The data updated Wednesday reported the Northern California region had a combined 28.1 percent available ICU capacity, an increase from last week. If implemented locally, the stay home order will temporarily close bars, wineries, personal service salons, hair salons and barbershops, while retail stores will be limited to 20 percent capacity and restaurants will be limited to take-out and delivery only. Schools that have a waiver will be allowed to remain open to in-person instruction and critical infrastructure will remain open. The order also temporarily prohibits all non-essential travel.
In Humboldt County, healthcare workers have already said there are emergency room patients who have been waiting for days for transfers out of the area for specialized care because hospitals throughout the state don't have available beds.
Today's Humboldt County cases were confirmed after 464 samples were processed with a test-positivity rate of 6.7 percent.
Meanwhile, the county's Joint Information Center is urging locals to get tested, calling it "one of the most helpful things county residents can do for the community at large," because it allows Public Health to catch cases early and limit spread. The state-run OptumServe testing site at Redwood Acres Fairgrounds in Eureka is open seven days a week and no-cost appointments can be made by clicking here or calling (888) 634-1123.
The Humboldt County Data Dashboard includes hospitalization rates by age group, death rates by age group and case totals by ZIP code, the latter of which are reported in "a range of 0 to 5 for case count until the area surpasses 5 total cases," according to the county. After that threshold has been reached in a ZIP code, the exact number will be included.
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.Jan. 21, 2021 - 31 Additional Cases Reported Today; CDPH Clears Moderna Lot for Immediate Use
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A total of 2,458 Humboldt County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, after 31 new cases were reported today.
Humboldt County Public Health and local providers have resumed using Lot 041L20A of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine after the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced it was safe to administer.
CDPH had asked counties to pause use of the lot when seven vaccine recipients at a single location in San Diego experienced severe allergic reactions. The agency, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and Moderna, found that there was “no scientific basis to continue the pause.”
Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said he was grateful to the state for acting quickly to ensure the safety of the vaccine supply and added that he is excited to resume distribution of all vaccine on hand. “There’s a system in place to detect any issues with the vaccine, and that system worked,” he said. “Public Health has 3,170 doses on hand to administer. More than 2,500 of those were affected by this pause—600 first doses and 1,900 second doses—and we want people to know they’re safe.” The remainder of the Moderna lot was distributed to local health care providers, and all are clear to resume administering those doses.
“Given the severity of this pandemic, any delay in vaccination is significant, so we are pleased to resume our plans to vaccinate older adults,” Dr. Hoffman said.
On Wednesday, 285 people were vaccinated at Public Health vaccination clinics with an estimated 290 additional vaccinations expected to be administered today and about 400 appointments scheduled for Friday. Local health care providers also continue to provide vaccinations to their patients. Appointments are invitation only and currently prioritized for Phase 1A health care workers who have not received their first dose and residents over the age of 75.
Providers approved to administer vaccine will reach out directly to their patients who are over 75 as vaccine becomes available. For those who do not have a provider or whose doctor is not an approved vaccinator, the Humboldt County Joint Information Center is developing an online interest form for individuals to submit to be notified when vaccination appointments are available for their priority group. Additional information about the interest form will be released next week.
Read CDPH’s update on the Moderna lot at cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR21-025.aspx.
For the most recent COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or during business hours by contacting [email protected] or calling 707-441-5000.
Local COVID-19 vaccine information: humboldtgov.org/vaccineinfo
Humboldt County COVID-19 Data Dashboard: humboldtgov.org/dashboard
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Humboldt Health Alert: humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert