San Luis Obispo County health officials reported Thursday two more residents in the county died due to COVID-19, increasing the countywide death toll to 14.
Health officials said both individuals were vulnerable to serious COVID-19 complications because they were in their 80s, had underlying health conditions and lived at a congregate living facility that is experiencing an outbreak.
According to local health officials, one of the individuals resided at an assisted living facility in Atascadero, while the other spent several days in the hospital and was a resident of the Vineyard Hills Health Center in Templeton, which marked the sixth COVID-19-related death associated with that facility.
"Our community has been touched by more loss," said Dr. Penny Borenstein, the health officer of San Luis Obispo County. "This, and other outbreaks, is preventable. Let's all do what we can to slow the spread of COVID-19 to protect the most vulnerable among us."
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department is working with the facilities to lessen the impact of the outbreaks, said health officials.
As of Thursday, local health officials reported 1,740 cases of COVID-19, most of whom have recovered.
