Five additional cases of COVID-19 were reported today, bringing to 200 the total number of residents who have tested positive for the virus since the first local case was diagnosed February 20.
Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich called this an unfortunate but foreseeable milestone as case counts climb across the state and nation. “We were the first rural county in the nation to diagnose a case of COVID-19 at a time when there were very few cases seen nationally. We’ve now seen 200 local cases in just over five months while the country is reporting more than 3.9 million,” she said.
“We know that this virus is highly contagious, but the most important thing to know about it is that there are steps all of us can take to limit transmission and keep ourselves and our loved ones safe,” Dr. Frankovich said. “We can all commit to wearing a face covering and maintaining six feet of distance when interacting with those outside of our household, while also practicing thorough and regular handwashing and cleaning. Even five months after our first case, these measures continue to be our best strategy to prevent transmission of this virus.”
Today’s alert level stands at a two. Visit humboldtgov.org/dashboard to view the county’s Alert Level Assessment tool.
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 covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us or calling 707-441-5000.
Humboldt County COVID-19 Data Dashboard: humboldtgov.org/dashboard,
Follow us on Facebook: @HumCoCOVID19,
Instagram: @HumCoCOVID19,
Twitter: @HumCoCOVID19, and
Humboldt Health Alert: humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert
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