San Luis Obispo County resident tests negative for the Coronavirus
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Test results were received late this afternoon for a resident in San Luis Obispo County who was tested for the Coronavirus. The County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department says the test results confirm the resident does not have COVID-19, also known as coronavirus.
As announced earlier today, the County Public Health Department tested the individual "out of an abundance of caution." Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein had said County Public Health "decided to proceed with testing this specimen although our suspicion of illness remains low."
County Public Health sent the specimen to the California Department of Public Health Laboratory for testing, which was able to perform the test days sooner than the state had previously stated, according to the SLO County Public Health Department.
In late February, the CDC expanded testing capabilities for COVID-19 to state public health laboratories, and later to some local public health laboratories.
The expanded testing capabilities resulted in much faster test results in recent days. Within the next two days, the Public Health Department Laboratory is expected to be capable of performing COVID-19 testing as well.
San Luis Obispo County does not have any confirmed cases of COVID-19 at this time.