Humboldt County Public Health reported today that the county has confirmed another COVID-19 death since its last report March 16. The county also reported today that seven previously reported hospitalizations and three previously reported deaths have been removed from the county’s cumulative tally “after they were determined to be from another jurisdiction or not COVID-related.” […]
Medical / Health
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State Unveils Long-awaited Standard for Drinking Water Contaminant
On Monday, California proposed a long-awaited standard for a cancer-causing contaminant in drinking water that would require costly treatment in cities throughout the state. Traces of hexavalent chromium are widely found in the drinking water of millions of Californians, some naturally occurring and some from industries that work with the heavy metal. The proposed standard […]
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HumCo Confirms 141st COVID-19 Death
Humboldt County Public Health reported the 141st local COVID-19 death today — of a resident over the age of 80. This marks the county’s 19th COVID-19 death of 2022. According to a state database, five people are currently hospitalized with the virus locally, including two under intensive care. Find the full public health press release, […]
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Time to ‘Spring Forward’ this Weekend
The twice a year ritual of changing the clocks arrives at 2 a.m. Sunday, as we “spring forward” again to begin daylight saving time, which means darker mornings and losing an hour of sleep. Seemingly right on cue, Congress is once again debating whether it’s time to end to what many consider an outdated practice […]
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What to Know About Gov. Gavin Newsom’s State of the State Speech
Even as the coronavirus pandemic finally appears to be receding, Californians are in a funk. They are nearly evenly split on whether the state is headed in the right direction, according to a survey released last month by the Public Policy Institute of California, and gave poor marks to Gov. Gavin Newsom on almost every […]
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Millions of Californians At Risk of Losing Health Coverage When Federal COVID Programs End
Millions of Californians could lose or transition into new health coverage as two federal programs that helped many keep or afford insurance are set to expire this year. Two to three million Californians could lose their Medi-Cal coverage, some as soon as this summer, after the federal government’s COVID-19 public health emergency ends, now scheduled […]
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Public Health Reports County’s 140th COVID-19 Death
Humboldt County Public Health reported the 140th local COVID-19 death today — of a resident in their 70s. This marks the county’s 18th COVID-19 death of 2022. According to a state database, 11 people are currently hospitalized with the virus locally, including two under intensive care. Find the full public health press release, which includes […]
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$430,000 Behavioral Grant to Assist HCSO with Crisis Intervention
The Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services Behavioral Health Branch has been awarded a $430,000 Behavioral Health Justice Intervention Services Project from the state to assist the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office in responding to mental health crisis calls starting next week. “This grant will help increase opportunities to stabilize individuals in mental health crisis in the community […]
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Newsom Unveils ‘Completely New Strategy’ for California’s Mental Health Crisis
Gov. Gavin Newsom today unveiled a much anticipated proposal to address a mental health crisis increasingly visible on trash-strewn sidewalks and in cramped jail cells around California. The proposal, known as the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (or CARE) Court, would provide a framework for courts to compel people with serious mental illnesses and substance […]
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Hoopa Tribe Awarded $5 Million Beautification Grant
The Hoopa Valley Tribe has been awarded $5 million from the state’s Clean California initiative, the largest amount available under the Caltrans-led program that grants funding to beautify public spaces. According to a news release, the money will go toward makeovers in four separate areas owned by the Hoopa Tribe — Pookey’s Park, the Hoopa Rodeo […]
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As California Expands Medi-Cal, Hundreds of Thousands of Immigrants Will Still Be Left Behind
Lucia Marroquin knows what it’s like to wait out pain in hopes that it will go away on its own. She is suffering from kidney stones and may need surgery. But because she lacks health coverage, her first question when she falls ill is always “how much will that cost me?” So when California officials […]
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Rio Dell Schools Drop Masking Mandate Enforcement, Defying State Order
Well before California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced today that the statewide order mandating masks in K-12 schools will expire in two weeks, Rio Dell Elementary School District had decided to go its own route. The district’s board voted unanimously Feb. 17 to adopt a policy making plain its schools would not ask any questions of […]