News Blog
Public Health reported that the first known case of the new Omicron variant was confirmed in the United States yesterday in San Francisco. While there are not yet any known cases in Humboldt County, health officials are asking doctors to ask their patients about travel histories so they can identify and test anyone who may have been exposed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends international travelers get a COVID-19 test three to five days after travel regardless of vaccination status.
Residents who test positive for the virus with at-home tests and have traveled internationally in the previous 14 days are asked to call the county's Joint Information Center at 441-5000 to report results to Public Health.
Today's cases come after laboratories processed 303 samples with a test-positivity rate of 7.3 percent. After recording a test-positivity rate of 10.1 percent in July — the highest for any month since the pandemic began — the rate in Humboldt County jumped to 15.9 percent in August and 15.2 percent in September. In October, it dipped to 12.1 percent but rose to 14.2 percent in November — a concerning upward trend as Humboldt County enters the holiday season.
Last November, Humboldt County confirmed 329 new cases with a test-positivity rate of 3.6 percent, kicking off a holiday case surge that saw those numbers jump to 865 new cases with a 7.3 percent test-positivity rate in December, followed by 995 and 9.9 percent last December.
Public Health officials continue to stress that the best way for residents to protect themselves from COVID-19 and variants like Omicron is to get vaccinated, wear masks indoors and in crowded places, get tested immediately regardless of vaccination status if any cold- or flu-like symptoms develop and stay home when sick.
The CDC has designated Humboldt County as an area of high community transmission and recommends holding gatherings outdoors when possible, limiting the number of participants in indoor gatherings, adjusting the indoor layout to allow for physical distancing and enhancing the ventilation of indoor spaces.
Public Health Officer Ian Hoffman went on family leave on Nov. 15 and is expected to return in a part-time capacity for the next few weeks before returning to his full-time role. In the meantime, Kate Estlin, a local family physician with a practice in Fortuna who also works as a hospitalist at Redwood Memorial and St. Joseph hospitals, had stepped in to serve as health officer in Hoffman’s absence.The Food and Drug Administration recently authorized boosters for all eligible adults who are at least six months past their second shot of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines and two months past their shot of Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
The FDA also recently authorized the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use for children 5 to 11 years old and local pharmacies and pediatricians have begun making appointments, while Public Health announced it will hold several pediatric and family vaccination clinics. Appointments will be required and can be made at www.vaccines.gov. Boosters will not be available at these clinics.
Public Health reported on Nov. 19 that Humboldt's seven-day average case rate is currently at 15.8, meaning that for every 100,000 residents, 15.8 residents tested positive for the virus daily over the last seven days. But the case rate varies by vaccination status.
The seven-day average case rate for fully vaccinated individuals was nine per 100,000 residents per day, while the average daily case rate for unvaccinated individuals is 16 per 100,000 residents. View a more detailed depiction of the case rate graph here.
The CDC published a study indicating unvaccinated individuals are 11 times more likely to die of COVID-19 and 10 times more likely to be hospitalized than their fully vaccinated counterparts.
National, state and local health officials advise that vaccination remains incredibly safe and effective protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death from COIVD-19, and the county has a host of no-cost clinics scheduled over the next week.
Eureka— Friday, Dec. 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.mWharfinger Building (1 Marina Way).
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.
Eureka Family Clinic – Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Eureka High School Cafeteria (1915 J St.)
Ages 5-18 and family members. No boosters.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.
Fortuna Family Clinic – Sunday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fortuna Resource Center (2089 Newburg Road).
Ages 5-18 and family members. No boosters.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.
Eureka — Monday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Clinic appointments full.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
Appointment required. No testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.
Willow Creek — Tuesday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Public Health Office (77 Walnut Way)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.
Appointments strongly recommended.
Redway — Wednesday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
DHHS Office (3156 Redwood Drive)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.
Trinidad Family Clinic— Thursday, Dec. 9, 2 to 7 p.m.
Trinidad Town Hall (409 Trinity St.)
Ages 5-18 and family members.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.
Today's confirmed cases bring the county's total to 10,145 with 452 hospitalizations and 119 COVID-19 related deaths.
Nationwide, more than 48.6 million cases have been confirmed with 781,963 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Of those, 4.8 million cases and 73,919 related deaths have been confirmed in California, 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 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 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 JIC's report below.
