Strategies to Stay Safe During the Holidays, a Deeper Look at Stats on COVID Patients, and More

Public Health Press Conference Zoom 12/15
Screenshot of the video/press conference December 15.

The Humboldt County COVID-19 Joint Information Center hosted a virtual news conference on December 8th to provide an update on the county’s pandemic response, including vaccination efforts, and answer questions from local media. Panelists included Public Health Director Sofia Pereira and County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman.

For this type of press conference, the Joint Information Center (JIC) moderates the question and answer exchange in a zoom meeting, where local media presents questions and follow-ups to local officials who give their responses in real time.  The resulting video, called a Virtual Press Conference, is then posted to the county’s COVID-19 YouTube channel at the end of the day. 

Here are some of the main points covered in the December 15th Virtual Press Conference, with a summary of answers from the participants. 

El video del 15 de diciembre de preguntas y respuestas de medios con el Dr. Ian Hoffman, que muestra subtítulos disponibles en español, usando las opciones del menú de YouTube y seleccionando ‘auto-subtítulos’ y luego seleccionando un idioma.

JIC: Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us for the December 15th COVID-19 virtual news conference. My name is Christine Messinger, and I’m one of the public information officers for the COVID-19 Joint Information Center.

Today, we’re joined by Humboldt County Public Health Director, Sofia Pereira and Humboldt County Health Officer, Dr. Ian Hoffman.  Sofia, can you provide us with a few opening comments?

Director Pereira: Good morning, everyone. So just a couple things, first I wanted to note that this is our last news conference of 2021. Sometimes I feel like I’m still processing what happened in 2020… I know for many people, time has been a blur, but we are nearing the end of 2021.

Our next news conference will be scheduled in early January, and then we will resume that every other week after the first of the year – the frequency of these news conferences. And we will continue daily reporting, except on days that the County is closed.

And I also just wanted to note, given that we are at this time of year,  it’s the holiday season and I think something that’s really special about this holiday season is that more of us are going to be seeing family and loved ones in person. That’s something that many of us did not do last year, so this is a really big shift for many folks, and I just wanted to acknowledge that the protective measures and the tools that we have such as getting vaccinated, masking, testing and good ventilation all make this possible this holiday season…I just want to express my gratitude for us having the information so that we can safely gather with our loved ones. So, thank you. Wishing you all a happy holiday and a happy New Year on behalf of Public Health. Thank You.

JIC: Thanks, Sofia. Dr. Hoffman, do you have an update for us?

Dr. Hoffman: Yeah, thanks, Sofia, and I definitely echo all the sentiments that Sofia just brought to light. It is a very different holiday season this year than last year. We are much more well prepared, we have widespread vaccination, we have testing on nearly every corner, we have new COVID-19 therapeutics coming – some are here, some are coming in the coming weeks and months. And so it really does feel different. Encourage people to take advantage of being with your loved ones, and doing it safely, as Sofia mentioned – get vaccinated, get tested, utilize ventilation and masks to reduce the chances of getting COVID.

I did want to also take a few minutes to update on some statistics that we’ve been looking at here at Humboldt County Public Health. So, in our communicable disease division, which looks at all communicable diseases, but has been focused a lot on COVID-19 obviously over the course of the last 20 months, we track all the hospitalizations for COVID-19, so this is where we get the daily data and the updates on hospitalizations for our county, and we’ve been looking at specifically under age 50 hospitalizations, because certainly it is something that is a little more concerning. We know that people over the age of 65 are at higher risk but we have been seeing trends of younger and younger folks getting hospitalized, and so we want to take a closer look at that, and what we found were some startling local statistics.

Of the 463 hospitalizations that we had at the time of looking at the data, about a quarter of those were under the age of 50, for a total of 120 hospitalizations under the age of 50. Of those, 120, 41 were ICU patients. So nearly about just over a third, and then really, the truly startling nature of it is the vaccination status of these under 50. 

Zero of those 120 people were fully vaccinated, and only 2 had partial vaccination status with one vaccine. The average age of that under 50 hospitalization group was 37 and a half. 

So you know, I bring this up because it’s sobering to statistics that we see every day from the hospital and following these folks in the hospital, I want to share that with the community. I think it really speaks to the power of these vaccines and what they do to help prevent hospitalization and severe disease. We know they can’t prevent all disease and you know, many vaccines don’t – are not designed to do that – But they do, they do work and they’re doing what we’ve asked them to do, which is to keep people out of the hospital, keep them home for the holidays and keep them alive so they can be with their family. 

So, thank you everyone for being safe, and happy holidays, and I look forward to the questions today.

JIC:  Let’s take some questions from reporters.  Ryan?

5 mins 40 secs in:

Redheaded Blackbelt: Okay, thank you. Well, in light of the statistics that you’ve just shared with us, Dr. hoffman, those are shocking – the question I had planned to ask was, and I wanted to pose this for both you and Sofia if you could both chime in here, and I think it’d probably be the same answer but I’m curious – what, beyond vaccination because that’s obviously the the main thing people can do currently to protect themselves, but beyond that and perhaps for people who are already vaccinated, what does Public Health foresee being the single most important factor in mitigating the spread of the virus apart from vaccination?

Dr. Hoffman: Yeah, I can take that, I’m sure Sofia might  have some thoughts as well. I think certainly we recognize that there are people who have, you know, chosen not to get vaccinated. There are people who are waiting to see, and then there are some who have, you know, stated clearly they will never get vaccinated, and so we want to be able to offer something to everyone.

Clearly those statistics speak to the power of the vaccines, there’s others that speak to the safety of them, but for those who are choosing not to, and want to be safer, you know, masks are certainly the next safest way. So, this is the reason we’ve had a masking order in our county since the latest surge. You know, not much has changed with the new State masking order, since we have already had that in place here for the last several months, and I think it has done a lot to protect us from the continued Delta surge that sort of isn’t a surge so much anymore as a plateau… and as Sofia mentioned, ventilation is another really important thing. I mean, anytime we can be outdoors is, it’s going to reduce the risk of COVID. 

