News

Humboldt County Public Health reported today that it has confirmed 30 new COVID-19 cases and one new hospitalization since Friday, bringing the county's case count to 3,210.

Humboldt County confirmed 85 cases last week, making 458 for the month of February, a steep decline from January's 990 and December's 863. Today's cases were reported after labs processed 650 samples with a test-positivity rate of 4.6 percent.

According to the county's dashboard, seven local residents are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. Local available intensive care unit capacity, meanwhile, sits at 25 percent.

Public Health also announced Thursday that Humboldt County has been allocated 4,740 additional COVID-19 vaccination doses for this week. To date, the county has administered 26,789 vaccine doses, with 7,374 local residents having been fully vaccinated and another 12,041 having received the first of the required two doses.

The state, meanwhile, announced Friday that today it would begin the process of transitioning vaccine distribution to Blue Shield, which has been contracted by the state to streamline and manage the logistics of allocating vaccines to local health departments and providers. The switch will happen in three waves, with Humboldt County, which currently ranks 28th in the state for doses administered per capita, according to a Journal analysis, falling in the third wave later this month.

Over the weekend, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also authorized a third COVID-19 vaccine — manufactured by Johnson & Johnson — for emergency use, with shipments anticipated to begin later this week. The county reported that it will release more information about the single-use vaccine later this week.

When the state of California updated its COVID risk tier assignments last week, it moved Humboldt County into the state's red tier for the first time since January, as local officials had predicted.

The new designation means some businesses and organizations can reopen indoor operations, including restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and places of worship, at reduced capacity.

The state data shows the county with a seven-day average test-positive rate of 2.7 percent and a daily case rate of 6.3 per 100,000, compared to California overall, which has a 4.8 positivity rate and 15.2 cases per 100,000.

As is the case throughout the state and the nation, vaccination efforts continue to move slowly forward locally, with residents over the age of 70, healthcare workers, teachers and first responders currently eligible to receive their shots. The clinics remain by invitation only to control exposure risks and ensure vaccinations are administered according to the county's priority tiers, with residents urged to complete the county's vaccination interest form to be notified when they are eligible.

Residents are also urged to continue to follow COVID safety guidelines as vaccinations roll out, which could take months.

To date, Humboldt County has confirmed 3,320 cases, with 134 hospitalizations and 33 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths.

The county dashboard lists 3,043 people as having "recovered" from the virus locally, though that just means they are no longer contagious and does not account for long-term health impacts, which local healthcare workers have told the Journal can be substantial, even in previously healthy patients.

The county’s test positivity rate has gone from 3.6 percent in November, to 7.3 percent in December and 9.9 percent in January, before dropping to 6.5 percent in February.

Nationwide, more than 28.4 million COVID-19 cases have been confirmed, with 511,839 related deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In California, 3.5 million cases have been confirmed with 52,194 deaths, according to the Department of Public Health.

The state has issued a travel advisory strongly discouraging all non-essential travel and urging anyone returning from non essential, out-of-state travel needs to self-quarantine for a minimum of 10 days upon their return.

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.