Dec. 2, 2021 - 2 Hospitalizations, 22 New Cases Reported
Humboldt County Public Health reported today 22 new cases of COVID-19, bringing to 10,145 the total number of residents who have tested positive for the virus. Two new hospitalizations were also reported, a resident in their 60s and one aged 80 or older.With the new Omicron variant confirmed in San Francisco yesterday, health officials throughout the state are continuing to test and contact trace to identify and limit its spread.
There are no known cases of the Omicron variant in Humboldt County, but health officials are requesting doctors to ask their patients about their travel history so that they can identify and test those who may have been exposed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends international travelers get a COVID-19 test three to five days after travel regardless of vaccination status.
Residents who travelled internationally in the past two weeks and test positive on at-home tests are asked to call the Joint Information Center at 1-707-441-5000 to report their results to Public Health. Those who have not travelled outside the U.S. and test positive with an at-home test for COVID-19 should notify their care provider, or Public Health if there is no provider, and isolate to limit the spread of disease.
Health officials continue to stress that the best way for residents to protect themselves from COVID-19 and variants like Omicron is to get vaccinated, wear masks indoors and in crowded places, get tested immediately regardless of vaccination status if any cold- or flu-like symptoms develop, and stay home when sick.
Public Health is offering family vaccination clinics throughout December to give priority to children aged 5 to 11 and provide family members a convenient way to get their vaccines.
All eligible adults aged 18 and older are encouraged to get a booster. Health officials also stress that those who are partially vaccinated should complete their vaccination series. Someone who is fully vaccinated is half as likely to pass on the infection as someone who is unvaccinated. According to data from the CDC, an unvaccinated person is nearly six times more likely to get COVID-19 and 14 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than a vaccinated person.
Vaccines, including boosters, are available at local pharmacies. To check the availability of a specific vaccine, visit the vaccines.gov page, or text a ZIP code to 438829 to locate a nearby pharmacy offering vaccines.
Humboldt County’s vaccination and testing services are available free of charge. Although walk-ins are allowed at most regular Public Health clinics and many pharmacy vaccination sites, a sharp increase in demand for boosters has caused delays at some locations. As a result, appointments are required for pediatric clinics and for clinics at Public Health’s main office. Appointments are strongly recommended for all other clinics and are the best way to ensure a shot is available during your visit. Appointments can be made at MyTurn.ca.gov.
See the schedule below for specific Public Health vaccination and testing clinic dates, times, locations and available services:
Eureka— Friday, Dec. 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m
Wharfinger Building (1 Marina Way).
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
No rapid testing available at this clinic. PCR testing offered through OptumServe on the lower floor of the Wharfinger Building.
Appointments strongly recommended.Eureka Family Clinic – Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Clinic appointments full.
Eureka High School Cafeteria (1915 J St.)
Ages 5-18 and family members.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.Fortuna Family Clinic – Sunday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Walker Elementary School Cafeteria (2089 Newburg Road)
Ages 5-18 and family members.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.Eureka — Monday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Clinic appointments full.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
Appointment required. No testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.
Appointments required.Willow Creek — Tuesday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Public Health Office (77 Walnut Way)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.
Appointments strongly recommended.Redway — Wednesday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
DHHS Office (3156 Redwood Drive)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose.Trinidad Family Clinic— Thursday, Dec. 9, 2 to 7 p.m.
Trinidad Town Hall (409 Trinity St.)
Ages 5-18 and family members.
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna.
PCR and rapid testing available.
Appointments strongly recommended.View the Data Dashboard online at humboldtgov.org/dashboard, or go to humboldtgov.org/DashboardArchives to download data from a previous time.
For the most recent COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or by contacting covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us or calling 1-707-441-5000.
Sign up for COVID-19 vaccination: MyTurn.ca.gov
Check for vaccine availability at a local pharmacy: Vaccines.gov
Local COVID-19 vaccine information: humboldtgov.org/VaccineInfo
Humboldt County COVID-19 Data Dashboard: humboldtgov.org/Dashboard
Follow us on Facebook: @HumCoCOVID19
Instagram: @HumCoCOVID19
Twitter: @HumCoCOVID19
Humboldt Health Alert: humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert
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