Humboldt County Declares Local Health Emergency and Announces Some Limited Testing Capability for COVID-19
Press release from the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services:
Humboldt County Health Officer Teresa Frankovich, MD, has declared a Local Health Emergency in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in California and beyond.
This action is expected to free up additional resources within the county and increase coordination between local, state and federal authorities working to respond to the outbreak.
Frankovich called the emergency declaration “a timely and important step that will enhance our ability to increase preparedness activities and respond appropriately to any additional COVID-19 cases within the community.” She noted that while this is an important administrative step to take in light of the rapidly evolving situation throughout the world, it does not reflect a significant change in our own community.
“We currently have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Humboldt County, but we know that is likely to change soon based on what is happening across the state,” Frankovich said. “More cases will mean increased demands not just on Public Health but also on our hospitals, clinics, EMS and other agencies and providers that are such a critical part of every community’s response.”
The emergency declaration will also support the Humboldt County Public Health Laboratory which is now able to begin on-site COVID-19 testing locally.
Although testing capacity at public health labs remains limited at this time, Public Health Lab Manager Jeremy Corrigan said, “It is our understanding that some commercial labs are beginning to offer testing as well, which would increase testing availability for our community.”
Frankovich said providers will be able to make decisions with their patients about testing and route specimens through local public health or commercial labs, depending on the clinical situation, local lab capacity and provider preference. Local health care providers are being made aware of these options today.
Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services Public Health Director Michele Stephens said the declaration is expected to “open up resources to assist with in-the-moment needs, like staffing and equipment, as well as taking the first step toward potentially recouping costs once the emergency is resolved.”
Per Humboldt County Code 2210-8, the County Health Officer can declare a local health emergency for up to seven days before Board of Supervisors’ authorization is required. The Board of Supervisors must then review and reauthorize the declaration at least every 14 days until the emergency is terminated. The Board is expected to take up the declaration at its March 17 meeting.
Currently, Humboldt County has no known cases of COVID-19. The individual who was previously confirmed to have contracted the virus has recovered and was released from isolation on Feb. 28, after meeting all conditions for clearance required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A close contact of the individual was released from isolation March 2.
For current information about COVID-19, visit CDC.gov or CDPH.ca.gov. Local information is available 24 hours a day at humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert, or during business hours by emailing [email protected] or calling 707-445-6200.
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To date we have tested like 500 people and just tell the sick to stay at home. South Korea tests 10,000 per day and tracks everyone connected to the infected and isolates them all. That is like getting your ass kicked 40-0 by the JV team. 1 million test kits go out at the end of the week, since the virus has been allowed to do whatever it wants with no interference for 2 months, well, finally testing should be interesting…
Chuck,
Fortunately we are close to 7,000 tests now.
Unfortunately, we are only at about 7,000 tests now.
S. Korea and the US announced their first cases on the same exact day.
They are nearing 200,000 tests, compared to our near 7,000.
Remember last week when Trump said our 12 cases would go down to zero…
Trump screwed this up so bad, even he realizes it this time.
Trumps first real test: Epic Fail
Oh my god make it about politics. [edit]
Trump made it political.
I’m just being factual. I don’t care what party he thinks he belongs to, he is an absolute moron.
Yes he is as well as a malignant narcissist and sociopath.
That’s not “making it about politics”.
It’s pointing out the connection between politics and the virus.
The connection is not fabricated.
Political? Here’s political: This thing follows right on the heels of Trump winning the trade war against China. Release this virus and the stock market instantly tanks. Hell of a coincidence; hell of a correlation. Biological weapon, I’m thinking. I’m practically certain. Not only that, but they (They: the Establishment; the people who rule us; the people who orchestrate the hologram) have been pimping us up to this for years, with their bestseller novels and edge-of-our-seats thriller movies with narratives almost identical to this here dog-and-pony-show we’re in now. They’ve been insinuating this stuff into the collective subconscious for over the past decade or so. That’s what I really find so spooky about all this.
