Humboldt County Public Health confirmed six new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the countywide total to 4,514. A person in their 40s was also hospitalized.

Public Health also announced that more than 128,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, with 45.9 percent of the county’s total population, which is estimated at 135,940 residents, is fully vaccinated and 52.4 percent of the eligible population age 12 and older are fully vaccinated.

The California Department of Public Health also reports — using additional data that is not reported to the county's database — that 64.1 percent of Humboldt County’s eligible population has received at least one dose of vaccine.

Today's case results came after laboratories processed 159 samples with a test-positivity rate of 5.71 percent. According to a state database, 14 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 locally, including five under intensive care.

College of the Redwoods is hosting its final mass vaccination clinic today, but a few other vaccine clinics are planned for the rest of the week. Public Health vaccinations clinics scheduled this week in Bridgeville, Redcrest and Eureka will include the Pfizer vaccine, the only one authorized for those 12 to 17.

Clinic schedule:

Redcrest – Thursday, June 24 – Noon to 3:30 p.m. Redcrest Community Center (115 Sorenson Road) Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson

Bridgeville – Friday, June 25 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bridgeville Baptist Church (48215 Alderpoint Road) Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson

Eureka – Saturday, June 26 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eureka High School cafeteria (1915 J St.) Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson

To make an appointment in advance or view additional vaccination opportunities and to request help with transportation, visit www.vaccines.gov or www.myturn.ca.gov.

To date, Humboldt County has confirmed 4,514 cases, with 207 hospitalizations and 49 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths.

The county dashboard lists 4,359 people as having "recovered" from the virus locally, though that just means they are no longer contagious and does not account for long-term health impacts, which local healthcare workers have told the Journal can be substantial, even in previously healthy patients.

The county’s test positivity rate has gone from 3.6 percent in November, to 7.3 percent in December and 9.9 percent in January, before dropping to 6.5 percent in February. In March, it dropped to 4.5 percent before inching back up to 5.9 percent in April. In May, it jumped to 8.3 percent. The positivity rate for the last week is 5.8 percent.

Meanwhile, the county's Joint Information Center is urging locals to get tested, calling it "one of the most helpful things county residents can do for the community at large," because it allows Public Health to catch cases early and limit spread. The state-run OptumServe testing site at Redwood Acres Fairgrounds in Eureka is open seven days a week and no-cost appointments can be made by clicking here or calling (888) 634-1123 and other newly opened screening site information can be found here.

The Humboldt County Data Dashboard includes 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 the county. 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 [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 assessing risk factors for contracting the illness, which can be found 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.

Read the county release below:

June 23, 2021 - 6 New Cases Reported Today; More Than 128,000 Vaccine Doses Administered
A total of 4,514 Humboldt County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 after six new cases were reported today. One resident in their 40s was hospitalized with the virus.

Humboldt County Public Health and other approved local vaccinators have administered a total of 128,430 doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccination data on the Humboldt County Data Dashboard has been updated with the latest information from the California Immunization Registry (CAIR). Some highlights include:

• Nearly 1 in 5, or 19.4%, of residents in the 12 to 15 age group — the group that most recently became eligible — are fully vaccinated. That’s 8 percentage points more than last week and the largest increase of any age group.
• 45.9% of the county’s total population, which is estimated at 135,940 residents, is fully vaccinated. 52.4% of the eligible population age 12 and older are fully vaccinated.
• 52.9% of the county’s total population and 60.5% of the eligible population have received at least one dose of vaccine, meaning they have some protection against the virus.

Data provided by the California Department of Public Health, which includes additional information not reflected in the CAIR database, reports that 64.1% of Humboldt County’s eligible population has received at least one dose of vaccine.

Thousands of local residents have received the COVID-19 vaccine at Public Health mass vaccination clinics held at the College of the Redwoods (CR). The college is hosting its final clinic today, and Public Health Director Michele Stephens expressed her gratitude to the college and campus staff for the successful partnership.

“Planning and conducting mass vaccination clinics for our entire county required a communitywide response, and we are forever grateful to CR and our partners for all their support and efforts in getting COVID-19 vaccine to thousands of people,” Director Stephens said. “We are especially grateful to College of the Redwoods for their support as Public Health’s mass vaccination site.”

CR President Keith Flamer added that he was honored the college was asked to serve as a vaccination clinic site. “The Board of Trustees, faculty and staff of College of the Redwoods have been inspired by the commitment of Humboldt County Public Health in the effort to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus and to vaccinate Humboldt County residents,” he said. “I am extremely glad that CR was able to contribute to the herculean effort it's taken to safeguard the community. CR stands ready to do all it can to support the work of Public Health.”

Public Health will continue to hold vaccination clinics at various locations throughout the county and will be in Redcrest, Bridgeville, Eureka and Petrolia over the next week. All Public Health clinics are open to walk-ins. Those who would like to make an appointment in advance may do so at MyTurn.ca.gov. See the schedule of Public Health’s clinics below.

Redcrest – Thursday, June 24 – Noon to 3:30 p.m.
     Redcrest Community Center (115 Sorenson Road)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson

Bridgeville – Friday, June 25 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
     Bridgeville Baptist Church (48215 Alderpoint Road)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson

Eureka – Saturday, June 26 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
     Eureka High School cafeteria (1915 J St.)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson

Petrolia – Wednesday, June 30 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
     Mattole Grange (36512 Mattole Road)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is authorized for people 18 and older. County residents age 12 and older can receive the Pfizer vaccine. Minor children must be accompanied to the clinic by a parent or guardian. Minor consent forms are available online in English and Spanish and may be printed and filled out for each minor child before coming to the clinic.

English: humboldtgov.org/MinorConsentEnglish
Español: humboldtgov.org/MinorConsentEspanol

COVID-19 vaccine is also available at many local pharmacies. Check availability at vaccines.gov, or text a ZIP code to 438829 to find a participating pharmacy nearby. Most pharmacies allow walk-ins.

View the Humboldt County Data Dashboard online at humboldtgov.org/dashboard, or go to humboldtgov.org/DashboardArchives to download today’s data.

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