If you’re indoors gathering with other people, opening windows, opening doors and getting that ventilation in there, I think that’s, you know, really the future of where our COVID-19 preventions are going to be focused. Obviously vaccinations are always going to continue to be a focus, but you know, trying to reduce risk so that you know, we don’t see these surges that impact the hospital in the healthcare system by utilizing things like masks and ventilation, and then testing.  Certainly testing, and knowing that you’re positive or not, and staying home, are are a huge benefit, because if you are going out into gatherings in the public when you’re positive, then your chances of spreading this disease are… very high especially with the new variant that’s even more contagious than the current Delta variant which we’re seeing has spread very easily among our community.

Sofia do you have anything to add?

Director Periera: He uncovered it so well I don’t have anything to add. Thank you. 

JIC: Ryan, do you have a follow-up question?

9 mins in: 

RHBB: My only follow-up would be if you could elaborate on the new therapies that you hinted were coming – if those might be coming before the New Year, and what, what can we look forward to?

Dr. Hoffman:  Yeah, so we might be seeing some before the New Year. The molnupiravir pill from Merck – we don’t have exact shipments or amounts yet, but it’s going to be very small, limited quantities. So it will be something that people might have access to, will only have access to through their physician, through physician prescription. And then certain pharmacies are going to be carrying it in very limited quantities. 

We haven’t even received yet the usage for it. My expectation would be similar to how the monoclonal antibodies are and that it will be for patients who are at highest risk, who are confirmed positive and not yet sick enough that they need to be hospitalized. The molnupiravir is not proving to be nearly as effective as the original trials suggested, but still effective. I’d say, we would encourage people to get a monoclonal antibody if possible because it’s so much more effective, and we still have plenty of capacity at the monoclonal antibody clinic at St. Joseph’s Hospital, and so, strongly encourage people if they are positive and at risk to contact their doctor and get a referral to that. Or if they have an exposure, they’re doing it for post-exposure prophylaxis, as well for high-risk patients. 

Further down the pike we are expecting in January to receive notification when the Pfizer pills are going to likely be coming, and that one has a much higher efficacy rate so I think it’s going to be bigger news once we get that. But we still, again, have no idea when that’s coming, what the use, the specific uses will be for or the quantities that we will get.  I expect they also will be limited, just like all the therapeutics have been when they first rolled out until the production can be ramped up. 

So it is good news that we continue to have more and more options, and we have an option that is widely available – it’s free to everyone and it’s very effective and I would encourage people to go ahead and get that now because it works against all the variants, including the one that’s here right now, which is the Delta variant – and that’s a vaccine.

JIC: Thanks, Ryan.  Jackson, do you have a question? 

Times-Standard:  I do. So this might be a quick one, but I was wondering has the Omicron variant been detected in Humboldt County, and if so how many cases have been diagnosed?

Dr. Hoffman: We have not detected any Omicron in Humboldt County to date. We continue to look for it, and we definitely will let folks know if we have any confirmed cases here locally. You know, a little expansion on that – we do expect this to be here eventually. We’re seeing it in other counties in California. we’re seeing that those numbers, when it does get here, they increase quickly over a course of really days to weeks as opposed to months like we saw previously. 

So, I think you know, everyone should be prepared and we have all the tools that we have been using all along, and so, you know, we know it’s coming and we’re prepared and we’ll do our best to use those tools to the best of our ability.

JIC: Do you have a follow-up, Jackson?

13 mins 20 secs in: 

T-S:  Yeah, so with 2022 days away, and as we get closer to the third year of the pandemic, what do you see as the exit strategy in Humboldt County considering so many people here have been unwilling to get a vaccine or mask, as we saw at Tuesday’s more than 10-hour long supervisor meeting which included significant amounts of public comment containing misinformation about COVID. So I guess this is sort of a two-pronged question. What is DHHS doing to address said misinformation, but also what is your exit strategy, when so many people are unwilling to get vaccinated? 

Director Pereira: Thanks, Jackson, and Dr. Hoffman if you have anything to add please do but to your first question. Really, Jackson, what we’ve been doing here in Public Health, and within the Department of Health and Human Services, and just throughout the entire COVID-19 response is providing science-based information through our call center. So we have our community information line 707-441-5000. That’s a place where members of the community can get their questions answered. ‘Where can I get tested?’ ‘I have questions about the vaccine,  I have questions about the new guidance that is coming out from the state’…  

That is a great community resource that we’ve had from the very beginning, and we continue to offer that resource. I think as of yesterday, at the end of day over 52,000 communications have been made with this information line that we have, so our staff are still available to answer questions in the community. So I think that one-to-one communication I think is really key. People have questions and they should get them answered, and that’s a great resource for people. We provide daily report outs through the media, we provide reports to the Board of Supervisors. So we are using whatever tools we can to get information out there to the community.

As for what the off-ramp is, for COVID response, this is definitely a conversation that we’re having not only within our own department but also across the state. This is, this is kind of like the question of when do we move out of emergency response mode, and I will say that right now we definitely don’t feel like we’re there yet.

We want to be able to identify clear…metrics of what is, when is the official off-ramp… Obviously, you know, as we’re evaluating our masking order in mid-January, like those are kind of the conversations that we’re going to be having. But really for the first, based on what we’re looking ahead at right now, we’re still in this. We still are using…state resources to support contact investigations, to support vulnerable populations in our community to make sure that we’re not experiencing outbreaks, to make sure that our schools can still run. These are all things that we are putting as much resources into to keep our community going, and keeping people safe. And Dr. Hoffman, I don’t know if you have anything you want to add to that?

16 mins 35 secs in:

Dr. Hoffman:  Yeah, I know, I absolutely agree with everything Sofia is saying, and…I think the biggest thing, and we’ve talked about this over the last really month or two, is that the shift is really focusing from cases to hospitalizations and protecting institutions and organizations in our society that are integral to have just normal societal function. 

