Humboldt County Public Health reported today it has confirmed 872 new COVID-19 cases and two hospitalizations since Friday.

The report comes on the heels of a record 2,010 new cases confirmed last week and make 4,848 new cases confirmed so far in January — more than 30 percent of the county's cumulative case count through the 23-month duration of the pandemic.

The current surge has been attributed to the highly contagious Omicron variant, which has been circulating locally at least since Dec. 19, and has sent case rates skyrocketing to unprecedented levels throughout the country.

And locally, the surge only seems to be accelerating as where the county reported an average of 122 new cases per day the first week in January, the daily average increased 23 percent to 159 new cases per day last week and has ballooned to 287 new cases reported per day last week. Local officials, meanwhile, predict the current surge will reach its peak sometime in February.

According to data released Friday from public health, over the past week, unvaccinated residents tested positive this week at a rate of 94 per 100,000 county residents while fully vaccinated tested positive at a rate of 85 per 100,000 county residents. Public health also advised that over the past 10 weeks, both hospitalizations and mortality rates for unvaccinated individuals were approximately 11 times greater than for the fully vaccinated.

While early data indicates the Omicron variant is less likely than prior iterations of the virus to result in severe illness, local hospitalization numbers — which generally trend 10 days to two weeks behind case trends — are already starting to tick up.

A state database shows 27 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 locally, with four under intensive care. The local hospital census peaked Sept. 3 with 42 COVID-19 patients but had fallen to nine patients Dec. 29. Across the nation, the Omicron surge has hit hospitals hard, with an influx of COVID-19 patients needing care, healthcare workers being infected and patients coming into the hospital for non COVID care testing positive for the virus at high rates, forcing hospitals to follow labor-intensive protocols to prevent spread to other patients and staff.

The federal government is providing four free at-home COVID tests per household to increase testing capacity in response to the recent surge in cases. These can be ordered online, free of charge, at www.COVIDTests.gov. Additionally, as of Jan. 15, federal law requires health insurers t cover the up-front costs of at-home COVID-19 tests purchased at pharmacies or other retailers.

Early studies indicate the Omicron variant is able to both infect and be transmitted by fully vaccinated people at roughly the same rates as with their unvaccinated counterparts, hastening its spread through the country, state and county. However, public health officials and doctors continue to report that the vaccines remain very effective at preventing severe illness and hospitalization, especially in people who have received their booster doses. Locally, just 42 percent of eligible residents have received their boosters, according to this report from CalMatters.

Public Health also reported last week that just more than 63 percent of the county's total population is now fully vaccinated, with 72 percent of its vaccine eligible population — those 5 and older — fully vaccinated.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released data indicating unvaccinated adults are more than eight times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those who are vaccinated, and Public Health reports locally unvaccinated residents are 17 times more likely to be hospitalized with the virus than their vaccinated counterparts.

Amid the ongoing surge locally, St. Joseph hospital sent out a press release earlier this month saying that, due to the Omicron variant's "increased disruption to hospital staffing," it was "reminding" the public that emergency rooms are not places to get tested or vaccinated for COVID-19.

Public Health has modified local quarantine and isolation requirements, and reminded today that those who test positive for the virus and are symptomatic should isolate for at least five full days after the onset of symptoms. If a person is asymptomatic or has symptoms that are improving on day five, they can test and — if the test is negative — leave isolation beginning on day six, wearing a well-fitted mask around others for an additional five days. Anyone who still tests positive for the virus on the fifth day should continue to isolate for the entire 10-day period. (Read more on this in the press release below.)

The county reported Jan. 3 that genomic sequencing on two samples taken between Dec. 19 and Dec. 21 were determined to be Omicron, meaning the variant has been circulating in the county for weeks. For more on the Omicron variant and what it means for Humboldt, read last week's Journal cover story here.
All residents ages 12 and older are now eligible to receive vaccine boosters if it has been at least five months since they completed their primary vaccination series.

National, state and local health officials advise that vaccination remains incredibly safe and effective protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19, and the county has a host of no-cost clinics scheduled over the next week. With the upcoming holidays and high demand for testing and vaccine, Public Health highly recommends scheduling an appointment for either.

Fortuna — Saturday, Jan. 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fortuna Veterans Hall (1426 Main St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
PCR and rapid testing available on a first-come first-served basis
Appointments for vaccinations strongly recommended.

Fortuna — Sunday, Jan. 23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Walker Elementary School (2089 Newburg Road)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
PCR and rapid testing available on a first-come first-served basis
Appointments for vaccinations strongly recommended.

Eureka — Monday, Jan. 24, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
No testing available
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose
Appointments required.

Eureka — Tuesday, Jan. 25, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Ages 12 and older
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
No testing available
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose
Appointments required.

