Both SLO and Santa Barbara counties remain in the red tier, for now

April 7, 2021

For at least the next two weeks, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties will remain in the red tier because of high case rates primarily among college and university students. Counties are required to have improved rates for at least two weeks before they can move into a less restrictive tier.

To move into the orange tier, a county’s new case rate must be 5.9 or lower per 100,000 residents. SLO County’s adjusted rate is currently 6.3 and Santa Barbara County’s is 6.9.

The majority of California counties are in the orange tier, with higher occupancy rates at businesses, and bars and wineries permitted to serve customers inside. There are two counties currently in the widespread purple tier, 22 in the substantial red tier, 32 in the moderate orange tier and two in the minimal yellow tier.

If California continues with new cases decreasing as more people get vaccinated, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the entire state will reopen June 15, without a tier system.

SLO County reported 43 new cases on Tuesday. San Luis Obispo leads with 18 cases, followed by Arroyo Grande with seven, and Paso Robles and Los Osos with four each.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 20,649 people in SLO County have tested positive for the pandemic. Of those, 256 have died. There are eight SLO County residents in the hospital receiving treatment for the virus, with one in intensive care units.

Cases by area:

• Paso Robles – 4,054
• San Luis Obispo – 4,047
• California Men’s Colony (inmates) – 2,384
• Atascadero – 1,966
• Nipomo – 1,550
• Arroyo Grande – 1,451
• Grover Beach – 862
• Oceano – 690
• Templeton – 610
• San Miguel – 519
• Los Osos – 484
• Morro Bay – 420
• Cal Poly (campus residents) – 375
• Pismo Beach – 334
• Atascadero State Hospital (patients) – 206
• Cambria – 177
• Santa Margarita – 144
• Shandon – 139
• Creston – 85
• Cayucos – 69
• Avila Beach – 30
• San Simeon – 21
• Bradley – 7

In Santa Barbara County, there have been 33,381 confirmed coronavirus cases and 441 deaths, according to the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.

Cases by area:

Santa Maria — 11,235
Santa Barbara — 6,258
Lompoc — 3,545
Orcutt — 1,768
Lompoc Federal Prison — 1,089

There have been 3,685,570 positive cases, and 59,884 deaths in California.

More than 31,560,438 U.S. residents have tested positive for the virus, and 570,260 have died.

In addition, the number of people infected with the virus worldwide continues to increase: 133,060,565 cases with 2,887,247 dead.

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