So,…when is it time for Public Health to pull out of COVID, because COVID’s never going away, and Public Health isn’t involved in every communicable disease that’s out there – only ones that have a Public Health impact. And so when is that impact done? I’d say it is when we see the hospitals functioning normally, when we see schools able to function normally, and we see workplaces able to function normally. We are not seeing that currently. 

We are still seeing outbreaks that shut businesses, schools and facilities down. We’re seeing impact on the hospital on a daily basis with a census of 10 to 20 patients impacting their ability to deliver care across the board – not just to COVID patients, but to everyone. And so that’s when the pandemic ends and this really becomes the endemic disease that we live with for forever… It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to happen slowly, and we’ll probably continue to use some of these tools, you know, well into 2022 if not even into 2023 and 2024 utilizing things like masking, ventilation and focusing on those things so that we can protect people. But it really is about when this becomes truly an individual risk versus a societal risk, and we don’t know when that’s going to happen. But obviously the fact is we can get there much faster with some of the tools that we have. Thank you.

JIC:  Austin, do you have a question?

18 mins 30 secs: 

North Coast News: I do yes thank you. So of course today the State’s indoor mask mandate does go into effect, and so I’m wondering how does that affect the county’s mask mandate that’s already been in place?

Dr. Hoffman:  So yeah, you won’t see any difference here because we’ve already had this in place since August. And there’s nothing more restrictive from the state than there is in our current local masking order, so no changes whatsoever.

19 mins 15 secs in: 

NCN:  Got it. Thank you, and just one real quick follow-up. Of course with the holidays right around the corner, do you recommend that with people gathering with family they should mask up if they’re indoors for the holidays?

Dr. Hoffman:  You know, I think this is where it really comes down to the individual person’s level of, you know, risk tolerance and making decisions. I think all of us have to make those decisions, we’ve set parameters for what we’re, what sort of level of risk we’re allowing in a public space, but in a private space I think each family will make their own decisions. Some will choose to gather outdoors, you know, and test people maybe, even if everyone’s fully vaccinated, and others will gather indoors with no masking. 

And you know, I think the main focus though is that if you want to protect yourself, we have all the tools we have, vaccines which are the most effective, and the absolute by far best tool that we have, so please get vaccinated if you’re gathering indoors and you want to make things safer. Certainly recommend testing people, masking, especially if there’s larger gatherings with people who are unvaccinated, certainly masking in those circumstances will absolutely reduce your risk. 

JIC:  Thad, you have a question? 

20 mins 45 secs in:

North Coast Journal: I do, yeah. Thanks, Christine. I was hoping to just get an update on the planned expansion of the Public Health Lab, and particularly as it pertains to genomic testing capabilities, but just generally to kind of get a status update on the improvements?

Director Periera: Sure. So, I’m glad you asked about this. This is something that we’re working  really closely with the state on, there is some federal funding that would support the expansion of public health labs across the country and so we went in on an application with the state. It’s looking very promising for us. We don’t have anything finalized at this time, but obviously any lab expansion, you know, will take some time – years from the planning to the full implementation of it, but we’re working very closely with the State on this. 

We’re really excited about it, because obviously there’s been a need for it, but more to come when we actually have more concrete information to share.

22 mins in:

NCJ: Okay, I guess two follow-ups, and thank you for that, Director Pereira. So, first, is… there was a reference made I think at a Board of Supervisors meeting to potentially some of the fiscal issues the county is facing with outstanding single audits, and other documents potentially hampering that improvement project, so I’m wondering if there’s anything to that? And then, I guess it’s not a part of the expansion project, but if I get an update on where kind of the status of genomic testing, genomic sequencing locally, that would be great, thank you. 

Director Pereira: Yeah, Dr. Hoffman, do you want to speak to the genomic sequencing real quick?

Dr. Hoffman:  Sure, yeah. So, update on genomic sequencing, I mean we still have the equipment here, we have been sort of on pause for doing a lot of that locally due to the fact that it was all Delta, all the time… and really for many months.

We are working really closely with our state partners who can do faster turnarounds for Omicron, so we’re selecting certain samples to get sent to the state for…that rapid turnaround and then we are looking to how to continue to expand the whole genome sequencing into next year, beyond even just COVID, that the equipment we have can be used for other diseases as well. So, you know, I think the focus right now is on trying to shore up some quicker term solutions on identifying what we know is going to be the next variant, which is the Omicron variant. So we’re hoping that that should be in place in the coming weeks, and that can be a much faster tool than old genome sequencing, which locally takes several days to complete and then utilizing those state partners in the meantime.

I think what we’re seeing with COVID now is that once that new variant is here, it will rapidly overtake and so the real benefit of genomic sequencing at this point is identifying when it arrives. But once it arrives, we know it’s just going to start doubling every two to three days as it has everywhere else.

Director Pereira: And Thad, just to answer your other question around lab expansion and funding, so we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that we have the resources that we need to expand our lab and so if there are any other follow-up questions, please send them to the media team and I’d be happy to give a more detailed response, but I appreciate your questions about that because we, the lab is very important to us. They do incredibly important work, and the expansion is very much needed. 

NCJ: Okay, thank you.

JIC: Thanks, Thad. Ryan, do you want to ask another question?

25 mins in:

RHBB: I do have one from our readers. So, and I’m not sure, maybe the new state masking order changes this, so please do clarify, but I wanted to know in terms of the youth sports masking mandate there, just the slight difference between the county and the state in reading the language, it seems that we’re requesting in the county twice testing per week as opposed to the state saying at least once per week, and so I just wanted to see if there was any reason for that, and the clarification I think last week you mentioned this – that you had drafted the order and then the state had clarified theirs – so if you could just touch on that real quick, and why the difference? Thank you.

Dr. Hoffman:  Yeah, definitely. So you are correct, the State K-12 guidance says ‘at least once weekly. We based, we did our local order before that, or local guidance I should say, before that. And we were basing it off our experience the previous year, when we had a lot more youth sports going on last spring during, you know, the other surges and finding that twice week testing was the safest. And so we decided to go with that. The vast majority of those folks are using antigen testing, which is also a little less sensitive, so you know, having that twice a week testing really improves the ability to catch cases very early and there are many, many jurisdictions who are requiring, or recommending twice a week testing either across the board or especially if they’re using antigen testing. 

