Clockwise from top left: Humboldt County Vaccine Task Force member Lindsey Mendez, Emergency Services Manger Ryan Derby, Public Health Officer Ian Hoffman, Joint Information Center spokesperson Mariah Miracle, Economic Development Director Scott Adair and Board of Supervisors Chair Virginia Bass.
A panel of public officials held a press conference this week to update local media on the ongoing COVID-19 response and vaccination effort.
The press conference about an hour and featured Board of Supervisors Chair Virginia Bass, Health Officer Ian Hoffman, Emergency Services Manger Ryan Derby, Economic Development Director Scott Adair and Humboldt County Vaccine Task Force member Lindsey Mendez.
A few highlights:
— Bass said the board will discuss next month the re-opening of all county government offices, while also potentially carving out the ability for many employees to continue to work from home.
— Derby said the county's Emergency Operations Center will look to wind down COVID operations in June, transferring oversight of the ongoing emergency to the Public Health Department in anticipation of the upcoming fire season.
— Hoffman said that while the county is currently facing a glut of open vaccine appointments, it's too early to tell exactly why that is, saying glitches with the state's registration website could be playing a role. He also said it's possible the public has yet to adapt to a climate of scarcity, in which vaccine eligibility was narrow and doses hard to find, to one of abundance, in which everyone 16 and older is eligible and appointments are available.
— Mendez said the county vaccine task force is looking to deploy mobile vaccine units in the near future to outlying areas in an effort to meet people where they are and vaccinate those who can't — or won't — travel to a population center to get vaccinated.
Watch the full press conference in the video below.
Comments