‘First Loss of Life’ Reported Today, Four Additional New Cases Confirmed

Press release from Humboldt County COVID19 – Joint Information Center:

public Health Lab report

Humboldt County recorded its first COVID-19-related death today, and four new cases were confirmed, bringing to 81 the total number of county residents who are known to have contracted the virus.

In a letter to the community issued this morning, Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich said, “I am saddened to report our community’s first loss of life due to COVID-19. The individual was an elderly resident of the Alder Bay facility. Our hearts go out to the resident’s family, friends, caregivers and all who are mourning the loss.”

Of the four new cases, one is an Alder Bay resident and two work at the facility. All three were close contacts of a known case. The fourth case is unrelated to Alder Bay and is under investigation.

After experiencing the county’s first death and seeing 24 new cases in the last week, Dr. Frankovich urged community residents to follow social distancing and other measures that limit transmission of COVID-19. Dr. Frankovich said, “We’ve lost a member of our county to this illness for the first time. This only increases our resolve to do everything we can to fight this virus and keep our community safe.”—

Total new positive cases confirmed on May 18: 4

Daily COVID-19 case report for May 18

  • Total number of confirmed cases: 81
  • Total number of recovered cases: 58
  • Total number of hospitalizations: 11
  • Total number of deaths: 1

Transmission information for all known cases

  • Contact to a Known Case: 40
  • Travel-Acquired: 22
  • Community Transmission: 13
  • Under Investigation: 6

Total number of people tested by Public Health Laboratory: 2,433

Total number of people tested by all other sources: 2,012
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California Department of Public Health and commercial labs)

The Public Health Laboratory currently has a capacity of approximately 1,600 tests and can process about 65 samples a day with an approximate turnaround time of 48 to 72 hours.—

 

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 [email protected] or calling 707-441-5000.

Follow us on Facebook: @HumCoCOVID19,
Instagram: @HumCoCOVID19,
Twitter: @HumCoCOVID19, and
Humboldt Health Alert: humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlertHumboldt Test Results by the Numbers

Redheaded Blackbelt’s most recent stories about COVID-19, click here.
Earlier test results:

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

31 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Elena Stanley
Guest
Elena Stanley
3 years ago

I think everyone in Humboldt County has done an awesome job of being OCD and sanitary about the whole thing 81 cases total and only one death my heart goes out to The Family I give my condolences I hope everyone continues precautions for the wellness of the community! However they are demanding a physical address in order to receive a test what if one doesn’t have a physical address or don’t want to disclose such information which is an American right?

Dinky
Guest
Dinky
3 years ago
Reply to  Elena Stanley

In Covelo they only need a phone number. Wonder why the discrepancy?

Chuck U
Guest
Chuck U
3 years ago
Reply to  Elena Stanley

Whoa! That is messed up and needs to be changed, that is me and all my neighbors in the sticks. FYI for anyone in Public Health, We have a “County Address” issued by Trinity county for emergency services like fire but it is not in any federal database, so if you want to do your job you need to be able to access these properties from the TrinCo database. Anyone who wants to say something like “Trinity county people need to stay in Trinity County” I spend 99% of all my sales tax dollars in HumCo at HumCo businesses, I dropped $1200 today alone.

Fromthehills
Guest
Fromthehills
3 years ago

No mention of the elderly woman that died was 97 years old. You have a much higher chance of dying of old age than Covid 19.

FanOfGuest
Guest
FanOfGuest
3 years ago
Reply to  Fromthehills

So if someone has COPD because they have smoked all there life and die because they catch covid, what killed them? The cigarettes and severely damaged lungs or covid? If your 400 lbs ,eat McDonald’s and barley make it to your mail box with having a heart attack and catch covid. What killed you? Anyone who dies now in a hospital setting with flu like symptoms, difficulty breathing, old age, fever, heart disease or just about everything else besides decapitation is being listed as A covid Death. Hospitals are being paid extra money through the CDC to label deaths as covid deaths.Why?
Imagine all the trials, wars, and flu pandemics that 97 year old has lived through! God bless.

