From the Humboldt County Joint Information Center:
Nearly a year since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Humboldt County, the data suggest that younger adults – ages 20-29 and 30-39 – remain the largest percentage of total cases. Because it is likely to take months for people in these age groups to be able to receive the vaccine, health officials encourage routine testing and ongoing safety measures.
In the latest weekly update of the Humboldt County Data Dashboard (humboldtgov.org/dashboard), residents aged 20-29 accounted for approximately 24% of total cases, while ages 30-39 accounted for approximately 20% of total cases. . Both groups have consistently maintained the highest rates since the end of September 2020, and the gap between them and other age groups has only widened since the end of November 2020.
Public health officials have previously noted that people in these age groups tend to make up a large part of the essential workforce and that they are often unable to work from home. “While vaccines are part of our path out of the pandemic, it’s just one piece of the puzzle,” said Sam Gentle, head of the emergency operations logistics department. ‘We need to continue practicing this proven behavior that is now part of life – wearing a mask in public, keeping at least 6 feet away from those outside your household, washing hands regularly and traveling only for essential purposes. Testing, even for those without symptoms, remains an excellent tool for determining how much viruses are circulating in our community. ”
Testing is still available free of charge through state-contracted COVID-19 testing provider OptumServe, seven days a week in Redwood Acres, Eureka. Loopins are available on all OptumServe websites and the average time for results is 48 to 72 hours. See the full schedule below:
- Eureka – Seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Redwood Acres, 3750 Harris St.)
- Arcata – Mondays from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Arcata Community Center, 321 MLK Jr. Pkwy.)
- Garberville – Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (SoHum Health Sprowl Creek Campus, 286 Sprowl Creek Road)
- • Fortuna – Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (River Lodge Conference Center, 1800 Riverwalk Dr.)
- Hoopa – Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Tsewenaldin Inn, 12482 CA-96)
- McKinleyville – Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Azalea Hall, 1620 Pickett Road)
To schedule an appointment:
- • Go to lhi.care/covidtesting, or
- Call 888-634-1123.