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The highest number of cases continue to be in the 20-39 age group, with 23.6 percent in the 20-29 grouping and 19.5 percent in the 30-39 grouping, according to health officials.
And, according to a news release, the county is seeing an uptick in those reporting no symptoms.
“Since we know that individuals without symptoms are able to transmit the virus, it is important that people participate in screening, which becomes even more important if engaging in higher risk activities that may have resulted in an exposure.” County Health Officer Teresa Frankovich said in a release, encouraging residents to get tested as a way to help monitor the virus' spread in the community.
The cases reported today were confirmed after laboratories processed 623 samples. To date, Humboldt County has seen 37 people hospitalized at some point in their COVID-19 care and 10 COVID-related deaths.
Humboldt County continues its stay in the "minimal" risk tier under the state's "Blueprint for a Safer Economy," according to California Department of Public Health data, with a positivity rate of 1.5 percent and an adjusted case rate of 2.8 per 100,000 residents.
Meanwhile, the state has an overall test positivity rate of 3.2 and case rate of 7.2 per 100,000 in population. New data is scheduled to be released tomorrow.
Right now, 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. Read more about what it means here.
The Humboldt County Data Dashboard was recently updated to include hospitalization rates by age group, death rates by age group and case totals by ZIP code, the latter of which are 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.
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 covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us or at (707) 441-5000. Residents seeking medical advice or questions about testing are asked to contact Public Health at hhsphb@co.humbldt.ca.us 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.
See the county's full press release copied below:
Eight new cases of COVID-19 have been reported since Friday, bringing to 579 the total number of Humboldt County residents who have contracted the virus.
The daily, weekly and monthly datasets on the Humboldt County Data Dashboard have been updated. Some highlights include: The 20-29 age group continues to represent the highest percentage of local cases at 23.6%, followed by the 30-39 age group at 19.5%.
The county’s rate of confirmed cases is 434 per 100,000 residents.
The state and national rates are 2,345 and 2,801 respectively.
Nearly 1 in 10 or 9.6% of people who contract the virus locally report no symptoms, up from 6.3% in October and 4.4% in September.
Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich said asymptomatic transmission continues to be of concern.
“Since we know that individuals without symptoms are able to transmit the virus, it is important that people participate in screening, which becomes even more important if engaging in higher risk activities that may have resulted in an exposure.” Dr. Frankovich added that testing of those who are asymptomatic is a valuable tool to monitor virus spread in our community. “I’d encourage everyone to sign up for testing,” she said.
Appointments are available at the OptumServe site at Redwood Acres in Eureka for those without symptoms. To make an appointment at OptumServe, go to https://lhi.care/covidtesting or call 888-634-1123.
Those experiencing cough, fever, headache or other symptoms of COVID-19 should reach out to their primary care provider or call the Joint Information Center at 707-441-5000. 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 covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us or calling 707-441-5000.
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