For months California disability and labor advocates have been attempting to preserve statewide masking requirements in health care settings. But with the sunset of one of the last remaining COVID-19 mandates, they say people who are the most vulnerable to severe illness now have to make an “impossible choice” — risk getting the virus at […]
masking
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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 […]
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CDC Eases Masking Recommendations, But Not in ‘High’ Risk Humboldt
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has revamped its COVID-19 risk tier criteria, rolling back masking recommendations for much of the country. Humboldt County, however, remains in the CDC’s “high” risk tier, with the agency’s masking recommendation remaining firmly in place locally. The new CDC metrics take into account high national levels of vaccination and […]
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Officials Say Testing Supply Shortage Will Likely Continue Amid Omicron Surge
The COVID-19 testing supply shortage will more than likely continue throughout the Omicron surge, which is expected to peak locally in one or two weeks, Humboldt County Health Officer Ian Hoffman said during a press conference today. “The big take home is if you are having trouble finding supplies, know that you are not alone, […]
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Restaurants Brace for Another Surge, Another Variant
On Jan 3., when news came that Humboldt County had a record-breaking 400 confirmed new COVID-19 cases, as well as two confirmed Omicron variant infections, it hit more than close to home for Six Rivers Brewery co-owner Meredith Maier. She was, in fact, at home after having tested positive for the virus. Luckily, she says, […]
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Health Officers Set Benchmarks for Lifting Mask Mandates
Humboldt County Health Officer Ian Hoffman and his Del Norte counterpart announced today the beginning of a loosening of COVID-19 masking requirements, with the outdoor masking mandated slated to be lifted Nov. 8, while the health officials outlined the benchmarks needed for the full lifting of the local masking order. The move comes with the […]
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NCJ Preview: Return of the Mask and the Best of Humboldt
Here we go again: Humboldt County COVID-19 cases are spiking, with the more contagious Delta variant in the mix. To stem the tide, Public Health announced a masking order, requiring facial coverings in public and indoors when outside the home or outside where 6 feet of distance isn’t possible. We’ll break down how we got […]
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HumCo Records 56th COVID Death, 100 New Cases with Mask Order Taking Effect Tonight
For the second consecutive day, a Humboldt County resident has died of COVID-19, Public Health reported, while confirming a single-day record 100 new cases and two new hospitalizations. The county’s 56th COVID death — this one of a resident in their 40s — is the third reported over the past four days, with today marking the […]
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NCJ Preview: COVID-19 Update, Charlie Bean’s Legacy and the Joy of Everyday Cooking
Both Humboldt County’s Public Health office and the CDC recommend masking for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people in public indoor spaces. We’re breaking down why that is and Humboldt’s troubling increase in COVID-19 cases. From our cover story, we’ve got a look at the life of the late Charlie Bean, who dedicated his life to […]
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Humboldt Mandates Masking in County Facilities
The Humboldt County Administrative Office announced today that facial coverings will be required in all county facilities as of tomorrow. The county notes that the emergence of the more contagious Delta variant — which now accounts for more than 80 percent of cases in California — disease spread and associated hospitalizations have been on the […]
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HumCo Confirms 21 New COVID Cases, Tops 5,000
Humboldt County’s COVID-19 case count has topped 5,000 cases as Public Health confirmed 21 new COVID cases today, bringing the countywide total to 5,010. Today’s positive cases come after laboratories processed 342 samples. According to a state database, 15 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 locally, including four under intensive care. Days after Humboldt County […]
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CDC Recommends Humboldt County Mask Up Due to High COVID Transmission Rates
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued new guidance yesterday recommending that everyone — regardless of vaccination status — resume wearing masks in public, indoor spaces in areas with “high” or “substantial” rates of COVID-19 transmission, which includes Humboldt County. While cases of severe illness, hospitalization and death in fully vaccinated individuals remain very rare, […]