Press release from the Humboldt County Joint Information Center:

A 17^th Humboldt County resident has died after testing positive for COVID-19, and an additional 27 cases of the virus were reported today. The total number of county residents who have tested positive for the virus now stands at 1,539. 

 The person who died was in their 80s and died out of county. Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said Public Health extends its sympathies to the families who have lost loved ones to the virus. 

 In vaccine news, the county received its first shipment of the Moderna vaccine earlier this week. The Moderna vaccine is especially important for rural communities because it does not need to be frozen at extreme temperatures, and once thawed can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 30 days. The Moderna vaccine can also be shipped in smaller quantities. Distribution of this vaccine to local providers started today and will continue in weekly allocations. 

The county is currently in Phase 1A of vaccine distribution, which includes three tiers that indicate priority. Humboldt County is currently vaccinating Phase 1A-tier 1 and is making preparations to expand to tier 2, which will include community health workers, home health and in-home supportive services, Public Health field staff and primary care clinics.  

For more information about Phase IA tiers and who will be next in the vaccine distribution process, visit: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/CDPH-Allocation-Guidelines-for-COVID-19-Vaccine-During-Phase-1A-Recommendations.aspx

Most County of Humboldt facilities are closed Dec. 24 and 25, although the Joint Information Center will open Saturday, Dec. 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., to take calls from the public on topics related to the virus. 

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

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