed a milestone of sorts. We’re now over a hundred cases” County Health Officer Penny Borenstein said during the county’s daily press conference. “The good news is we continue to tick up slowly and not rapidly or exponentially.”

Of the 102 confirmed cases of coronavirus in San Luis Obispo County, only three individuals who have contracted the coronavirus are currently hospitalized in SLO County, Borenstein said. The three patients are all in intensive care, but they are each in stable condition.

In contrast, neighboring Santa Barbara County has 228 confirmed coronavirus cases. Of those still testing positive, 37 people are hospitalized with 17 in the intensive care unit.

Based on current modeling, the California Department of Health and Human Services is suggesting the outbreak in the state will reach a peak in late May or early June. Meanwhile, Santa Barbara County officials surprised the public by announcing their modeling suggests social distancing measures may need to remain in place until late November.

“Our own modeling in SLO County is we are probably there sooner rather than later,” Borenstein said.

However, Borenstein also said SLO County is not doing as much testing as officials would like, which may factor into the slow uptick in cases.

The county is now recommending that all residents who merely have a respiratory illness, such as a sore throat, get tested for the novel coronavirus. Likewise, county officials are recommending individuals with symptoms like fatigue, body aches and chills — even absent a fever — get tested.

Officials ask those seeking coronavirus tests to first check with primary care providers and then urgent care. The county’s public health lab is currently only administering tests to high-risk patients.

Additionally, the Cal Poly Recreation Center is now serving as an alternate care site for coronavirus patients.

Increases in the number of cases in California continues. As of Thursday morning, there have been 19,127positive cases and 508 deaths.

Currently, more than 455,445 U.S. residents have tested positive for the virus, and 16,114 have died.

In addition, the number of people infected with the virus worldwide continues to increase: 1,577,360 cases with 93,637 dead.

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“Meanwhile, Santa Barbara County officials surprised the public by announcing their modeling suggests social distancing measures may need to remain in place until late November.”


This shouldn’t be too surprising since most counties in California are basically saying the same thing. Health officials in Santa Clara County—home of the 49ers—say there would be no sports games until after Thanksgiving, meaning extended social distancing will linger.


I think this anticipates that the federal government will continue to be lackadaisical in its response and widespread testing is not coming anytime soon. Before everyone is tested—possibly twice to say whether they are currently infected, and whether they may have already had the disease and carry antibodies which leave them immune from further infection (hopefully)—nothing can return to normal.


https://abc7news.com/sports/santa-clara-co-executive-predicts-no-sports-until-thanksgiving/6090706/


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I really am getting tired of hearing the old cumulative number. When CCN goes to the daily briefing today, would you please ask Ms. Borenstein every day WHERE the 25 current cases are located by community in SLO County. I don’t care about where the 75 are that have recovered. I also don’t care about comparing the 1 SLO death to the average of 43 flu related deaths per year during 2000-2010 (July 2018 Infectious Disease Report- SLO County Community Heath Assessment Report).


And please ask how many flu related cases there have been this year? One person died as reported on January 8, 2020. Have there been more? How many more?


8

You can find it here: https://www.emergencyslo.org/en/positive-case-details.aspx


Scroll down and you can find each city, etc.


1

Saywhat- I appreciate your response, however that website doesn’t have it.


We have been checking this site continually over the last 2+ weeks. The number shown in the plots for each city is the cumulative number for the County…it adds up to 107 right now. But scroll up and see that 83 of those 107 have recovered, and 3 are hospitalized and 1 passed away. Those people really don’t matter when you are looking ahead. The ones that matter are the 20 that are home, have be diagnosed with the virus, and not cured yet. Where are those 20? Those are the known carriers right now. The 83 of the confirmed cases now have the anti-bodies. But 283,385 other people in the County may have or had something, I don’t know, but 283,298 of them have not in the last 30 days had symptoms serious enough to alarm the Public Health Department or their doctors. I don’t need scare tactics.


Are the 20 all in Paso? All in AG? 10 in the city of SLO and 10 in AG?


By way of extreme example, if you knew that 18 of them were in Paso and A-town right now, and 2 were in Templeton, wouldn’t you feel more comfortable going out in Nipomo and Grover Beach now, still concerned of course, but not looking at every person as if they are Typhoid Mary? Similarly, if you need to hit the market in North County or SLO, maybe you would want to give yourself a little more social distancing from the 20? Maybe give yourself a driving vacation and shop down in Arroyo Grande? A social distancing of 50 miles from the North County where the current cases are?


We are getting that data now on a grander scale. I am socially distancing by 3000 miles from New York City, and have no plans to hit LA or San Jose. We know what is happening there. But if I need to get to Fresno or Mariposa, there aren’t as many current cases there, so one can breathe a little easier going that way if one needs to travel.


Saywhat- do you know of a website that has the current 20 cases by city? Ms. Borenstein won’t put that out, because yesterday it was 25, today 20. Kind of ruins a big fish in a small pond story when the number sick keeps dropping every day. It’s hard to keep screaming that the sky is falling and have people believe you when you publish real updated risk data.


2

I see what you are saying. Then they deliberately keeping it from the public. (Probably for the exact reasons that we want to know) Last week they said that 15 of the cases are health care workers. Now they have stopped commenting on that too.

If Borenstein won’t comment on it, than there isn’t going to be a website with that information.


1

Saywhat-


I agree.


Maybe (hope, hope, hope), our elected supervisors, as the leaders of the County government will see these notes and start insisting on full disclosure! Give the full facts, or get demoted as we will find someone who will give all the facts, not twist them. We already have that too much with all the media (CCN excluded of course!)


1

We are being lied to. This shutdown of the entire country is not proportionate with the facts about this virus. Hospital staff all over the country, including SLO County are being laid off because of a shortage of patients.


The Emperor Has No Clothes!!!!


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>> “The county is now recommending that all residents who merely have a respiratory illness, such as asore throat, get tested for the novel coronavirus. Likewise, county officials are recommending individuals with symptoms like fatigue, body aches and chills — even absent a fever — get tested.”<>”Officials ask those seeking coronavirus tests to first check with primary care providers and then urgent care. The county’s public health lab is currently only administering tests to high-risk patients.”<<


More inept, contradictory, and out-of-touch Borenstein leadership. My "primary care provider" doesn't want me in his office unless I am symptomatic. And the health department lab/office on Johnson street isn't even practicing 'social distancing' itself…


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