^Best Comment^
Hey, sounds like a bunch of circle jerks feeling better about themselves.
Bring it on Corona.
FULL SWEEP FOR VICTORY
I can’t believe this shit propaganda fear-mongering idiocy is legal during a pandemic.
Boy, you’re lucky I don’t pull the strings around here.
Wow u all got it figured out huh?
Yup
“I can’t believe this shit propaganda fear-mongering idiocy is legal during a pandemic.”
Freedom of speech is a bitch ,
ain’t she?
People who think like you.
are a special kind of dangerous our forefathers reminded us about.
Natural born or naturalized?
@ Sid & Jovyde.
Hi!
Yes we are Brian. We would all be living in a totalitarian dictatorship that you would be calling a socialist utopia!! Round us all up and put us in camps Brian!
Oooooo, Spooky !!!?
Swine,
Its not about politics. Its about a man screwing up his job so badly that people will die. That’s not political. That’s personal. ‘That man hurt my mom,’ personal.
How? Did Trump forget to stop by and wash your hands for you last night?
Here’s what the far right National Review said,
https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/03/president-trump-needs-to-step-up-on-the-coronavirus/
How can anyone have a rational disussion about Trump’s actions when everything is delivered in four letter word invective? Indeed Trump is self aggrandizing and defensive, which seems to be all that matters on this site. He is also frequently spot on and effective in his actions, which gets equally abused. It doesn’t matter to the haters either way. Too many here are encouraged to do just that.
That some editorial you chose to wave as a flag says the obvious does not excuse the pit bull assaults against Trump supporters. And you can’t rationally say that Trump supporters do not acknowledge his defects when they are slammed simply not hating him to the same level you seem to hare him. Even trying to be reasonable is slammed as excusing him for everything. Trying to be rational in the face of progressive spew is impossible.
Of course Trump has defects. Lots of them from hyper defensivenes to ridiculous use of name calling. But, like you said about Biden, if you can’t get Bernie, you’ll take what you can get. Trump is what we could get because -well my favorite whipping boy for putting people at each other’s throats is the national press. He is neither a real conservative nor an experienced politician nor a stateman nor politic. He is intemperate. He is what we could get. Sad as it is, he still looks better than the alternatives.
Frankly as he has gone on as President, I have come to admire some of the flip side of his negatives. He has endured crap that would have sunk anyone else. He has tried to keep his promises even when he regretted making them. Most of all he loves the country even if he tends to conflate that with loving him personally. I simply trust him to take care of the country more than I trust those who do nothing but hate on it. I may not believe liberals when they say what is wrong with the country but I do believe they really do hate everyone who doesn’t perfectly agree with them on everything. Because they say so.
Guest.. Sorry but, I do beilive your grossly mistaken. I don’t believe tRump “Loves his Country”. If he did, he would not have made a deal with Russia to secure the election. tRump luvs money and his big money intrest buddies. That’s it! I am not a fan of Hillary or Bidden, but I take the opposite opinion of you.. they are both much better for America than tRump! As the Battle of the Grandpa’s rages.. we will see what happens.. but.. just remember, don’t feel so secure in tRump wining. tRump lost the popular vote last time, and has participated in a number of rotten activities since.. soo.. I think Biden has a shot of de throning Chump!
At this point Paris Hilton or Mickey Mouse could take the Presidency from Trump.
Another 4 weeks of mismanaging the crisis I’ll be surprised if he isn’t thrown out by Pence.
It looks like Mickey Mouse will be free now, that they are shutting down Disney Land..
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Coronavirus-to-shutter-Disneyland-DCA-15127117.php
Gavin Gruesome still sucks in my book, I would rather have Mickey Mouse than Gavin as governor.
According to the New York Times Washington state requested a kit to test for carona virus in the community of Seattle and was denied in January of this year. The criteria for testing was limited to people traveling from China and exhibiting fever.
