On Tuesday, San Luis Obispo County Public Health officials reported 253 new cases of COVID-19 over the past seven days. That's nearly twice the number of new cases that were reported over the previous seven-day period.
From July 14-20, 129 new cases were reported.
Tuesday's number is also well above the total number of cases that were reported in the county during the entire month of June when just 166 new cases were reported.
So far this month, SLO County has had 482 new cases of COVID-19.
Since the start of the pandemic, the county has recorded a total of 21,970 cases.
Health officials say five people are currently hospitalized, including one patient who is in the ICU. Another 280 people are recovering at home.
San Luis Obispo County has had 265 deaths attributed to the virus. One of those deaths, a resident in their 70s, was reported in the past week.
Officials say there are currently eight outbreaks of COVID-19 in the county, including outbreaks in long-term care facilities and sports teams.
Five additional cases of the Delta variant have also reportedly been identified in SLO County in the past week, but health officials say the actual number of Delta cases is likely much higher because only a small percentage of COVID-19 cases are sequenced to determine their strain.
SLO County Public Health currently has two COVID-19 testing sites that are open to the public. They are located in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo and walk-ins are welcome. You can also make an appointment by clicking here.
Health officials say they are working as quickly as possible to contact all active cases and alert their close contacts, but the recent increase in cases has stretched resources and contact tracers are not able to immediately call every case. They say people who test positive shouldn't wait to hear from a contact tracer. Instead, they say you should self-isolate for 10 days and notify your close contacts of your diagnosis.
The COVID-19 vaccine is available at County Public Health clinics, local pharmacies, and several community healthcare providers. To schedule an appointment, visit the My Turn website.
County health officials will hold a press conference to address the latest COVID-19 trends on Thursday, July 29, at 12:15 p.m. Scheduled speakers include County Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein, pediatrician Dr. Rene Bravo, SLO County Coroner Dr. Joye Carter, and Brent Burchett of the SLO County Farm Bureau. KSBY will livestream that press conference at ksby.com/live and on our mobile and streaming apps.
For more information on the county's coronavirus response, visit readyslo.org.