Thirdeye
Guest
Thirdeye
3 years ago
Reply to  FanOfGuest

COVID-19 deaths are being undercounted, not overcounted. Death rates are way up beyond yearly averages with confirmed COVID-19 deaths not accounting for the excess deaths. An actual COVID-19 death is not counted as such unless it is confirmed with a test.

Swine
Guest
Swine
3 years ago
Reply to  Thirdeye

Not true

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
3 years ago
Reply to  Thirdeye

[Quote from the CDC]

As of April 14, 2020, CDC case counts and death counts include both confirmed and probable cases and deaths. This change was made to reflect an interim COVID-19 position statement pdf iconexternal iconissued by the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists on April 5, 2020. The position statement included a case definition and made COVID-19 a nationally notifiable disease.

A confirmed case or death is defined by meeting confirmatory laboratory evidence for COVID-19.

A probable case or death is defined by one of the following:

•Meeting clinical criteria AND epidemiologic evidence with no confirmatory laboratory testing performed for COVID-19

•Meeting presumptive laboratory evidence AND either clinical criteria OR epidemiologic evidence

•Meeting vital records criteria with no confirmatory laboratory testing performed for COVID19

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html

jt compton
Guest
jt compton
3 years ago
Reply to  Fromthehills

“Fromthehills”…….Yea…this lady was 97 and was in good shape according to her friends. Why would you even want to attempt to draw a “comparison” of old age and the lethal effect of Covid 19? You really are making a political slant on this tragedy? Boy you sure are a work of art…..NOT!!

Anon
Guest
Anon
3 years ago
Reply to  jt compton

Define “in good shape” at 97 .

Fromthehills
Guest
Fromthehills
3 years ago
Reply to  jt compton

Yes I think highly of myself, as should others, this time I made no political reference, just facts. She was put into that care home to die, things went as planned ahead of schedule looks like.

Thirdeye
Guest
Thirdeye
3 years ago
Reply to  Fromthehills

One analysis estimates average lost years from COVID-19 death at around 14 years. Given the large numbers of elderly who would be pulling that number down, there is a correspondingly large group who are dying in peak productive years.

Bad boy for speaking out
Guest
Bad boy for speaking out
3 years ago

Is there proof it was from covid that actually caused the death or are you helping with the fear mongering , also unless you do a blood test you don’t know if it’s still active so these new cases could be over it and immune to it now

M
Guest
M
3 years ago

24 new cases in the past week. Four or more cases from the staff at Alder Bay senior assisted living facility due to staff traveling and coming back and infecting a dozen or more people; one who lost her life. I am so disgusted with Alder Bay and the huge corporation in Oregon that owns these homes all over the place. They obviously put profits over their residents lives and these are the vulnerable population we are suppose to be SIP and doing everything possible to protect. The Humboldt County Health Officer should be investigating this facility that has become completely infected due to the corporation traveling employees between CA and Oregon. It’s outrageous! The licensing agency should also investigate. Someone close to the facility said staff just started wearing masks last week after the outbreak. Many of these residents are elderly confined to wheelchairs and the staff are performing close up care for them without following health orders and they are traveling out of state. I hope the families Sue Alder Bay corporation. How many of the 11 hospitalized are Alder Bay residents. It’s unbelievable how calloused people are who are saying she was old. She died a horrific painful death alone due to the Alder Bay staff that chose to traveling out of state during a SIP order. This woman did not deserve this regardless of her age and no matter how many days, months, or years of life she had left, no one had the right to take them from her by their gross negligence.

FanOfGuest
Guest
FanOfGuest
3 years ago
Reply to  M

Agree M. So why are they not quarantining facilities like this and all who work there? Do I smell a court case?

Watch out
Guest
Watch out
3 years ago

Not in Fortuna or Southern Humboldt.
Ive felt very unsafe and surprised how poorly people are acting. People are not taking it seriously, people are bringing workers up from the bay. Not staying home, having dinner parties, stopping by multiple peoples homes in one day to hang out, etc.

