For the first time in nearly a month, Humboldt County Public Health reported no new confirmed COVID-19 cases today, leaving the county's total at 544.

Today's confirmed report comes after laboratories processed 223 samples, with a positivity rate of 0 percent.

In a press release, Humboldt County Health Officer Teresa Frankovich said that while residents should continue to focus of prevention measures, activity and exercise also play an important role in public health.

“This is a great time to get outside and take advantage of warmer weather,” she said. “Getting outdoors regularly to walk, bike, hike or engage in other low-risk activities can boost energy levels and improve both your mental and physical health. We’re so incredibly lucky to live here in beautiful Humboldt where we can enjoy being active outdoors while easily distancing and following all COVID-19 safety precautions.”

Under state data released Tuesday, Humboldt remains in the "minimum" risk tier with a test positivity rate of 0.7 percent and an adjusted case rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people, an improvement from last week's 1.5 percent and 2 cases stats.

But health officials have warned that a jump in cases could relegate Humboldt into a more restrictive tier.

The statewide level is now 6.8 cases per 100,000 and a test positivity rate of 3.4 percent.

Under the lower risk category, most indoor businesses — including bars — can reopen but the county can put further restrictions in place, according to the state. Only seven other counties in California are in the minimal tier. Read more about what it means here.

New this week, Humboldt County Data Dashboard now includes hospitalization rates by age group, death rates by age group and case totals by ZIP code, the latter of which will be reported in "a range of 0 to 5 for case count until the area surpasses 5 total cases," according to a county news release.

After that threshold has been reached in a ZIP code, the exact number will be included.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 8 million cases have been confirmed nationally, including 375,244 in the last seven days, with a total of 216,917 deaths. In California, 861,476 COVID-19 cases have been reported to date, including 16,830 deaths, 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 assess risk factors for contracting the illness, which can be found at 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. Find the county's press release copied below:

Oct. 16, 2020 - Zero Cases Reported Today
707-441-5000 ; [email protected] ; Monday-Friday 8am to 5pm Opens in new window
No additional cases of COVID-19 were reported today, marking the first day in October with zero cases. The last day with zero positive tests reported was Sept. 18. Humboldt County’s total confirmed case count remains 544.

Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich said that residents should continue to focus on COVID-19 prevention measures while emphasizing that activity and exercise are also an important part of public health.

“This is a great time to get outside and take advantage of warmer weather,” Dr. Frankovich said. “Getting outdoors regularly to walk, bike, hike or engage in other low-risk activities can boost energy levels and improve both your mental and physical health. We’re so incredibly lucky to live here in beautiful Humboldt where we can enjoy being active outdoors while easily distancing and following all COVID-19 safety precautions.”

For the most recent COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or during business hours by contacting [email protected] or calling 707-441-5000.


Humboldt County COVID-19 Data Dashboard: humboldtgov.org/dashboard,
Follow us on Facebook: @HumCoCOVID19,
Instagram: @HumCoCOVID19,
Twitter: @HumCoCOVID19, and
Humboldt Health Alert: humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert