News

A state database shows 14 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 locally, with two 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 Friday that Humboldt's seven-day average case rate is currently at 15, meaning that for every 100,000 residents, 15 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 eight per 100,000 residents per day, while the average daily case rate for unvaccinated individuals is 25 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 Booster Clinic — Tuesday, Dec. 14, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Ages 18 and older.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
No testing available.
Appointments required.

Eureka Pediatric Clinic — Tuesday, Dec. 14, 1:15 to 3:30 p.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Ages 5 to 11. Pfizer only.
No testing available.
Appointments required.

Willow Creek — Tuesday, Dec. 14, 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.

Eureka Booster Clinic — Wednesday, Dec. 15, noon. to 5 p.m
Wharfinger Building (1 Marina Way)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
No rapid testing available at this clinic. PCR testing offered through OptumServe on the lower floor of the Wharfinger Building.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Eureka— Thursday, Dec. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m
Wharfinger Building (1 Marina Way)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
No rapid testing available at this clinic. PCR testing offered through OptumServe on the lower floor of the Wharfinger Building.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Today's confirmed cases bring the county's total to 10,434 with 463 hospitalizations and 120 COVID-19 related deaths.

Nationwide, more than 49.8 million cases have been confirmed with 794,558 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Of those, 4.8 million cases and 74,685 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. 13, 2021 - 3 New Hospitalizations, 88 New Cases Reported Since Friday
Humboldt County Public Health reported today 88 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday, bringing to 10,434 the total number of residents who have tested positive for the virus. Three new hospitalizations were also reported, two residents in their 40s and one in their 70s.

The California Department of Public Health announced today that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear masks indoors in public settings for the next month to help stop the spread of the Delta and Omicron variants during the holidays.

Humboldt County has already been under a similar mask order since Aug. 6 due to the high community transmission of the COVID-19 virus in the county and increased hospitalizations that strained the rural health care system.

The statewide mandate starts Wednesday, Dec. 15 and ends Jan. 15, 2022. The state also updated its guidance for testing prior to mega events. Any attendee who cannot provide proof of full vaccination status is required to provide a negative antigen test within one day or negative PCR test within two days prior to entry into the event. A mega event is considered 1,000 attendees or more in indoor venues or 10,000 or more in outdoor settings.

Over the weekend, 247 individuals were vaccinated at Public Health clinics held in Hoopa and Eureka that included pediatric, first and second doses and additional doses and boosters.

Last week, the state expanded Pfizer booster eligibility for 16- and 17-year-olds if it has been at least six months since their initial Pfizer vaccination series.

Public Health officials said expanding boosters to that age group would increase protection against the Delta and new Omicron variants. Omicron has been identified in California and 29 other U.S. states so far and Public Health is continuing to conduct genetic testing locally while awaiting the arrival of the fast-spreading variant.

Stricter travel requirements by the CDC also went into effect last week for international passengers flying into the U.S. All international passengers, regardless of vaccination status, must show a negative test prior to boarding taken one day before their departure.

Residents who have travelled internationally in the past two weeks and test positive with 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 primary care provider or Public Health, if there is no provider, and isolate to limit the spread of disease.

Travelers leaving Humboldt County who are flying internationally should contact the airline prior to travel and stay current on their destination’s specific COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements. Information can be found for most countries at the U.S. Department of State’s travel advisory website.

All eligible adults aged 16 and older are encouraged to get a booster. Health officials also stress that those who are partially vaccinated should complete their vaccination series. A person 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 Booster Clinic — Tuesday, Dec. 14, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Ages 16 and older.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
No testing available.
Appointments required.

Eureka Pediatric Clinic — Tuesday, Dec. 14, 1:15 to 3:30 p.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Ages 5 to 11. Pfizer only.
No testing available.
Appointments required.

Willow Creek — Tuesday, Dec. 14, 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.

Eureka Booster Clinic— Wednesday, Dec. 15, noon to 5 p.m
Wharfinger Building (1 Marina Way)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
No rapid testing available at this clinic. PCR testing offered through OptumServe on the lower floor of the Wharfinger Building.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Eureka— Thursday, Dec. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m
Wharfinger Building (1 Marina Way)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
No rapid testing available at this clinic. PCR testing offered through OptumServe on the lower floor of the Wharfinger Building.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Blue Lake Family Clinic— Friday, Dec. 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Blue Lake Resource Center (111 Greenwood Road)
Ages 5-18 and family members.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Arcata — Saturday, Dec. 18, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m
Red Roof Inn (4975 Valley West Blvd.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.

McKinleyville Family Clinic — Sunday, Dec. 19, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
McKinleyville High School (1300 Murray Road.)
Ages 5-18 and family members.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.

Eureka — Monday, Dec. 20, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
No testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.
Appointments required.

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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