Our lack of test kits is, in my opinion, going to severely impact the health and quite possibly cause a number of unnecessary deaths.
I read an article, I tried to find it again.. about a Doctor in Washington State.. had developed thier own test kits.. at the Hospital lab they worked at.. The Gov. tried to get them to STOP testing for some reason. They even started testing samples that were frozen before the epidemic started. They found one from a teenage high school school, and found them and shut the school down. For some reason, I have been unable for find the article again. I think it was SF gate.. But why would they encourage a Dr.. to stop testing? That seems odd to me.. Stanford has also developed its own test now..
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article240974406.html
Well, I would say that is making it political. Sounds like the left are spouting off fake news again.
this is fake news. he appointed Pence to take care of most of the tasks (workload) for him.
Trump so far hasn’t passed muster on any of these metrics. He resisted making the response to the epidemic a priority for as long as he could — refusing briefings, downplaying the problem, and wasting precious time. He has failed to properly empower his subordinates and refused to trust the information they provided him
everything is political now, made so by our elected leaders. they will do anything to be elected, even making public health a political agenda.
About to get real. Take a look at Italy, we’re next. This is gonna be a major emergency pretty soon. Lockdowns, travel restrictions, sickness, death, and a major economic depression. If you’re young you better read history and learn what a depression means. Prepare yourself! This ain’t no cold. 10-30x the death rate of a cold, and much more and asymptomaticly contagious. Prepare for the worst. It’s happening now.
Just curious, do we think that because Italians have a different culture of touching/kissing they have been hit harder than many other countries?
https://kymkemp.com/2020/03/10/urgent-public-notice-dont-come-to-court-if-youre-sick-says-humboldt-county-superior-court/#comment-996542
My guess on issues with Italy … they are a major tourist (including the newish Chinese middle class) destination, seems to have quite a bit of high density housing, and they have a lot of people in the very senior (mediterranean diet?) category. And they didn’t jump on it right away.
It’s TEOTWAWKI or not. I’m in a state of panicked ambivalence.
Well, that’s a start.
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2020/03/coronavirus-the-hidden-cases-why-we-must-shutdown-everything-and-do-it-now-.html#more
God dammit I hate disinformation.
You’re a [edit].
The only dry run is sitting on your shoulders.
Watch Medcram youtube videos (science based) if you want to understand why this is not an ordinary virus
Why am I suspicious that these 2 new names reinforcing each others new world odors are just 1 troll?
Paranoia?
Yes. I guess if you believe reality is subject to the popular vote, such ideas are inevitable.
Most of these commenters are one or two people. This pathetic game is played out in every thread. It’s an insecurity disorder.
If it weren’t so pathetic it might be amusing. I can’t even imagine following up my comments with a fictional character agreeing with me and juggling a bunch of email accounts and names. That’s professional trollism . Sad…
So say the same one or two people over and over and over…
Kym can verify I’ve been right about Sid around 80% of the time.
Get real.
I apologized the 2 times she told me I was wrong.
Do want a list of Sids banned names? Were up to 10 or so.
Kym is having to put a hold on tons of IPs because of Sid, ask Rod Gass and others.
Get real again.
Hey, [edit] or whatever today’s name is.
I use my real name here, you’re a [edit] and your personal insults are getting old.
Kym Kemp, what are you thinking?
Kym’s not home, and I can’t see what he wrote that you are responding to without working at it, but I see you used name calling and insults.
I will also say that as I post these press releases, I also listen to the scanner and I have heard more family based 415 verbal and actuals (fights and loud yelling arguments) today than on any other single day. I think people’s nerves are shot from worrying, from not knowing what’s happening, and from limitations to their daily routines and expectations.
Let’s have the RHBB family rise above the fray. We are staying home and changing our daily behavior because we care about each other and want to protect each other’s health. Let’s just let the angst pass over us like fog in winter. or do sit ups and jumping jacks until we are too tired to care?
excuse me Kelly but i feel that you should never say Kyms not home. you could just say she is busy or something. i suggest you dont tell the internet that Kyms not home. lets go rob her…
please delete this (my) post
It’s okay. My house is rarely empty and I have very large sons.