So I feel, you know, we worked closely with HTML and schools who are doing the prime primary testing and doing the vast majority of it to come up with that protocol so it doesn’t seem like changing it at this point makes any sense, especially given that we’re faced with Omicron coming to our county very soon. It will help us identify cases quicker, and the schools are already doing it, so it’s the safest option.

JIC: You have a follow-up, Ryan?  Jackson, would you like to ask another question?

28 mins in: 

T-S: Sure, I’m also interested in, despite the relative plateau of case rate in Humboldt County, what are conditions like in hospitals, and have they changed since the previous presser?

Dr. Hoffman:  No, they haven’t changed. They’re… We’ve been in sort of a plateau holding pattern both in cases and hospitalizations for about the last four to six weeks since really around the beginning of November. So they’re managing. I’d say that my discussions with the leadership at the hospitals are that they’re holding in there, they’re hanging in there, but there’s a lot of concern. They’re already operating with short staff that goes back from even before the pandemic. They’ve lost staff throughout the pandemic consistently due to just the…conditions in the hospital, being tremendously stressful for those folks, and then living through the surge of delta cases that we saw with a peak at 40 hospitalizations of COVID patients in the hospital at one point in September was, I think for many health care workers, just it was extraordinarily difficult. 

I mean people describe these like they described wartime efforts and and I, you know, look I know some people think that we’re trying to paint a picture here that’s gruesome, but I really, I ask anyone to talk to people who were working in the hospital during that time or read some of the accounts of it. It is, there’s trauma there, and so people are worried. People are worried about what’s coming next, and they’re working short staffed, and they’re looking towards a likely, another surge of cases, and are concerned. So, we’ll continue to do our best.

So we in healthcare, we’re here to care for the community no matter what, but I do think there’s a likelihood that we’ll need to make sacrifices again if the caseloads go up 20, 30, 40 patients again, they will certainly have to make choices like stopping surgeries, delaying elective surgeries, postponing routine care, and those things have an effect. 

And I’ll say that’s not something we’re just seeing here in Humboldt County. The Health Officers all across the state, when we talk to each other, we’re all seeing that in county after county and so there is, there’s a lot of concern about what might come should we see another wave of COVID cases this winter.

JIC:  Jackson, do you have a follow-up? 

T-S: That was all, thank you.

JIC:  Thanks, Jackson. Austin, do you have another question?

30mins 45 secs in:

NCN: I do, yes. Thank you so much. Of course in previous discussions, Public Health has set a benchmark in order to potentially lift the mask mandate in January, but of course we’re seeing the state stepping in and then of course, how cases are trending – where do we stand in terms of that benchmark that was set for January, and how does the State’s indoor mask mandate play a factor into that? 

Dr. Hoffman: So, we’re continuing to make progress on that. I think the last few weeks have been some of the busiest weeks yet and, really going back to many months it’s, so vaccinations are going up, we certainly would like to see them continue to go up at the same rate into the coming weeks. Could we meet the 70 benchmark? It’s possible. We might [meet] that before January 15th. I think it’s not highly likely, but if we see those levels of vaccination continue throughout the holidays and into the first couple weeks of January we might see that. We’re definitely not on target to reach 80%. I think that that is something that we can achieve eventually, but it would require much much more vaccination than we’ve seen in the previous month or two.

As far as the state mask order and how it interacts with our local masking order, like I said there’s no changes here. If we got to the 70% mark and we’re in a place to allow for those fully vaccinated stable cohorts, I’ll be honest, I’m not sure. I think it’s a discussion we would have to have with the State at that point. So we’ll, if we get to that point, we’ll have that conversation.

And then as far as January 15th goes, we’re still on track to look at everything and see where we’re at with hospitalizations, with cases and with our vaccination rate, and make a determination on the 15th whether we would want to lift our local mandate or continue it. So, those conditions all remain the same.

JIC:  You have a follow-up, Austin?

NCN: I have no follow-up, thank you so much. 

JIC: Thanks, Austin. Thad, you have another question?

33 mins 20 secs in:

NCJ: Yeah, thanks Christine. I want to ask, Humboldt County’s test positivity rate is many times higher than that of the state, and and higher than the nationwide rate, and I’m curious to hear from you guys why you think that is, and what you want  local residents to understand about that statistic, and what it means for disease spread in Humboldt County?

Dr. Hoffman: Yeah thanks Thad, so I’ll point out a couple of things, and talk about what test positivity means. So, we do calculate our test positivity here locally. There’s also the state metric which you can find on CDPH’s website, and the way we’ve calculated it locally was something we’ve done from the beginning, which does mean that it’s higher than that state average. And there’s really a lot of background and detail in this, but the basic is that we really wanted to try to get at the percent positivity based on an individual, rather than the total number of tests. 

So the number we see locally that’s higher is that individual test positivity rate that’s calculated here by the Humboldt County Epidemiology program, and yeah, it’s remained fairly high. 

Even our test-positivity at the state, which is lower than that, remains high. What test-positivity means is, if you just think about it broadly, it’s the number of tests that are coming back positive, you know, so when there’s more disease in the community you’re going to have a higher number because more people are going to be positive. When the disease is being controlled and there’s very low numbers, that number can get quite low, and at some points has been as low as one and 2% in our community. Right now it’s upwards of, again, depending on which one you look at, 6% for the state or over 10% locally, if you look at that individual test level. So it’s an important metric. It gives us a sense of where things are going, because sometimes that’s one of the, that’s the leading indicators we see rising. 

When we see a surge coming, we’ll see the test-positivity go quite high. Probably seen accounts of South Africa’s test positivity rate – I think it was over 30% last week, which is just a tremendous amount of like really high test positivity. So, we keep an eye on it. It’s bouncing around a lot, it hasn’t been necessarily surging up, so I think we’ll continue to watch for that and that’s when we’ll know that we might be entering another surge, if that test positivity starts to go up dramatically.

