San Luis Obispo County has had 54 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Thursday, March 26.
In an effort to discourage large groups of visitors coming to the area from outside of the county, SLO County Administrative Officer Wade Horton announced Thursday that beach parking lots in Pismo Beach and Morro Bay will be closed or restricted.
Starting March 26, city-owned parking lots and parking meters in Pismo Beach will be strictly limited to one hour. The Pismo Beach Pier was closed on Wednesday to ensure social distancing guidelines.
On Friday, March 27, parking lots at all coastal county parks will be closed starting at noon, including Cayucos, Hardie, and Shamel parks. Parking lots at all beaches in Morro Bay will also be closed starting at 6 p.m., including the Morro Rock, Coleman, Pit, and Sand parking lots.
Horton said County Parks will also be closing all campgrounds on Friday; however, most parks will remain open.
On Monday, El Chorro Regional Park will be closed. The county will be using the park to care for homeless individuals who test positive for COVID-19.
Social distancing guidelines of keeping six feet distance from others will be strictly enforced at all local beaches, parks, and trails.
Of the positive coronavirus cases in San Luis Obispo County, five of those patients are hospitalized with one in the ICU, according to Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein.
Ten patients have reportedly recovered. The remainder of the patients are recovering in isolation at home.
Three patients are children, 20 are between the ages of 18 and 49, 14 are between the ages of 50 and 64, and 17 are 65 or older.