News

Humboldt County Public Health confirmed seven new COVID-19 cases today, as well as a new hospitalization.

Today's case results came after laboratories processed 30 samples with a test-positivity rate of 23.4 percent. According to a state database, seven people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 locally, including two under intensive care.

All of the Public Health vaccinations clinics scheduled this week will include the one-shot Johnson & Johnson and the Pfizer vaccine, the only one authorized for those 12 to 17.

Clinic schedule:

Petrolia – Wednesday, June 30 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mattole Grange (36512 Mattole Road) Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson


Arcata – Friday, July 2 – 5 to 7:30 p.m. Arcata Ball Park/Humboldt Crabs game* (888 F St.) Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson *Free admission and a hot dog dinner to the first 100 people who get vaccinated at this clinic.

To make an appointment in advance or view additional vaccination opportunities and to request help with transportation, visit www.vaccines.gov or www.myturn.ca.gov.

Last week, an advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found a likely link between certain mRNA vaccines and extremely rare instances of heart inflammation, which most commonly occurred in young men and ususally cleared itself or with minor treatment. Both the CDC and the FDA continue to recommendation vaccinations for those 12 and older.

To date, Humboldt County has confirmed 4,560 cases, with 209 hospitalizations and 50 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths.

The county dashboard lists 4,394 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. In March, it dropped to 4.5 percent before inching back up to 5.9 percent in April. In May, it jumped to 8.3 percent. The positivity rate for the last week is 5.3 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 and other newly opened screening site information can be found here.

The testing site is moving to the Wharfinger Building on Thursday, July 1. Read more here.

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.

Read the JIC release below:

June 29, 2021 - 7 New Cases Reported Today; Quarantine Order Updated for Vaccinated Individuals
Seven new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Humboldt County today, and one previously reported case was determined to be a false positive and removed. The total number of county residents who have tested positive now stands at 4,560.

One county resident in their 80s has been hospitalized with the virus since the most recent report yesterday.

Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman today issued a revised blanket Quarantine Order for those who have had close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19. Notably, the updated order states that fully vaccinated individuals and those who have tested positive within the last 90 days do not need to quarantine unless they develop symptoms.

For those who are not fully vaccinated or haven’t tested positive for COVID-19 within the past three months, the order remains the same to quarantine and avoid contact with others for 10 to 14 days after exposure to an individual confirmed to be positive.

The blanket Isolation Order was also updated to reflect an increased availability of vaccine, but isolation instructions remain unchanged. The Order states that anyone who tests positive or who has symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, should isolate for at least 10 days after their symptoms started, all symptoms have resolved and 24 hours have passed without fever.

Read the revised Orders in full at humboldtgov.org/blanketorders.

COVID-19 vaccine is widely available at Public Health clinics and at most local pharmacies.

Public Health’s vaccination clinics are scheduled in multiple locations over the next week, and all are open to walk-ins and by appointment. Sign up in advance at MyTurn.ca.gov. See the clinic schedule for the next seven days below.

Petrolia – Wednesday, June 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Mattole Grange (36512 Mattole Road)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson

Trinidad – Thursday, July 1 from 2 to 6 p.m.
Trinidad Town Hall (409 Trinity St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson

Arcata – Friday, July 2 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Arcata Ball Park/Humboldt Crabs game* (888 F St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson
*Free admission and a hot dog dinner for the first 100 people who get vaccinated at this clinic.

Rio Dell – Saturday, July 3 from Noon to 2 p.m.
Dollar General (44 W. Davis St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson

Fortuna – Tuesday, July 6 from Noon to 2 p.m.
Dollar General (650 S. Fortuna Blvd.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is authorized for those 18 and older, and those age 12 and older can receive the Pfizer vaccine. A parent or guardian must accompany minor children to the clinic.

COVID-19 vaccine is also available at many local pharmacies. Check availability at vaccines.gov, or text a ZIP code to 438829 to find a participating pharmacy nearby. Most pharmacies allow walk-ins.

View the Humboldt County Data Dashboard online at humboldtgov.org/dashboard, or go to humboldtgov.org/DashboardArchives to download today’s data.

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 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
###