98.5% of COVID cases in SLO County this year involve unvaccinated residents, officials say

Jul. 29—Unvaccinated people have accounted for nearly all of the COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in San Luis Obispo County so far this year, according to public health officials.

About 98.5% of COVID-19 cases, 97.5% of hospitalizations and 99.2% of coronavirus-related deaths involved individuals who were not vaccinated, the county Public Health Department wrote in a news release on Thursday.

Coronavirus vaccines first became available for healthcare workers in December, and appointments for adults 65 and older followed in February. All adults age 16 and older started being able to receive their shots in April, and pre-teens and teens age 12 and older got the go-ahead in May.

A total of 10,777 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in San Luis Obispo County since Jan. 1, the Public Health news release said.

Only 161 of those cases occurred in people who were fully vaccinated against the virus, the agency said.

In addition, a total of 358 people have been hospitalized in the county due to the virus since Jan. 1. Only nine of those people were fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, the release said.

Some San Luis Obispo County residents who are vaccinated against COVID-19 have contracted the virus, said Dr. Penny Borenstein, county Public Health Officer, during a news conference Thursday. However, vaccinated people who contract the coronavirus typically experience lower-grade symptoms compared to vaccinated people, she said.

One vaccinated person did die from COVID-19 in San Luis Obispo County, but the individual had a seriously compromised immune system, Borenstein said.

There were a total of 132 local COVID-19 deaths reported in 2021, and that person was the only vaccinated individual who died from the virus, according to the Public Health Department.

"These statistics make it painfully clear that our residents who have not yet been protected by vaccines are facing the overwhelming burden of COVID-19 in SLO County," Borenstein said in the release. "These numbers also provide hope in that they show just how effectively the vaccines are doing their job a real-world, local environment."

COVID-19 cases increase in SLO County

This past week, 253 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in San Luis Obispo County — nearly double the number of cases confirmed in the previous week.

The uptick in COVID-19 cases is partly due to the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant spreading in the county and state.

Borenstein said during Thursday's news conference that getting vaccinated is "the best tool" to protect yourself from the coronavirus at this point.

"It is not too late to protect yourself and your family from this cruel disease," Borenstein said in the release. "Now is the time, especially as we see the Delta variant sweeping through SLO County. Nobody wants to experience this illness and none of us want to see our local health care system stretched by a surge in cases.

"We are fortunate to have highly-effective vaccines widely available at no cost here in our community. Please take care of yourself and get vaccinated."

About 65.3% of San Luis Obispo County residents eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine have gotten at least one dose, while 57.8% are fully vaccinated, Borenstein said during the news conference.

Statewide, 62.4% of people are fully vaccinated, according to the California Department of Public Health.

As part of a push to encourage more people to get their COVID-19 shots, the Public Health Department on Thursday had a group of industry leaders share their experiences with the vaccine.

Farm Bureau leader discusses importance of getting vaccine

Brent Burchett of the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau, Dr. René Bravo of Bravo Pediatrics and Dr. Joye Carter, forensic pathologist for the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office, all discussed the importance of getting vaccinated.

Burchett, Farm Bureau executive director, said the local agricultural community has lost leaders to the coronavirus pandemic and touted his organization's efforts to vaccinate farmworkers.

He said it's important for people to be skeptical, to ask questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and to seek out reputable information sources.

Burchett also suggested people "take a break from information sources that affirm your beliefs" and encouraged them to talk to their doctors about whether the vaccine is right for them.

"For whatever it's worth, I am a very skeptical person and not a typical vaccine advocate," he said. "In both my professional and personal life, I am highly distrustful of everything our government does. I got my first vaccine shot on March 17, and my second COVID vaccine shot on April 14."

"Be not mistaken, getting a vaccine is not an endorsement of any policy decision or thing that our local, state or federal government has done during this pandemic," Burchett added. "Getting a vaccine is not a political decision — it is a medical decision."

How to schedule a SLO County COVID-19 vaccine appointment

The county Public Health Department is currently administering coronavirus vaccines to everyone age 12 and up.

Those eligible to receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can register online or by phone for California's My Turn appointment system. The county Public Health Department is also administering vaccines on a walk-in basis at clinics in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Grover Beach.

To find appointments, visit MyTurn.ca.gov and complete the registration process. Those who need assistance registering for a vaccine can call 833-422-4255 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Sunday.

To sign up for email alerts, visit EmergencySLO.org/en/newsletter.aspx.

Residents can also find appointments for coronavirus vaccines through private health partners and some chain pharmacies, including CVS and Vons. Visit Vaccines.gov to find appointments at local pharmacies.

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