Ive seen people well let’s be honest its been white males fighting with managers at grocery stores about putting their mask on. Both redway and garberville postal office workers have told me how overblown it all is. No masks on while I was there. And no it wasn’t Tiv at Redway.

Get ready, our cases will spike a bunch and we’ll have at least a few more deaths. Unfortunately all these folks wont believe it til its too late.
We are NOT going back to how things were, ever, but thats how people are taking this re-opening like its all good now.
The folks working with the virus dont even know for sure that disinfectants kill it on surfaces, as its still mutating!!
People are dying without ever having a fever. Fever is not a good determination.
Kids are really sick with mutation of the virus that creates intense inflammation.
Its travelling in semen.
In viral time we’re barely a millisecond in.

These next few weeks are gonna be the most dangerous here and just wait til folks start moving state to state, its gonna do our county in. Watch out!

Swine
Guest
Swine
3 years ago
Reply to  Watch out

Glad you live in such fear.

Dan F
Guest
Dan F
3 years ago
Reply to  Swine

Far better to LIVE, possibly in fear, than be DEAD!!!

Littlefoot
Guest
Littlefoot
3 years ago
Reply to  Watch out

This isnt the first pandemic in human history. Things will indeed go back to normal.

Willie Bray
Guest
3 years ago

🕯🌳First prayers and condolences to the family of the victim. And that was a pretty heartless comment about her death. Sorry to the family for the comment of the person that submitted it ,it should not have been posted. 🖖🇺🇸🐸🌍He will try anything to blame it on anything but the virus. But he won’t go get the test him/herself because there scared it might come back positive. 🐸🖖🌍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

FanOfGuest
Guest
FanOfGuest
3 years ago
Reply to  Willie Bray

I don’t think it was heartless?!? He said your more likely to die of old age than covid. How many flu pandemics had that 97 year old lady lived through? At least half a dozen major ones! I think he had a valid point, your more likely to die of old age than a flu virus. Heartless? I don’t think so. What sounds heartless is the people who are allowed to travel and return to there jobs of caring for these people with little regard to there vulnerability’s.

The Real Brian
Guest
The Real Brian
3 years ago
Reply to  FanOfGuest

FOG, don’t ignore that “from the hills” said:

She was put into that care home to die, things went as planned ahead of schedule looks like.

I’m an asshole, but that’s a statement beyond me.

Willie, thanks for your moral compass, I hope the family don’t know about the comments made by many here.

Mike
Guest
Mike
3 years ago

“One mans death is a tragedy a million deaths is a statistic” Bob Dylan, lead singer of Metallica.

Obliviously
Guest
Obliviously
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

“Bob Dylan, lead singer of Metallica.”

That’s funny right there.

Chuck U
Guest
Chuck U
3 years ago
Reply to  Obliviously

81

Thirdeye
Guest
Thirdeye
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

That quote is from Joseph Stalin.

Notheone
Guest
Notheone
3 years ago

First, my sincere sympathy to the family of the lady who died. I am so sorry.
Kym, I want to thank you for your site that gives us, freedom of speech. I may not agree with everyone, or anyone for that matter, I’m just glad you offer that on your site.
I wish Humboldt would slow their roll on opening up. This is a deadly disease that affects all ages. We don’t know who this virus is going to kill. Remember, a person can have no symptoms and pass it to others!

C Huck U
Guest
C Huck U
3 years ago

Are we live. Turn that on

Swine
Guest
Swine
3 years ago

Again… This “doctor” makes absolutelt no mention of how to actually stay healthy… Somethins fishy in coppenhagen..

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Swine

She does all the time- wash hands, avoid crowds. If you demand a detailed analysis of living styles, the internet is full of opinions.

RedWoods
Guest
RedWoods
3 years ago

Many new cases in a week? AFTER this near useless mask requirement started. It is sad that people have so much misguided faith in their cloth masks.

I see the same people are pitching the same story to keep the waves of fear going. The actual numbers in our area don’t back it up no matter how many times you say it does!

A friend saw a masked person driving down the road in a pickup with the windows up with a cigarette sticking through the mask…