News

Humboldt County Public Health confirmed 45 new COVID-19 cases today, as well as three new hospitalizations.

Public Health also reported that 11 of the 12 people hospitalized locally since Dec. 17 were unvaccinated.

A state database shows 11 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 locally, with one under intensive care. The local hospital census peaked Sept. 3 with 42 COVID-19 patients.

The Food and Drug Administration recently authorized boosters for everyone age 16 and older who are at least six months past their second shot of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines and two months past their shot of Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

Public Health reported today that Humboldt's seven-day average case rate is approximately 15, meaning that for every 100,000 residents, 15 residents tested positive for the virus daily over the last seven days. But the case rate varies by vaccination status, with the unvaccinated seeing an average case rate of 20 per 100,000 residents compared to 16 for the fully vaccinated.

The CDC published a study indicating unvaccinated individuals are 11 times more likely to die of COVID-19 and 10 times more likely to be hospitalized than their fully vaccinated counterparts.

National, state and local health officials advise that vaccination remains incredibly safe and effective protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19, and the county has a host of no-cost clinics scheduled over the next week. With the upcoming holidays and high demand for testing and vaccine, Public Health highly recommends scheduling an appointment for either.  

Eureka — Monday, Jan. 3, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
No testing available
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose
Appointments required.

Eureka — Tuesday, Jan. 4, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Ages 16 and older
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
No testing available
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose
Appointments required.

Eureka Pediatric — Tuesday, Jan. 4, 1:15 to 4 p.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Ages 5 to 11
Pfizer only
No testing available
Appointments required.

Willow Creek — Tuesday, Jan. 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Public Health Office (77 Walnut Way)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
PCR and rapid testing available
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose
Appointments strongly recommended.

Trinidad — Thursday, Jan. 6, 2 to 7 p.m.
Trinidad Town Hall (409 Trinity St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
PCR and rapid testing available
Appointments strongly recommended.

Today's confirmed cases bring the county's total to 10,952 with 477 hospitalizations and 122 COVID-19 related deaths.

Nationwide, more than 53.7 million cases have been confirmed with 820,355
deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Of those, 5.1 million cases and 75,738 related deaths have been confirmed in California, according to the Department of Public Health.

Basics of COVID-19

The California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control, state that symptoms of novel coronavirus include cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or at least two of the following: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or a new loss of taste or smell.

Emergency warning signs needing immediate medical attention include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to awaken, and bluish lips or face.

In an emergency situation:

Call ahead to the emergency room or inform the 911 operator of the possibility of a COVID-19 infection and, if possible, put on a face mask.

Symptoms or possible exposure:

In the case of a possible exposure with symptoms — fever and cough or shortness of breath — contact your doctor’s office or the county Department of Health and Human Services, which has a hotline that can be reached during business hours at [email protected] or at (707) 441-5000. Residents seeking medical advice or questions about testing are asked to contact Public Health at [email protected] or at (707) 445-6200.

St. Joseph Health has also set up a virtual assessment tool as an aid to assessing risk factors for contracting the illness, which can be found here.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has started a rumor-control webpage that can be found here. For the Journal's latest COVID stories, updates and information resources, click here.

Read the JIC's report below.

Dec. 30, 2021 - 3 Hospitalizations, 45 New Cases Reported
Humboldt County Public Health reported today 45 new cases of COVID-19, bringing to 10,952 the total number of residents who have tested positive for the virus. Three new hospitalizations, one person in their 70s and two aged 80 or older, were also reported.

Since the last data update on Dec. 17, the county has recorded 383 new cases of COVID-19. Two deaths were reported during that period, both unvaccinated. Twelve new hospitalizations of residents were also reported. Eleven were unvaccinated and one was vaccinated. Age ranges of reported hospitalizations are as follows:

4 people in their 40s
2 people in their 50s
2 people in their 60s
2 people in their 70s
2 people aged 80 or older
The current seven-day average case rate in Humboldt County is approximately 15, meaning for every 100,000 residents, approximately 15 tested positive daily over the last seven days. Case rates vary considerably by vaccination status, as illustrated in the graph below, which depicts average weekly case rates since February 2021 in unvaccinated and fully vaccinated residents.

click to enlarge

The most recent seven-day average case rate for the period ending Dec. 19. for fully vaccinated individuals is 16 per 100,000 residents, while the case rate for unvaccinated individuals is 20 per 100,000 residents. View a more detailed depiction of the case rate graph here.

