Press release from the Humboldt County Public Health Division:

Humboldt County residents will have new COVID-19 quarantine guidance going forward in a new Mass Quarantine Order issued today by County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman. The new order is set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Nov. 8. 

Under the new Quarantine Order:

• Unvaccinated individuals who have been a close contact — within 6 feet for 15 minutes total over a 24-hour period — with someone who has COVID-19 must immediately quarantine in their home for 14 days.
• Fully vaccinated individuals who have been a close contact do not have to quarantine but are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor for symptoms, get tested 5-7 days after the exposure and wear a mask in public for 14 days, while also following applicable local and state masking orders.
• Specific measures are outlined to shorten the 14-day quarantine period for unvaccinated individuals who are close contacts based on the CDC guidance:

1. Unvaccinated individuals who are a close contact and don’t develop symptoms may end quarantine after day 10 without testing.
2. Unvaccinated individuals who are a close contact may end quarantine after day seven if they don’t develop symptoms and receive a negative test result from a test taken on day five or later from the date of the last exposure.

Read the Humboldt County Health Officer Mass Quarantine Order.

The new masking order also takes effect on Monday, which removes the outdoor mask requirement and establishes metrics for the removal of certain other indoor mask requirements. Read the Order of the Humboldt County Health Officer for the Wearing of Face Coverings in Workplaces and Indoor Public Settings.

Humboldt County Public Health reported 25 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing to 9,452 the total number of residents who have tested positive for the virus. No new deaths or hospitalizations were reported for the second time this week.

Since the last weekly data update on Oct. 29, the county has recorded 118 new cases of COVID-19. Four deaths were also reported during that period, including two fully vaccinated people. The average age of the deaths due to COVID-19 is 79 among the fully vaccinated residents and 65 in the unvaccinated. Of the 10 hospitalizations reported over the last week, two people were fully vaccinated and eight were unvaccinated. Age ranges of reported hospitalizations are as follows:

• 1 person in their 30s
• 3 people in their 40s
• 1 person in their 50s
• 2 people in their 60s
• 1 person in their 70s
• 2 people aged 80 or older

The seven-day average case rate in Humboldt County is currently 13, meaning for every 100,000 residents, about 13 residents tested positive daily over the last seven days. Case rates vary considerably by vaccination status, as illustrated by the graph below, which depicts average weekly case rates since Dec. 2020 in unvaccinated and fully vaccinated residents.

The current seven-day average case rate for fully vaccinated individuals is five per 100,000 residents while the case rate for unvaccinated individuals is more than three times higher at 16 per 100,000 residents. View a more detailed depiction of the case rate graph.

Public Health officials continue to stress that vaccination is one of the best tools to end the COVID-19 pandemic. All eligible residents who are unvaccinated are urged to get one of the three authorized vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine is now authorized for ages 5 to 11 and is recommended for children in this age group. For more information or to schedule an appointment, parents should contact their child’s health care provider or local pharmacy.

Humboldt County Public Health will hold three vaccination clinics in Eureka this weekend, and all services are offered free of charge. Residents who receive a vaccine at the Arts Alive! clinic in Eureka Saturday may enter to win a gift basket donated by local businesses. Those who receive their first or second dose at a Public Health office in Eureka, Willow Creek or Garberville can choose a $25 Renner Petroleum or Coming Attractions Theatres gift card on a first-come, first-served basis.

Appointments are recommended for most vaccination clinics and required at Public Health Main in Eureka due to an increase in demand for additional doses and boosters. Sign up in advance at MyTurn.ca.gov.

See the schedule below for specific vaccination and testing clinic dates, times, locations and available services:

Eureka — Saturday, Nov. 6, noon to 4 p.m.
     Eureka Migrations Street Festival (At the corner of 2nd and E streets)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     PCR and rapid testing available

Eureka — Saturday, Nov. 6, 5 to 8 p.m.
     Arts Alive! (231 Second St.)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     PCR and rapid testing available
     *Those who get vaccinated at this clinic may enter to win a gift basket donated by local businesses.

Eureka — Sunday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
     Eureka High School (1915 J St.)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     PCR and rapid testing available

Eureka — Monday, Nov. 8, 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
     Appointments required
    $25 gift card for those receiving a first or second dose

Willow Creek — Tuesday, Nov. 9, 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 those receiving a first or second dose

Garberville — Wednesday, Nov. 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
     Public Health Office (727 Cedar St.)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     PCR and rapid testing available
     $25 gift card for those receiving a first or second dose

Eureka — Friday, Nov. 12, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
     Wharfinger Building (1 Marina Way)
     Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson/Moderna
     No testing available at this clinic. PCR testing offered through OptumServe on lower floor of Wharfinger Building.

Vaccines, including boosters, are widely 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.

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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