Press release from the Humboldt County Joint Information Center:

Thirty-six new cases of COVID-19 were reported today. The total number of county residents who have tested positive for the virus is now 1,231. 

Starting today, the Humboldt County Data Dashboard (humboldtgov.org/dashboard) will update four measurements related to hospital capacity Monday through Friday excluding holidays. There is an approximate 24-hour lag in reporting this information by the California Department of Public Health. 

The Current Hospital Information dataset includes:

• Northern California region ICU (intensive care unit) capacity – The percentage of available ICU beds in the 11 Northern California region counties combined. 
• Humboldt County ICU Bed Availability – The percentage of available ICU beds in Humboldt County.
• Humboldt County Current COVID-19 Hospitalizations – The number of people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Humboldt County.
• Humboldt County COVID-19 Occupied ICU Beds – The number of Humboldt County ICU beds currently occupied by patients with COVID-19. 

The State of California ties implementation of COVID-19 containment measures to a region’s ICU capacity. Humboldt is assigned to the Northern California region along with 10 other counties. If ICU capacity in the region fell below 15%, the Regional Stay Home Order would take effect the next evening at 11:59 p.m. 

Humboldt County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Josh Ennis said ICU numbers can fluctuate on a daily basis as patients worsen or improve during their hospital stay. Hospital information is now being made available because increasing numbers of hospitalizations make patient privacy concerns less of an issue, and due to its relevance to the Regional Stay Home Order. 

“This hospital capacity information will put front and center our concerns with overwhelming the health care system,” Dr. Ennis said. He added that the ICU availability metric does not reflect the ability of local hospitals to respond in a dynamic way to create more space. “While we’ve already worked with hospitals to create eight additional ICU beds, resources—most importantly health care workers—are not unlimited, and response to surge can impact both quality and non-COVID service delivery.” 

The dashboard also now includes hospitalization and death counts by age group in addition to displaying the rate by age group. Data on serology or antibody testing has been removed since active antibody screening is no longer occurring, and the percentage is unlikely to be reliable. 

Dr. Ennis said, “We’ll continue to look for opportunities to provide accurate, helpful information in a way that is balanced with the need to protect patient privacy.” 

For the most recent COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or during business hours by contacting covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us or calling 707-441-5000. 

Humboldt County COVID-19 Data Dashboard: humboldtgov.org/dashboard,
Follow us on Facebook: @HumCoCOVID19,
Instagram: @HumCoCOVID19,
Twitter: @HumCoCOVID19, and
Humboldt Health Alert: humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert 

###

Screenshot of today’s Current Hospital Information tool on the Humboldt County Data Dashboard.