JIC:  Thad, do you have a final question?

36 mins 30 secs in: 

NCJ: I guess if I could ask an unrelated final question. I was curious to ask Director Pereira about obviously, you know, the pandemic response is one aspect of what public health does but it fits in with many others, and I think there’s been a lot of indicators that demand for other aspects of Public Health outreach have really kind of skyrocketed through the pandemic, potentially its capacity has diminished, so I was hoping you could just kind of talk a little bit about what else Public Health is doing, and how, what kind of demand for services it’s seeing in the local community? 

Director Pereira:  Thank you, Thad, for the question. I, there’s a push and pull here because given where we’re at in the pandemic, so much of our staff time is being put towards COVID and we recognize that there’s important work that we do in Public Health that needs our attention. 

One program I just will highlight is our nurse-family-partnership program. We have Public Health nurses that work with first-time moms and their babies under two years old, and help give them support. We have, you know, a behavior, a mental health clinician that provides support to those families. These are the types of services that we provide that are really important for supporting families in our community. we have our Healthy Communities division that is continuing to support suicide and violence prevention work, substance use prevention work, there we have our North Coast Aids Project. 

I mean there is still a lot of outreach work that is being done within Public Health, but I’m not gonna lie, it’s stretched thin. 

JIC: Thank you all, that’s all the time we have. Thank you to our panelists and to our media representatives for joining us today, and we’ll send links to the recording as soon as possible. Have a great day, everyone.    

Humboldt County has had a total of 463 community members hospitalized with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic in 2020, and a total of 120 deaths according to local Public Health data.   

Humboldt County has had a total of 463 community members hospitalized with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic in 2020, and a total of 120 deaths according to local Public Health data.

Humboldt County’s Joint Information Center (JIC) is available to the public by phone, at 1-707-441-5000 for information, to inquire about COVID-19 testing, or vaccination. Spanish-speaking staff are available at the JIC, and questions can be answered directly. Appointments are available for all residents age 5 and up through the state’s My Turn system. Schedule an appointment at myturn.ca.gov or call 1-833-422-4255. 

For step-by-step directions on scheduling a vaccination appointment, click here for English and here for Spanish.

The public is encouraged to view the Humboldt County COVID-19 Dashboard for updated statistics regarding local COVID-19 case rates, demographics, and vaccination progress county-wide. For Hospitalization data by county, the California State COVID-19 dashboard is available to the public.  

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grey fox
Member
2 years ago

Now I am really confused… “. Could we meet the 70 benchmark? It’s possible. We might need that before January 15th. I think it’s not highly likely, but if we see those levels of vaccination continue throughout the holidays and into the first couple weeks of January we might see that.” Didn’t he just say we hit 70%? At least he has gone from “could” to this, “definitely not on target to reach 80%”.
And possible masking into 2024? People are not going to be happy about that.

Last edited 2 years ago
Misguidedyouth
Guest
Misguidedyouth
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

Because these people are STOOGES

Connie DobbsD
Member
Connie Dobbs
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

You’re not confused; you’re being lied to. We’ve been trying to tell you.

Nick
Guest
Nick
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

100 new cases in the NFL since Monday. They are 94.6% vaccinated

Rimme
Guest
Rimme
2 years ago
Reply to  Nick

Prolly even be some vaxxed amongst the 100, out 1669 platers active roster.

Nick
Guest
Nick
2 years ago
Reply to  Rimme

They’re all vaxxed. If they weren’t they would be getting shamed by the media and we would know who they are.

Jim’s Guest is Someone Else’s Depository
Guest
Jim’s Guest is Someone Else’s Depository
2 years ago
Reply to  Nick

300 lb men putting their hands on each other… how could this have happened?

Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

What confuses me…
Hoffman says..

“So, vaccinations are going up”

“Could we meet the 70 [%] benchmark?”

“It’s possible we might meet that before January 15th.”

“I think it is not highly likely, but if we see those levels of vaccination continue throughout the holidays and into the first couple of weeks of January we might see that.”

But, vaccinations aren’t going up…

For the weeks ending on…

12/1… 2068 doses administered.
12/8… 1738 doses administered.
12/15…1546 doses administered.

Many are booster doses, newly authorized on 11/19.

And, any vaxxing in, as He said,”…the first couple of weeks of January…”, will have no effect.

Those 2 weeks will be the waiting period for those vaxxed up to Jan.1

In the last 5-6 wks, fully vaxxed % has gone from 59.03%, and 58.68%, respectively, to 61.39%.

Gains of 2.36%, and, 2.71% respectively.

Even as the total weekly doses relevant to the upcoming completions of vax status do look like they have doubled, by doubling 2.71% to 5.42%, and adding it to our current 61.39%, for 66.81% we will still be far short of the 70%, by Jan. 15, that Hoffman fantastically still claims, is “possible”. It’s not.

Last edited 2 years ago
grey fox
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Guest

From yesterday’s press release….” more than 70% of the county’s population aged 5 and older, have been fully vaccinated “

Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

Yes grey fox,

I saw that. It’s a mistake.

I am also aware that it is a bad mistake, as I have clearly illustrated on numerous occasions.

The truth is, that we are at under 65% of over 5 yr old fully vaccinated.

Did you also see on the dashboard that we are now at 61.39% of population fully vaccinated?

I realize that you also probably realize that it’s a mistake, and that you are just playing games with me.

But I will go along with it a little farther, by asking you a few questions…

How many under 4 year olds do you think there are in Humboldt?

Hint from the census: 5ish %

(0-9 is 10%)

Answer: roughly 6,798, 4 & under.

What is the total population?

Hint: 135,929 -135,950.

(Additional hint from the, dashboard/ press release, combo: 83,459 fully vaccinated is 61.39%
of the total population.)

(Additional, Additional hint: you can derive the total population from the “Additional hint”)

Hint: Subtract 6,798 from 135,950, for the 5 and up.

Answer: about 129,152@ 5 and up in Humboldt.