You keep using the word “neurolinguistic” and you dont seem to know what it means.
Protip: new world order is a 35 year old weak-minded term.
How can it still be new?
Do want to see my new ’83 ford?
Sigh… Insult is not information on anything except you opinion.
“No known cases” is an easy statement.
How about, theres been “no known testing” (until now).
?Thank you Brian for the common sense response. ??
How about wide spread testing showing a mortality rate for covid-19 to be under one percent in the only place wide spread testing has been done?
South Korea’s is about .6% probably because they have done such a stellar job of testing people. https://kymkemp.com/2020/03/12/gatherings-should-be-postponed-or-cancelled-governor-and-public-health-officials-announce/
However, catching the cases early and isolating them will lead to lower death rates particularly when the hospitals aren’t overwhelmed like they were in China and are in Italy.
Finally. That’s what I’ve been saying. Yes the real death rate is lower because they tested more people to catch the vast number of mild cases. But even South Korean testing was done in larger numbers only where illness spiked.
But that’s not quite everything. Testing allows isolating pockets of infections earlier and slowing down the infection rate do allow the hospitals to cope better. Which does save some lives that would be lost to inability effectively treat people because everything came at once. But inflating the death rate creates stress, anxiety and a unnecessary demands on medical and governmental services too. The goal should be to be as accurate as possible. And not exaggerate figures for a political agenda. And insults.
In the end I expect it will turn that most people will be exposed, will have suffered a mild illness and gained the herd immunity will allow it to fade into the same status as most seasonal flu and colds.
Actually, we’ve been doing the math wrong.
For a reality check:
The global average death rate of Covid is more like 7-10%.
At least that’s what I see here, and makes sense.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-rate/
The case fatality rate (CFR) represents the proportion of cases who eventually die from a disease.
Once an epidemic has ended, it is calculated with the formula: deaths / cases.
But while an epidemic is still ongoing, as it is the case with the current novel coronavirus outbreak, this formula is, at the very least, “naïve” and can be “misleading if, at the time of analysis, the outcome is unknown for a non negligible proportion of patients.” [8]
In other words, current deaths belong to a total case figure of the past, not to the current case figure in which the outcome (recovery or death) of a proportion (the most recent cases) hasn’t yet been determined.
The correct formula, therefore, would appear to be:
CFR = deaths at day.x / cases at day.x-{T}
(where T = average time period from case confirmation to death)
This would constitute a fair attempt to use values for cases and deaths belonging to the same group of patients.
…
Let’s take, for example, the data at the end of February 8, 2020: 813 deaths (cumulative total) and 37,552 cases (cumulative total) worldwide.
If we use the formula (deaths / cases) we get:
813 / 37,552 = 2.2% CFR (flawed formula).
With a conservative estimate of T = 7 days as the average period from case confirmation to death, we would correct the above formula by using February 1 cumulative cases, which were 14,381, in the denominator:
Feb. 8 deaths / Feb. 1 cases = 813 / 14,381 = 5.7% CFR (correct formula, and estimating T=7).
…..
Finally, we shall remember that while the 2003 SARS epidemic was still ongoing, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a fatality rate of 4% (or as low as 3%), whereas the final case fatality rate ended up being 9.6%.
Way too much hype and media pushed panic. The real hype should be about “Why the hell are Democrats trying to turn the White House into a skilled nursing facility by nominating an incompetent geriatric for president!” Get the facts right. Even the wanna be California Governor said the Trump administration is doing everything possible and providing everything necessary to fight this.
This is far more dangerous than COVID-19 will ever be.
??The same can be said about the mentality I’ll one in office. ??That your trying to reelect. ?
What she said ?
California went blue in 16, 18, and probably 20. California will most likely, not be factor in the general election.
wonderful ! now is not the time to panic.
