News

A state database shows 14 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 locally, with four under intensive care. The local hospital census peaked Sept. 3 with 42 COVID-19 patients.

The Food and Drug Administration recently authorized boosters for all eligible adults who are at least six months past their second shot of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines and two months past their shot of Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

The FDA also recently authorized the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use for children 5 to 11 years old and local pharmacies and pediatricians have begun making appointments, while Public Health announced it will hold several pediatric and family vaccination clinics. Appointments will be required and can be made at www.vaccines.gov. Boosters will not be available at these clinics.

Public Health reported today that Humboldt's seven-day average case rate is currently at 12, meaning that for every 100,000 residents, 12 residents tested positive for the virus daily over the last seven days. But the case rate varies by vaccination status.

The seven-day average case rate for fully vaccinated individuals was five per 100,000 residents per day, while the average daily case rate for unvaccinated individuals is 14 per 100,000 residents. View a more detailed depiction of the case rate graph here.


The CDC published a study indicating unvaccinated individuals are 11 times more likely to die of COVID-19 and 10 times more likely to be hospitalized than their fully vaccinated counterparts.

National, state and local health officials advise that vaccination remains incredibly safe and effective protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death from COIVD-19, and the county has a host of no-cost clinics scheduled over the next week.

Eureka— Friday, Dec. 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m
Wharfinger Building (1 Marina Way).
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Eureka Family Clinic – Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Eureka High School Cafeteria (1915 J St.)
Ages 5-18 and family members. No boosters.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Fortuna Family Clinic – Sunday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fortuna Resource Center (2089 Newburg Road).
Ages 5-18 and family members. No boosters.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Eureka — Monday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m. — FULL
Clinic appointments full.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
Appointment required. No testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.

Willow Creek — Tuesday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Public Health Office (77 Walnut Way)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Redway — Wednesday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
DHHS Office (3156 Redwood Drive)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.

Trinidad Family Clinic— Thursday, Dec. 9, 2 to 7 p.m.
Trinidad Town Hall (409 Trinity St.)
Ages 5-18 and family members.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Eureka— Friday, Dec. 10, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m – FULL
College of the Redwoods Gym Lobby (7351 Tompkins Hill Road).
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.

Today's confirmed cases bring the county's total to 10,145 with 452 hospitalizations and 119 COVID-19 related deaths.

Nationwide, more than 48.7 million cases have been confirmed with 783,215 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Of those, 4.8 million cases and 74,046 related deaths have been confirmed in California, according to the Department of Public Health.

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's report below.

Dec. 3, 2021 - 34 New Cases Reported
Humboldt County Public Health reported today 34 new cases of COVID-19, bringing to 10,179 the total number of residents who have tested positive for the virus. No deaths or new hospitalizations were reported.

With the Omicron variant confirmed in several states, including California, health officials are continuing to use testing and contact tracing to identify and limit its spread.

As of yet, there are no known cases of the Omicron variant in Humboldt County, but health officials are requesting doctors to ask their patients about their travel history so that they can identify and test those who may have been exposed.

Starting Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) stricter COVID-19 testing requirements for all travelers entering the United States will take effect. The new rule requires each traveler flying into the U.S. from another country, regardless of vaccination status, to test negative one day before their departure. This changes rules that had allowed inbound travelers to test up to three days before entering the country.

Additionally, the CDC recommends that all international travelers get a COVID-19 test three to five days after travel regardless of vaccination status.

Residents who travelled internationally in the past two weeks and test positive on at-home tests are asked to call the Joint Information Center at 1-707-441-5000 to report their results to Public Health. Those who have not travelled outside the U.S. and test positive with an at-home test for COVID-19 should notify their care provider, or Public Health if there is no provider, and isolate to limit the spread of disease.

Since the last data update on Nov. 19, the county has recorded 343 new cases of COVID-19. Two deaths — both unvaccinated residents — were reported during that period. Eleven new hospitalizations of residents were also reported. Ten were unvaccinated and one was vaccinated. Age ranges of reported hospitalizations are as follows:

1 person in their 20s
2 people in their 40s
2 people in their 50s
3 people in their 60s
3 people aged 80 or older.
The seven-day average case rate in Humboldt County is currently 12, meaning for every 100,000 residents, approximately 12 tested positive daily over the last seven days. Case rates vary considerably by vaccination status, as illustrated in the graph below, which depicts average weekly case rates since Dec. 2020 in unvaccinated and fully vaccinated residents.

click to enlarge

The current seven-day average case rate for fully vaccinated individuals is 5 per 100,000 residents while the case rate for unvaccinated individuals is 14 per 100,000 residents. View a more detailed depiction of the case rate graph here.

Health officials stress that the best way for residents to protect themselves from COVID-19 and variants like Omicron is to get vaccinated.

All eligible adults aged 18 and older are encouraged to get a booster. Health officials also stress that those who are partially vaccinated should complete their vaccination series. Someone who is fully vaccinated is half as likely to pass on the infection as someone who is unvaccinated. According to data from the CDC, an unvaccinated person is nearly six times more likely to get COVID-19 and 14 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than a vaccinated person.

Public Health is offering family vaccination clinics throughout December to give priority to children aged 5 to 11 and provide family members a convenient way to get their vaccines.

Vaccines, including boosters, are available at local pharmacies. To check the availability of a specific vaccine, visit the vaccines.gov page, or text a ZIP code to 438829 to locate a nearby pharmacy offering vaccines.

Humboldt County’s vaccination and testing services are available free of charge. Although walk-ins are allowed at most regular Public Health clinics and many pharmacy vaccination sites, a sharp increase in demand for boosters has caused delays at some locations. As a result, appointments are required for pediatric clinics and for clinics at Public Health’s main office. Appointments are strongly recommended for all other clinics and are the best way to ensure a shot is available during your visit. Appointments can be made at MyTurn.ca.gov.

See the schedule below for specific Public Health vaccination and testing clinic dates, times, locations and available services:

Eureka Family Clinic – Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – FULL
Eureka High School Cafeteria (1915 J St.)
Ages 5-18 and family members.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.

Fortuna Family Clinic – Sunday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Walker Elementary School Cafeteria (2089 Newburg Road)
Ages 5-18 and family members.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Eureka — Monday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m. – FULL
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
Appointment required. No testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.

Willow Creek — Tuesday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Public Health Office (77 Walnut Way)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Redway — Wednesday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
DHHS Office (3156 Redwood Drive)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Trinidad Family Clinic— Thursday, Dec. 9, 4 to 7 p.m.
Trinidad Town Hall (409 Trinity St.)
Ages 5-18 and family members.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Eureka— Friday, Dec. 10, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m – FULL
College of the Redwoods Gym Lobby (7351 Tompkins Hill Road).
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.

View the Data Dashboard online at humboldtgov.org/dashboard, or go to humboldtgov.org/DashboardArchives to download data from a previous time.

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 1-707-441-5000.

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
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