Hint: Divide fully vaxxed, 83,459, by 5 & up, 129,152, and you get,

64.62% 5 & up.

Not over 70%.

Last edited 2 years ago
grey fox
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Guest

No games..Just pointing out that he said one thing yesterday then says another in this article. Not everyone is out to game you. And yes I look at the dashboard every day, I usually see it before it gets posted here. I am the positivity rate guy, so I have to keep on top of it. Like right now new dashboard is out.

Last edited 2 years ago
grey fox
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox
Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

Kym,

“We might ‘need’ that before January 15th”,

is a transcription error.

It should read,

“We might ‘meet’ that before January 15th.

Yes, I double-checked by listening to the audio version online.

(P.S. We won’t.)

Last edited 2 years ago
Kym Kemp
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Thank you. Fixed.

Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

You’re welcome,

Thank you, Kym.

NoGovernment
Guest
NoGovernment
2 years ago

Lets sift some of this crap aside. So we are as Calfornians, to wear masks indoors. Though San Francisco, A very concentrated area, can do whatever they want. You are all idiots ! How can your spreadsheets justify demanding California to wear masks indoors (which I recommend) then you idiots say oh, San Francisco can do what they want; they deserve a treat. You are indeed idiots. Bye bye I don’t trust your lack of common sense. Looks like we all lose. Should be at war with China though….that’s clear.

Last edited 2 years ago
Tim
Guest
Tim
2 years ago
Reply to  NoGovernment

Maybe it’s because 86% of San Franciscans are vaccinated and they have a modest rate of COVID spread?

Jim’s Guest is Someone Else’s Depository
Guest
Jim’s Guest is Someone Else’s Depository
2 years ago
Reply to  Tim

Maybe… although I seriously doubt it…

San Francisco has figured out we are no longer in a pandemic and have decided to just live with the idea that this virus is now endemic.

I mean, The City was ground zero for HIV. They know a thing or two about disease.

Jean Lopez
Guest
Jean Lopez
2 years ago
Reply to  Tim

Maybe it’s because SF businesses begged the guv to rescind the mask mandate so they won’t get ROBBED EVERY SINGLE DAY. C’mon, follow the money. Smash and grabbers wearing hoodies and masks are making a killing. “No face, no case”. Meanwhile, Modoc county merchants (where covid rates stand at zero) have begged for no masks, too. No dice. It’s all about the money. It always has been.

ikickittoyou
Guest
ikickittoyou
2 years ago
Reply to  NoGovernment

Childish rubbish. It hope it annoys you to no end to realize people will read this immature argument and laugh at the foolishness for a moment, then sigh in despair when they consider the sad reality of what it’s like to be in your head.

Antiwoke
Guest
Antiwoke
2 years ago
Reply to  ikickittoyou

Hey Kym.. it’s gross that you let this insulting comment slide. I’ve been pulled for way less. Your double standard is so obvious. How you been feeling about the vaxx lately? Y’all ready to let go of your pride yet? Looking pretty silly.

Chuck Dee
Guest
Chuck Dee
2 years ago

So, they are wearing masks on zoom while the majority of us are back to normal activities except for when we go the store. It literally makes no sense that you have to wear a mask anymore. The disease is widespread and you literally have a mask off the entire time you’re in restaurants. It’s all theater now. I’m guessing these folks don’t get out often and see what the public is up to, or noticed that thousands of us have had COVID and recovered and are not measured in these extremely imperfect statistics they operate under.

fishkiller
Guest
fishkiller
2 years ago

Dr. Robert Malone: Mass Formation
“However, as friends, relatives and children die from the jabs, as businesses close due to mandates and official narratives become increasingly absurd, ever so slowly, I think the tide might be turning.
Ominously, I’ve been thinking: They’re going to need to do something else. Even here, the average idiot is about to figure it out.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INHpQL9fgto

grey fox
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  fishkiller

From a lecture given by Dr. Malone….As many of you know, I have spent time researching and speaking about mass psychosis theory. Most of what I have learned has come from Dr. Mattias Desmet, who realized that this form of mass hypnosis, of the madness of crowds, can account for the strange phenomenon of about 20-30% of the population in the western world becoming entranced with the Noble Lies and dominant narrative concerning the safety and effectiveness of the genetic vaccines. During a recent talk I gave in Tampa, Florida to an audience of about 2,000. As I looked out into the audience and spoke, I could see relief on many faces, and even tears running from the eyes of stoic men.

Last edited 2 years ago
Jabba the hut
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

Grey fox, I’m listening to the podcaste with Aubrey marcus and Dr Mattias desmet. He has a masters in statistics analysis, and psychology. This is a must listen. It highlights just how in plain sight the facts are coming from his credentials It puts him above any of the bullshit I hear on hear and CNN. Just another of example of thousands of highly educated people that disagree with what people call experts. Experts disagreeing with experts means we are not even close to a consensus.

Last edited 2 years ago
Jean Lopez
Guest
Jean Lopez
2 years ago
Reply to  Jabba the hut

Another must watch. The After Skool series by Academy of Ideas is entertaining, informative, and truly enlightening. Presents the ideas and words of people like Ram Dass, Eckhart Tolle, Alan Watts, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, and Abraham Maslow, as well as brilliant comedians like George Carlin, shared through animated images. The antidote to mass media, which seeks to divide us, this series is meant to enlighten and unify us. Very highly recommended, and possibly life-changing. Here is the episode on Desmet and his theory of mass psychosis: https://www.howtube.com/11154

grey fox
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Jean Lopez

..Here is the headline to the video..
MASS PSYCHOSIS – How an Entire Population Becomes MENTALLY ILL .
He plagiarized that theory from Pogo who issued this statement in 1970.