Media induced hysteria is what this is. The media herds you like sheep in any direction they want you to go. Next will be concentration camps for all of you willing. If the media told you to drown yourself you would.
I have seen nothing but recommendations to stay calm from the media. Makes me wonder where you are getting your news. It’s the infectious disease experts that are making alarming (and factually supported) statements.
Well said Bigmeat707.
As of yesterday, St.Jo’s and Redwood don’t have test kits. WTF is causing this purposeful delay Dr. Francostein?????
If no test kits are available-then everything is FLUFFY CLOUDS!!!
Here is and interesting article ….I’m neither for nor against just for info.
KRATOM AND THE CORONA VIRUS
https://speciosa.org/kratom-and-the-corona-virus/
and
Kratom, which the government has been desperately trying to ban, contains powerful anti-coronavirus compounds…@
https://www.naturalnews.com/2020-03-11-kratom-contains-powerful-anti-coronavirus-compounds.html
If it is published by that website, there is a greater than 50% chance that it is dead wrong.
bs, dangerous to be passing this around .. be smart!
That picture of the virus look sort of like one of those things we’d make in elementary school, where we’d stick a bunch of cloves into an orange, and we’d give it to your mom. You know?
So many counties to count. No testing available until now so really hard on the number estimations. Mass media news is so power-hungry/controlling that it’s only 2% believable. I am older and was sick with flu for the entire month of January, like never before. Isolated myself, and only saw husband, who also got a lighter case. Sickness awareness is really getting a reinforcement. I’ve grown tired if sick people going to jobs sick and giving others their misery. It’s become more common with more minimum wage paychecks stretched so thin in our oh so affluent society. Wash your hands lots, drink more water. Don’t share your air.
Thanks GS
“That picture of the virus look sort of like one of those things we’d make in elementary school, where we’d stick a bunch of cloves into an orange, and we’d give it to your mom.”
So you are saying not only that it IS man made but also that it is the kindergartners looking to wipe us out? This is a blockbuster!!!!
Wait…what about the confirmed case at St. Joe’s a couple weeks ago? Does that not count?
yes, he recovered ..
“These are not the droids you want”
Nothing to see here…
“Just wash your hands everyone…”
“it’s just the flu”
Listen to your health expert, they know best
Gotta love em!
The SF Chronicle has a tracker that puts one case in Humboldt Co.
But it is also missing the case in Redding.
I dont know what to say. They still have a paywall up and I’m still emailing with them about dropping it.
Those fuckers want subscriptions still.
That will be a story one day.
there was one a few months ago, he was quarantined ..all this is old news
Wow u all got it figured out huh?
bottom line .. Common Sense Practices for the
Prevention of Illness
There is currently no approved vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Keep in mind that the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to any viruses. However, as a reminder, the CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick or not feeling well.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then dispose of the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the restroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
70%
Also, some good advice from a Dr. to older patients. Improve your underlying health now! Give yourself the best chance you can. Take your current state of health seriously and do what you can to improve it!
/What else can you do to improve your odds of beating Covid-19 should you become infected? One key step: Maximize your health now, before you get sick. Studies have shown that those most at-risk are over 60 and/or have preexisting health problems like diabetes, obesity, cardiac disease, lung disease or generalized deconditioning.
If you have these (or other) medical problems, you can choose to be proactive and start addressing them with your fullest effort, starting today. You know that blood pressure medicine you never take because you hate taking pills and it makes you feel old? Start today. If you rarely, if ever, check your blood sugars and have allowed your diabetes to get out of control because the finger sticks and insulin shots are annoying — get your sugars under control starting today. Got asthma or lung disease? Begin consistently using your prescribed inhalers.
And, for goodness’ sake, stop smoking and vaping immediately. Commit to losing 10 pounds this month and force yourself to walk at least a mile every single day, starting today. Get your flu vaccine right now./
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/10/opinions/improve-chances-against-coronavirus-opinion-phillips/index.html