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Humboldt County Public Health has made it easier for county residents to have information on the next steps for quarantining and self-isolating immediately after testing positive or being exposed to COVID-19.

Originally, county residents who tested positive or were exposed would have been sent the information by public health contact tracing teams. 

According to the release, Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich said the goal with these blanket orders is to put information in people’s hands at the time they are being tested so that those who test positive have everything they need to act immediately.

“We will continue to reach out to everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 as part of our regular contact investigations, but as case numbers grow and the number of contacts for each case increases, we want to be sure that there is no delay in individuals knowing what they need to do to keep themselves, their family and our community as safe as possible,” Dr. Frankovich said. “This model has been used for some time in larger counties and simply helps to increase efficiency when there are larger numbers of cases to manage.”

The county has added a new tab on its local orders webpage for residents to obtain a copy of the Mass Isolation and Mass Quarantine orders and have all of the information they need to quarantine or self-isolate.

The Mass Isolation and Mass Quarantine orders apply to all Humboldt County residents who have contracted COVID-19 or who were exposed to the virus and may be contagious. Both orders require a person to stay at their home or another residence until the contagious period has passed.

Read the full press release and the Mass Isolation and Mass Quarantine documents below.

August 20, 2020 - Blanket Isolation and Quarantine Orders Improve Contact Tracing

Public Health’s Communicable Disease team today issued blanket isolation and quarantine orders at humboldtgov.org/blanketorders to help Humboldt County be better positioned for an increase in new COVID-19 infections.

These orders, formally called Mass Isolation and Mass Quarantine orders, apply to all Humboldt County residents who have contracted COVID-19 or who were exposed to the virus and may be contagious. Both orders require a person to stay at their home or another residence until the contagious period has passed.

• Isolation keeps people with COVID-19 separate from those who are not sick.
• Quarantine keeps people who have been exposed to the virus separate from others until it is certain they are not contagious.

Previously, someone who tested positive for COVID-19 and anyone else who may have been exposed to the virus were issued individual orders for isolation and quarantine as part of the contact tracing process. These orders included name and address and were formally issued once test results were known. Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich said the goal with these blanket orders is to put information in people’s hands at the time they are being tested, so that those who test positive have everything they need to act immediately.

“We will continue to reach out to everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 as part of our regular contact investigations, but as case numbers grow and the number of contacts for each case increases, we want to be sure that there is no delay in individuals knowing what they need to do to keep themselves, their family and our community as safe as possible,” Dr. Frankovich said. “This model has been used for some time in larger counties and simply helps to increase efficiency when there are larger numbers of cases to manage.”

The informational packet includes copies of the blanket orders and instructions for home care during isolation or quarantine. To read the documents in full, visit humboldtgov.org/blanketorders.