CCE135EE-ED08-4A82-A462-00615537299B.jpeg
Jean Lopez
Guest
Jean Lopez
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

A favorite quote of many (including me), borrowed enough to have earned its own entry in Wikipedia. Plagiarism or simply zeitgeist?

grey fox
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Jean Lopez

Had to look that up, never knew the word even existed.

the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
“the story captured the zeitgeist of the late 1960s”

Last edited 2 years ago
Nooo
Guest
Nooo
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

Yes, having anxiety about insanity, the insane are always relieved to be told they are not insane, that their delusions are real. Relieves a lot of stress. Meanwhile the sane just think it is another aspect of insanity and try to go about their business as if it wasn’t going on.

Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Nooo

Mr. Nooo,

So you fancy yourself a psychiatrist, now?

That sounds fun.

Let me try…

🤔🧐Have a seat…

Only the sane have anxieties about insanity.

The insane have no anxiety about being insane.

They are in denial.

Sooo, and because,

They think that they are perfectly normal.🤪😜

Last edited 2 years ago
Nooo
Guest
Nooo
2 years ago
Reply to  Guest

First, although I shouldn’t be wasting time on this, no- the insane are almost always stressed out by their insanity. How many happy insane people have you ever heard of much less met? They are only in denial about the cause, which they can’t manage. Although I did once meet a relative who was pretty pleased about her dementia because she thought the care providers were servants. It did bother her that they were not obedient servants but she liked the idea of having servants. They think their stress is caused by outside influence but, in our culture, it is almost always internal influence. No insane person, even anti vaxxers, think they are “perfectly normal.” They tend not to be able to differentiate why this is so. If they derive any satisfaction from it, it is like my elderly relative, because they confuse being the center of attention with being important. Which I suppose it true. Just not in a positive way.

So done now. Off to the real world. The field is yours.

Last edited 2 years ago
Jean Lopez
Guest
Jean Lopez
2 years ago
Reply to  fishkiller

Thanks for posting, a good video. Something in it struck me, not for the first time. Dr. Malone, in talking about the mass psychosis (which he refers to as hypnosis) actually comes out and says, it looks like most Republicans are wary and have this figured out. And maybe the Democrats will get there when moms fight to stop their kids from getting jabbed. That’s some hard truth coming from Malone, and I wonder if one really big reason that many people refuse to look at all aspects of what’s going on and figuring it out is because they are liberals who are terrified of being mistaken for conservatives. The MSM is telling us every day that only the stupid and misinformed are questioning the narrative. The Bad. I keep thinking about a video I watched where a woman being interviewed says that she doesn’t want to stop wearing her mask because she’s afraid of being mistaken for a Trump supporter (the horror, the horror!). So she wears it jauntily hanging from one ear, just to show her political affiliation, it seems. That’s how deeply the MSM has divided us. How in the hell are we to get past that?

fishkiller
Guest
fishkiller
2 years ago

The Quebec government had to stop giving boosters to elders who had received two doses of the COVID vaccine and previously had COVID due to severe, life-threatening side effects.
The province’s immunization committee initially recommended that elders who had COVID in the past and who also received both doses of a COVID vaccine be given a booster shot.

https://westphaliantimes.com/canadian-province-stops-giving-boosters-to-elders-who-have-had-covid-in-the-past-due-to-severe-life-threatening-side-effects/

Nooo
Guest
Nooo
2 years ago
Reply to  fishkiller

The Westphalian Times is a conspiracy anti government site which so far is the only one reporting anything like this. It may or may not be anything other than a typical delusional spin on reality but it is too time consuming to be worth the effort to figure out what is real. However, in the typical wild fire spread of “alternate media”, it will be offered as “information”. I did read the Quebec government site that said people could choose to get both shots after they recover from covid but only recommended it for people who got covid after their first shot but before they can’t their second.

Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Nooo

Mr. Nooo,

The “booster” referenced, was a full, 100 microgram dose of Moderna.

The current recommendation for a Moderna booster in the US is a half dose, a 50 microgram dose.

Have you ever wondered why?

Or maybe, have you ever even wondered why the Moderna jabs have still not been FDA approved?

What is your explanation?

Nooo
Guest
Nooo
2 years ago
Reply to  Guest

You mean wondering if the scientists who make recommendations actually look at research first? No. I looked at the information available earlier in year and decided that Pfizer was less hard on on the body than Moderna. I wondered if that meant that the efficacy was therefore less too. One of the ingredients on Moderna bothered me although (or maybe because) my understanding of it is very sketchy. (Yes, I did look up each ingredient as best as the internet allowed a non professional to do.) But, since either was better than getting sick, I decided on Pfizer. Both have proved remarkable benign as vaccines go. J&J was more concerning to me but that was personal too. Anything that uses a part of another virus to transport was a bit scary to me and I like that deep refrigeration was needed for the mRNA vaccines- less preservatives which with adjunctive have been the things that caused problems in the rare cases when vaccines ended up causing problems . You do your research and take your chances.

But if I got Moderna, I would not be worrying about it now. Anything that could cause a problem is long in the past. Unlike what anti vaxxers say, vaccines do not linger in any way in the body more than a couple of months. It just doesn’t.

Last edited 2 years ago
fishkiller
Guest
fishkiller
2 years ago
Reply to  Nooo

It was originally published in le devoir (in french).
Are they a “conspiracy anti government site” too?

https://www.ledevoir.com/societe/sante/651882/pas-de-3-sup-e-sup-dose-pour-les-aines-ayant-eu-la-covid-19

Baby monster
Guest
Baby monster
2 years ago

My advice is to go to Florida and enjoy the beaches and dining. No masks. All is normal

Super Dumb
Guest
Super Dumb
2 years ago

Cornell, WINNING! Again.

Cornell University reports more than 900 Covid-19 cases this week. (They have over 95%vax rate in staff and students) “Virtually EVERY case of the Omicron variant to date has been found in fully vaccinated students, a portion of whom had also received a booster shot,”

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/12/14/us/cornell-university-covid-cases/index.html

How dumb you gotta be to continue to defend the vaccine, and worse, the fully useless boosters? Get a brain!

Um, it is sure looking like the muted, and banned alarm-ringing scientists and Nobel laureates who warned about vaxxing -with a non immune-producing “vaccine” – mid pandemic, WERE RIGHT.