Public Health is continuing to urge residents to get vaccinated and boosted to protect themselves from the Delta and Omicron variants. Those aged 5 and older are eligible to get vaccinated and anyone aged 16 and older is encouraged by Public Health to get a booster if it’s been six months or more since the completion of their initial vaccine series.

Health officials continue to stress that vaccination and booster shots can lessen the impacts of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, including hospitalizations and deaths. Currently, samples from people who test positive for COVID-19 locally are sent to the state for genome sequencing if travel to areas impacted by the Omicron variant is reported. To date, Humboldt County has received the sequencing results on two samples, both showing the Delta variant. However, the Omicron variant has been confirmed throughout the country, and incidence of the variant is anticipated to rise over the next several weeks following holiday gatherings.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend anyone who is sick or unvaccinated and has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 forego travel. All travelers are recommended to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and to isolate and get tested if they develop symptoms after travel.

OptumServe testing sites in Eureka and Arcata will operate with reduced hours this weekend in observance of the New Year’s holiday. The Wharfinger Building site in Eureka will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31, and closed Saturday, Jan. 1. It will reopen for regular hours starting at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 2. The OptumServe mobile testing site in Arcata will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, from 8 a.m. to noon. Appointments are required and can be made at lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 888-634-1123. Turnaround times for test results through OptumServe average two to three days.

The COVID-19 Joint Information Center (1-707-441-5000) will also be closed Friday for the holiday. English and Spanish speaking call takers will resume regular operations on Monday to answer questions related to COVID-19 vaccination, testing and preventive measures. Questions emailed to [email protected] over the holiday will also be responded to on Monday.

Humboldt County’s vaccination and testing services are available free of charge. Although walk-ins are allowed at most regular Public Health clinics and many pharmacy vaccination sites, an increase in demand for boosters has caused delays at some locations. As a result, appointments are required for pediatric clinics and for clinics at Public Health’s main office. Appointments are strongly recommended for all other clinics and are the best way to ensure a shot is available during your visit. Appointments can be made at MyTurn.ca.gov.

Vaccines, including boosters, are available at local pharmacies. To check the availability of a specific vaccine, visit the vaccines.gov page, or text a ZIP code to 438829 to locate a nearby pharmacy offering vaccines.

See the schedule below for specific Public Health vaccination and testing clinic dates, times, locations and available services:

Eureka — Monday, Jan. 3, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
No testing available
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose
Appointments required.

Eureka — Tuesday, Jan. 4, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Ages 16 and older
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
No testing available
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose

Appointments required.

Eureka Pediatric — Tuesday, Jan. 4, 1:15 to 4 p.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Ages 5 to 11
Pfizer only
No testing available
Appointments required.

Willow Creek — Tuesday, Jan. 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Public Health Office (77 Walnut Way)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
PCR and rapid testing available
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose
Appointments strongly recommended.

Trinidad — Thursday, Jan. 6, 2 to 7 p.m.
Trinidad Town Hall (409 Trinity St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
PCR and rapid testing available
Appointments strongly recommended.

View the Data Dashboard online at humboldtgov.org/dashboard, or go to humboldtgov.org/DashboardArchives to download data from a previous time. For the most recent COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or by contacting [email protected] or calling 1-707-441-5000.

Sign up for COVID-19 vaccination: MyTurn.ca.gov
Check for vaccine availability at a local pharmacy: Vaccines.gov
Local COVID-19 vaccine information: humboldtgov.org/VaccineInfo
Humboldt County COVID-19 Data Dashboard: humboldtgov.org/Dashboard
Follow us on Facebook: @HumCoCOVID19
Instagram: @HumCoCOVID19
Twitter: @HumCoCOVID19
Humboldt Health Alert: humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert
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