[CORRECTION: The press release below initially said southern Eureka was among the regions experiencing unusually high COVID cases in recent weeks. The Outpost noticed that the zip codes listed in the release don’t include any in southern Eureka. We asked the county to clarify and learned that was indeed a mistake; southern Eureka should not have been included. The post has been updated to reflect that.] 

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Press release from the County:

Humboldt County Public Health issued an alert this morning to medical providers in the southern Eureka/greater Fortuna area cautioning that COVID-19 contact tracing and investigations show an unusually high number of schools, facilities, businesses and youth sports leagues reporting cases over the past several weeks. 
The alert outlines for providers the importance of vaccination, testing and what steps to follow if a resident tests positive for COVID-19 on an at-home test. 

Analysis by Public Health’s Epidemiology Program has shown that the following zip codes, 95540, 95547, 95528, 95562, and 95565, which include southern Eureka, Fortuna, Rio Dell, Scotia, Hydesville and Carlotta, have been experiencing higher than usual cases, hospitalizations and deaths during the Delta surge starting in June. 

Over the past two months, there have been 60% more cases in these zip codes compared to the rest of the county. Further analysis shows that while the COVID-19 case rates are declining countywide, in this geographic area the rates are declining at half the rate seen in the rest of the county. Analysis of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths for these zip codes show that both were higher than the countywide numbers, with a 48% increase in hospitalizations and 28% increase in deaths. 

Because of the high COVID-19 case rates and lower vaccination rates in these areas, Humboldt County Public Health is encouraging everyone who takes an at-home test that is positive to follow CDC isolation instructions and contact their medical provider for medical guidance immediately. Public Health further recommends that people who have positive home tests also have a PCR test through a medical provider’s office, a local pharmacy or at a county-sponsored testing site. PCR testing after a positive at-home test is best done within 24-48 hours after the positive test.  

Humboldt County Public Health continues to monitor for disease outbreak in the county as part of its ongoing work in Communicable Disease.  

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 707-441-5000.