Last edited 2 years ago
Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Super Dumb

Makes the vaccination mandate implemented to even attend University look that much stupider.

Last edited 2 years ago
Mega me
Guest
Mega me
2 years ago

Today,
@GavinNewsom
explained the recent mask mandate (that won’t be enforced) is because, of the 48 Omicron cases identified in CA, “the overwhelming majority have been fully vaccinated. That’s why masking becomes even more important in this environment.”

https://mobile.twitter.com/JZachreson/status/1471294947462582272

Guest 2
Guest
Guest 2
2 years ago

I’m confused. I though the county just released data saying there was a 0% chance of death for those 45 and under and 2% chance of hospitalization for those 39 and under. Is that still the case? Also how many of those 120 were obese or had health issues? People of any age have varying health, age should not be a factor as much as vitamin d levels , weight etc.

“ Of the 463 hospitalizations that we had at the time of looking at the data, about a quarter of those were under the age of 50, for a total of 120 hospitalizations under the age of 50. Of those, 120, 41 were ICU patients. So nearly about just over a third, and then really, the truly startling nature of it is the vaccination status of these under 50.

Zero of those 120 people were fully vaccinated, and only 2 had partial vaccination status with one vaccine. The average age of that under 50 hospitalization group was 37 and a half. ”

Misguidedyouth
Guest
Misguidedyouth
2 years ago

Stay safe by wearing a mask on a zoom call in a private room… I’d wager they take them off as soon as they are done, and or they keep em on all the time, including the shower

Old SchoolD
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Misguidedyouth

Always wash your hands after commenting on this website. I also drain my drool cup.

Connie DobbsD
Member
Connie Dobbs
2 years ago
Reply to  Old School

I’ve missed you.

Jacob
Guest
Jacob
2 years ago

Can we get rid of the power tripper who is selecting the stats he wants to pass out at play time? I’m so over this crap.
Why is Humboldt held to a higher standard than the state? Answer, the power tripper.
No time in history has the sheep been able to command the wolf. Now we set back and let it happen. You peeps should let the sleeping bears lay.
Why did the second hospital in eureka close? Why has the facility not been enlarged to keep up with the growth of population? Same with fortuna or Garberville.
Where are the stats on those who had it, survived, and went on with their lives without going to the hospital?
See, I can come up with my own stats too. Maybe our county has an infrastructure problem. If we had bigger hospitals and enough nurses to staff them, maybe we could atleast adjust our standards a bit.
If a vaccine keeps you safe. Then why do I need one to keep you safer?
If a vaccine keeps you safe, why do I have to wear a mask to keep you safer?
My life isn’t about you and yours!

Nooo
Guest
Nooo
2 years ago
Reply to  Jacob

Why? Really? It should be obvious by now but here it goes again- 1) vaccines keep people safer- not perfectly safe. Just safer. The more that get vaccinated, the less the disease ( because some of the vaccinated will do better at avoiding getting sick at all and, even if they do, they are sick for a shorter time) is circulating so that in addition to being vaccinated, there is a better chance that people who are vulnerable will not meet up with some who will spread disease to them. Which leads to 2) the most vulnerable- those over 60 and/or the unvaccinated- will be less likely to take up space in hospitals for weeks, needing demanding care, increasing the risk to our doctor and nurses (who tend to be older because Humboldt County does not attract youthful, ambitious people) and taking away the resources from those who need other care. And I suppose there is a third thing too, but it is really silly that it exists at all, like San Francisco, that a high vaccination rate and low spread leads to government not ordering people around so much. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

The lack of perfection which those refusing to get vaccinated cite endlessly is only a diversion from the real situation. They are afraid of what is to them mysterious materials being injected. And they deep resent any pressure to do so. They will swallow equally mysterious material by the handful. They will sit in a chair for an hour, getting mysterious material infused. But, until they are actually sick and fearful themselves, they will not not take preventative action of vaccination nor even wearing a mask. And, like the more they are pushed, the more reasoning is applied, the more they are made afraid and the more angry they get. They complain that those who get vaccinated are being pushed into a common delusion but they themselves have no problem being pushed into an uncommon delusion even if it is patently silly, thinking because it is less common they are somehow more independent thinkers.

FogDog
Guest
FogDog
2 years ago
Reply to  Nooo

Percentages and fractions are hard. Black and white yes or no answers only please. It can be perfection or bust and good /better/ gray areas are the only true enemies.🤣

HotCoffee
Guest
HotCoffee
2 years ago
Reply to  Nooo

Here’s some silly for you…..I guess some Dems are taking some heat.

5 Bay Area counties granted some exemptions to new California mask mandate
Five Bay Area counties — San Francisco, Alameda, Marin, Contra Costa and Sonoma — have been granted limited exemptions to the new statewide indoor mask mandate.

https://www.sfgate.com/bay-area-politics/article/California-mask-mandate-Bay-Area-16704859.php

And London Breeds defund the police program is over now, she’s gone Dirty Harry Inc. Hmm….

Last edited 2 years ago
Rio
Guest
Rio
2 years ago
Reply to  Jacob

I don’t know but if you go outside you better wear a warm jacket so I don’t get cold

Old SchoolD
Member
2 years ago

Being antisocial will save your ass.

Eyeball Kid
Member
2 years ago

Sofia says, “I know for many people, time has been a blur, but we are nearing the end of 2021“…

This woman knows her way around a calendar.

Chuck Dee
Guest
Chuck Dee
2 years ago
Reply to  Eyeball Kid

She’s a Communications major who gets to be the face of the Public Health dictatorship. Resist these clowns. Make fun of them. They are ridiculous and out of touch beyond belief. Do not listen to these people, at most hear their advice and assess for yourself. Everything they say is worst case scenario and guess what, the worst case has never happened the entire almost two years of this. If you didn’t notice a few weeks in and you can’t see it now, you are actively ignoring conflicting information. As someone who took their predictions seriously at first… yeah… these people should not hold sway in society. They need to get back to tracking down Std cases, etc. STOP COMPLYING PEOPLE