SLO County to remain in the coronavirus purple tier for now
February 16, 2021
Hopes of indoor dining and hair care returning to San Luis Obispo County this week were crushed after the county’s healthy places index fell into the red tier.
Last week, SLO County Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said that if both positivity rates and the healthy places index remained in the orange tier, even with new case rates in the purple tier the county could move into the red tier. Even though new daily case rates fell from 19.3 to 15.6 and the positivity rate remained in the orange tier, the healthy places index fell into the red tier.
“While SLO County will not move forward to the red tier this week, our COVID-19 case rate continues to decline,” Borenstein tweeted. “Unfortunately, our test positivity rate has increased among more vulnerable groups, which is why we are not moving forward.”
In California’s red tier, nail salons, movie theaters and gyms can reopen. It also allows for indoor restaurant dining and hair care. After two weeks in the red tier, school districts can reopen K-12 schools.
During the past five days, 321 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in SLO County, bringing the county’s total to 19,210 since the beginning of the pandemic. Of those, 210 have died.
There are 28 SLO County residents in the hospital receiving treatment for the virus, with eight in intensive care units.
Cases by area
- Paso Robles – 3,792
- San Luis Obispo – 3,604
- California Men’s Colony (inmates) – 2,376
- Atascadero – 1,781
- Nipomo – 1,439
- Arroyo Grande – 1,352
- Grover Beach – 784
- Oceano – 658
- Templeton – 568
- San Miguel – 465
- Los Osos – 436
- Morro Bay – 390
- Cal Poly (campus residents) – 338
- Pismo Beach – 307
- Atascadero State Hospital (patients) – 205
- Cambria – 172
- Shandon – 135
- Santa Margarita – 126
- Creston – 80
- Cayucos – 68
- Avila Beach – 26
- San Simeon – 21
- Bradley – 7
In Santa Barbara County, there have been 30,991 confirmed coronavirus cases and 376 deaths, according to the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
Cases by area, these numbers are from Santa Barbara County’s reporting:
-
- Santa Maria — 10,493
- Santa Barbara — 5,692
- Lompoc — 3,256
- Orcutt — 1,621
- Lompoc Federal Prison — 1,086
As of Tuesday evening, there have been 3,485,355 positive cases, and 47,498 deaths in California.
More than 28,381,220 U.S. residents have tested positive for the virus, and 499,991 have died.
In addition, the number of people infected with the virus worldwide continues to increase: 110,035,229 cases with 2,429,813 dead.
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