As the county slowly begins to reopen, Humb0ldt County Public Health would like to remind residents what they can do to help ease the spread of COVID-19.
“It’s really important for us all to remember that we’re moving forward at a steady pace,” Dr. Frankovich said in a press release. “It was never the intent of the state or locally for us to flip a light switch and open everything back to normal in one fell swoop.”
The county needs time to see the impact of all of the county’s reopening process, the press release states.
With more businesses beginning to reopen to the public, Humboldt County Public Health is encouraging residents to continue protecting our community by helping limit the spread of COVID-19 by getting tested regularly and wearing masks when out in public.
Read the full press release below.
June 2, 2020 – Humboldt continues ‘moving forward at a steady pace’: What you can do in the meantime
Humboldt County continues to move forward with a gradual and strategic reopening of our local economy.
While new guidance for additional business reopenings was released by the Governor’s Office this week, Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich reminds the public that the local reopening process takes time.
“It’s really important for us all to remember that we’re moving forward at a steady pace,” Dr. Frankovich said. “It was never the intent of the state or locally for us to flip a light switch and open everything back to normal in one fell swoop.”
She added that every new sector that reopens changes the dynamics of the virus in Humboldt County. “In just a little over two weeks we have opened retail and restaurants. At the same time casinos have reopened, places of worship have the ability to provide services indoors and we have seen larger gatherings related to the recent holiday weekend and community protests. All of this activity may contribute to increasing case numbers, and we need time to be able to see that impact,” she said.
With more businesses beginning to reopen to the public, Humboldt County residents are encouraged to continue protecting our community by helping limit the spread of COVID-19. Here’s what you can do to continue slowing the impact of COVID-19 on our community.
Get tested for COVID-19 for free
Each COVID-19 test for infection serves only as a “snapshot in time.” That’s why it’s important for community members to be tested on an ongoing basis. This is especially recommended for health care workers, first responders, retail and dining employees and others who work closely with people. Testing is available for no cost at the OptumServe Community Testing Site located at Redwood Acres in Eureka.
Dr. Frankovich said regular COVID-19 testing remains an important public health tool we can use to limit the rate of spread of the virus in our community. “Surveillance testing helps us to pick up people who may be asymptomatic but are infected. The earlier we’re able to identify cases and quarantine their contacts, the better chance we have of controlling the spread of the virus,” the doctor said.
To register for a COVID-19 test or retest at the OptumServe Community Testing Site, visit our homepage at www.humboldtgov.org.
Wear a facial covering when interacting with others
The Health Officer’s Order on Facial Coverings remains in effect for Humboldt County. Members of the community are asked to continue wearing facial coverings to limit the spread of virus:
- Before entering any indoor facility besides your home (Examples: grocery store, post office, restaurant carry out, etc.)
- Before entering any enclosed open space (Examples: a bus or other shared public vehicle)
- While outdoors when you are unable to maintain a six-foot distance from another person at all times. (Examples: Farmers’ markets, pumping gas, drive thru/delivery/carry out/curbside pickup, etc.)
- When personal vehicle windows are lowered to interact with first responders, food service workers or others who are not members of your household.
- Children older than 2 and under 12 years of age are not required to wear facial coverings but are encouraged to do so if possible.
People who should not wear a facial covering also include:
- Facial coverings should not be used on children under the age of 2 years old because they are at higher risk of suffocation.
- People who have trouble breathing
- Anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the facial covering without help from someone else.
For current information about COVID-19, visit CDC.gov or CDPH.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert, or during business hours by emailing covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us or calling 707-441-5000.
This article appears in Her Name Was Ida.
One unexpected consequence of the unnecessary and illegal response has been 8 days of rioting and deaths of many. Covid mortality rates were dishonestly skewed to make it appear far more deadly once anti Trump politics took over in early March. The fear mongering by fake news media, the times standard, and frankly NCJ have people wearing masks in FEAR of possibly catching an infectious dose from fresh air. The most inhospitable place for a virus is in uv saturated salty ocean air or just outdoors. Told to “shelter in place” in close proximity to others is a worst case scenario and an undo stress on the elderly. There are no anti-viral masks, google it. As a retired medical lab worker I can attest to the fact that there is NO research supporting such overuse of masks. Masks are 50 lane freeways for virus’s, cobwebs for everything else. Guaranteeing you’ll eventually inhale everything they snare. Sinus infections and migraines are on the rise. It grieves me to see my fellow citizens so easily deceived and fearful. Other pandemics we’ve survived without need for economic suicide. Some like H1N1, were far more deadly but we accept those risks as part of life. Four people died in Eureka last year from pedestrian accidents jaywalking. Should we roll up the streets? The 2 elders who passed were 95 and 97. The author of this NCJ article doesn’t know if they died WITH it or FROM it. Big difference. Unless you work 8 hrs shifts in a healthcare facility with covid infected patients think about the unforeseen consequences from mask usage.
The wearing of masks is not to stop viruses, but aerosol droplets which may contain thousands of virus particles. We generate these particles when we cough, sneeze, talk, or even breathe. It isn’t to protect the wearer so much as those they come into contact with. SARS-coV-2 is in ADDITION to those the “unavoidable” risks like auto accidents, and seasonal influenza. Outside air and sunlight are indeed excellent preventatives, but Safeway, and Casinos aren’t pumping in sunshine yet.