Eureka Pediatric Clinic — Tuesday, Jan. 25, 1:15 to 3:45 p.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Ages 5 to 11
Pfizer only
No testing available
Appointments required.

Willow Creek — Tuesday, Jan. 25, 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 on a first-come first-served basis
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose
Appointments for vaccinations strongly recommended.

Eureka — Wednesday, Jan. 26, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Marshall Resource Center (2100 J St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
PCR and rapid testing available on a first-come first-served basis
Appointments for vaccinations strongly recommended.

Trinidad — Thursday, Jan. 27, 2 to 7 p.m.
Trinidad Town Hall (409 Trinity St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
PCR and rapid testing available on a first-come first-served basis
Appointments for vaccinations strongly recommended.

Eureka — Friday, Jan. 28, 1 to 8 p.m.
Wharfinger Building (1 Marina Way)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
No rapid testing available at this clinic. PCR testing offered through OptumServe by appointment on the lower floor of the Wharfinger Building.
Appointments for vaccinations strongly recommended.

McKinleyville — Saturday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
McKinleyville High School (1300 Murray Road)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
PCR and rapid testing available on a first-come first-served basis
Appointments for vaccinations strongly recommended.

Today's confirmed cases bring the county's total to 15,800 with 502 hospitalizations and 129 COVID-19 related deaths.

Nationwide, more than 70.6 million cases have been confirmed with 864,203
deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Of those, 7.4 million cases and 78,101 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 [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 JIC's report below.

Jan. 24, 2022 - 2 New Hospitalizations, 872 New Cases Since Friday
Humboldt County Public Health reported today two new hospitalizations due to COVID-19 since Friday, a resident in their 60s and another in their 70s. An additional 872 new cases were also reported since Friday, bringing to 15,800 the total number of residents who have tested positive for the virus. No new deaths were reported.

Over the weekend, 229 individuals were vaccinated at two Public Health clinics held in Fortuna and one in Eureka.

Public Health officials are reminding residents, particularly those who are not vaccinated, to reduce their risk of catching and spreading the highly transmissible COVID-19 Omicron variant that is circulating widely in the community and pushing record high cases locally. Residents are encouraged to wear a well-fitted mask approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in all indoor public spaces, distance six feet from others when possible and avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.

While vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals are both at high risk to get Omicron, unlike other variants such as Delta, health officials say the risk of hospitalization and death for those who are unvaccinated remains significantly higher. Local data shows that unvaccinated adults in Humboldt County are 13 times more likely to be hospitalized than those adults who are fully vaccinated.

Everyone aged 5 and older is urged to get vaccinated and all eligible individuals aged 12 and older are recommended to get a booster. Fully vaccinated or boosted individuals typically develop milder symptoms, experience shorter illness duration and have fewer hospitalizations and less severe outcomes. Boosters for those who are eligible reduce the risk of hospitalization even more than being fully vaccinated.

As always, 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, an 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.

Vaccines, including boosters, are available at local pharmacies. To check the availability of a specific vaccine, visit the vaccines.gov page, or text your ZIP code to 438829 to locate a nearby pharmacy offering vaccines.

See the schedule below for specific Public Health vaccination and testing clinic dates, times, locations and available services. Questions about clinic services can be directed to the Joint Information Center at 1-707-441-5000.

Eureka — Tuesday, Jan. 25, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Ages 12 and older
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
No testing available
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose
Appointments required.

Eureka Pediatric Clinic — Tuesday, Jan. 25, 1:15 to 3:45 p.m.
Public Health Main Office (529 I St.)
Ages 5 to 11
Pfizer only
No testing available
Appointments required.

Willow Creek — Tuesday, Jan. 25, 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 on a first-come first-served basis
$25 gift card for adults receiving a first or second dose
Appointments for vaccinations strongly recommended.

Eureka — Wednesday, Jan. 26, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Marshall Resource Center (2100 J St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
PCR and rapid testing available on a first-come first-served basis
Appointments for vaccinations strongly recommended.

Trinidad — Thursday, Jan. 27, 2 to 7 p.m.
Trinidad Town Hall (409 Trinity St.)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
PCR and rapid testing available on a first-come first-served basis
Appointments for vaccinations strongly recommended.

Eureka — Friday, Jan. 28, 1 to 8 p.m.
Wharfinger Building (1 Marina Way)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
No rapid testing available at this clinic. PCR testing offered through OptumServe by appointment on the lower floor of the Wharfinger Building.
Appointments for vaccinations strongly recommended.

McKinleyville — Saturday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
McKinleyville High School (1300 Murray Road)
Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
PCR and rapid testing available on a first-come first-served basis
Appointments for vaccinations 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 [email protected] 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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